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Missouri County
Laclede County, Missouri
Lebanon's Route 66 heritage and the Ozarks' I-44 corridor - from Lebanon's authentic Route 66 heritage (the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon has operated continuously since 1946 - one of the most photographed Route 66 icons, its neon sign and classic motor court design represent the golden age of American road travel) to Laclede County's position at the crossroads of I-44 and the Ozarks plateau, and a south-central Missouri county whose highway heritage and Ozarks character attract Route 66 enthusiasts from around the world.
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Office: Laclede County Office of Emergency Management – 186 N Adams Ave, Lebanon, MO 65536 | (417) 532-6992; Director Randy Rowe; offers a Nixle text alert system with geofenced (“polygon”) targeting for weather and emergency notifications.
Sheriff: Laclede County Sheriff’s Office – 240 N Adams Ave, Lebanon, MO 65536 | (417) 532-2311; Sheriff Matt Frederick per the official county government directory (note: some third-party listings show a different name – confirm current sheriff directly via lacledecountymissouri.org before citing).
City Police: Lebanon Police Department – 401 S Jefferson Ave, Lebanon, MO 65536 | (417) 532-3131.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-44 (historic US Route 66) and MO-5 serve Lebanon, the county seat, roughly midway between St. Louis and Joplin.
Notes: Laclede County, organized February 24, 1849, is named for Pierre Laclede, founder of St. Louis. Roughly 36,000-37,000 residents across 768 square miles. Lebanon was founded on the site of a former Wyota Indian village.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Laclede County Government Center – 200 North Adams, Lebanon, MO 65536.
Notes: Lebanon is genuinely a celebrated Route 66 town: the historic highway served Lebanon and Laclede County from 1926 until its 1957 decommissioning, and the town still hosts an annual Route 66 Festival at Boswell Park (home to three large Route 66-themed murals). The Munger Moss Motel, built in 1946 with its restored neon sign, is one of the most photographed landmarks on the entire Mother Road. A free Route 66 Museum, run by the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society (a 501(c)(3) incorporated in 2003), is located inside the Lebanon-Laclede County Library. The historic 1876 Laclede County Jail (former NRHP listing, since delisted) was maintained by the Laclede County Historical Society as a museum.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Laclede County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via lacledecountymissouri.org.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Springfield VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Lebanon-Laclede County Library – 915 South Jefferson, Lebanon, MO 65536 | (417) 532-2148 | Hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM-8 PM, Fri 8 AM-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-5 PM, closed Sundays/holidays; hosts the free Route 66 Museum, a Missouri genealogy research room, and the Kinderhook Gift Shop.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Route 66 Museum, Boswell Park and its Route 66 murals, the Munger Moss Motel, and the Kenneth E. Cowan Civic Center (675-seat performing arts venue) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine, well-preserved Route 66 heritage of Lebanon is one of the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Laclede County Assessor – (417) 532-7163.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
City of Lebanon Animal Control (City Pound) – confirm current address/phone via lebanonmissouri.org; Pound Pullers of Lebanon, MO, Inc. is a volunteer rescue group that networks animals out of the city pound (which they describe as high-intake) to safety, not an independent shelter itself.
Lebanon Humane Society – 18719 Gateway, Lebanon, MO 65536 | (417) 532-4057. NAMING TRAP: an unrelated “Humane Society of Lebanon County” operates in Pennsylvania – confirm Missouri contact details directly before citing.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Laclede County – confirm current contact via lacledecountymissouri.org.
NOTES: Laclede County is the fifth county in the eighth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine, well-preserved Route 66 heritage of Lebanon – including its dedicated museum and iconic Munger Moss Motel – is one of the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Laclede County
Laclede County is south-central Missouri’s Route 66 heritage county – a community whose iconic motor court and I-44 corridor position make it a destination for America’s most celebrated highway travelers.
Lebanon (the county seat, population ~14,000) is an I-44 and Route 66 community whose Munger Moss Motel has become one of the most recognized landmarks on the entire 2,400-mile Route 66 corridor. The motel’s owners – Bobby and Ramona Lehman operated it for decades and became legends in the Route 66 community – have maintained the property as an authentic mid-century experience.
Laclede County’s Ozarks terrain provides hunting, fishing, and recreation, while the I-44 corridor’s commercial strip serves travelers between St. Louis and Oklahoma City.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Laclede County Assessor at 200 N. Adams Avenue, Lebanon, MO 65536, phone 417-532-5050. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
Laclede County Circuit Court at 200 N. Adams Avenue, Lebanon, MO 65536, phone 417-532-5171, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N. Adams Ave., Lebanon, MO 65536
(417) 532-5471
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Laclede County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Laclede County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Laclede County Circuit Court, Probate Division Laclede County Government Center, 200 N. Adams Avenue, Lebanon, MO 65536 (417) 532-2471 Laclede County is in south-central Missouri, seated in Lebanon.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Missouri probate is governed by Title XXXI of the Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapters 470-475), the Probate Code.
Small Estate Affidavit (RSMo § 473.097) – available when the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $40,000. A 30-day waiting period after death applies, and only if no application for letters is pending. If the property listed is worth more than $15,000, the clerk must publish a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A bond may be required. Once the court issues a certified small estate certificate, the affiant presents it directly to whoever holds the property to collect and distribute assets – avoiding full probate. Typical timeline: about two months to close, versus six months to a year or more for full probate.
Formal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. A petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) is filed with the probate division. After review, the court appoints the personal representative and issues the letters. Missouri offers both supervised and independent administration. Missouri requires an attorney to represent the personal representative in both types of administration.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a petition with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, and gives direct notice to known creditors. Creditors have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
Within 30 days of appointment (unless the court extends the deadline), the personal representative files an inventory and appraisement of all estate assets.
After debts are paid and the creditor claim period expires, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and files a final settlement with the court to close the estate.
What it costs
Missouri sets statutory minimum fees for attorneys and personal representatives based on a percentage of the estate’s value, though additional fees may be allowed for extraordinary services.
Missouri has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
200 N. Adams Ave., Lebanon, MO 65536
(417) 532-2321
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 N. Adams Ave., Lebanon, MO 65536
(417) 532-5471
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Laclede
(417) 532-2911
Mercy Hospital Lebanon
mercy.net (Lebanon — quality community hospital; Mercy Health affiliate)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Laclede County Health Department – confirm current phone via lacledecountyhealth.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Lebanon
Population: 36,000
Area: 766 sq mi
Established: 1849
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Laclede County residents.
