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Missouri County
Phelps County, Missouri
Missouri S&T's engineering legacy and Route 66's Ozark corridor - from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla (one of the top engineering and technology universities in the United States - Missouri S&T consistently ranks among the top engineering schools nationally, producing graduates who have contributed to NASA missions, mining engineering, and virtually every major engineering discipline) to Route 66's historic alignment through Rolla (the Mother Road's authentic Ozark corridor preserves classic roadside architecture, neon signs, and the 1950s travel culture) and the Meramec Spring Park's exceptional trout fishing.
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Office: Phelps County Emergency Management – 500 West 2nd Street, Rolla, MO 65401 | (573) 426-3841; Sheriff Michael P. Kirn also serves as Emergency Management Director.
Sheriff: Phelps County Sheriff’s Department – 500 W 2nd St, Rolla, MO 65401 | Non-emergency (573) 426-3860 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM; operates two correctional facilities housing up to 243 inmates, including federal ICE detainees under an intergovernmental agreement; partners with East Central College for peace-officer and continuing law-enforcement training at the ECC-Phelps Law Enforcement Training Center.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-44 serves Rolla, the county seat and largest city, roughly midway between St. Louis and Springfield.
Notes: Phelps County, organized November 13, 1857, is named for John Smith Phelps, a U.S. Representative and Governor of Missouri. Roughly 44,600-45,200 residents across 674 square miles; per the U.S. Census Bureau, the mean center of the entire U.S. population fell within Phelps County in the year 2000.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Phelps County Courthouse – 200 N. Main Street, Rolla, MO 65401 | (573) 458-6000; NRHP-listed (1993), built 1860-1868 in Greek Revival style.
Notes: Rolla’s naming has a genuinely amusing local legend: when the town won the county-seat designation over rival Dillon in 1861, Dillon residents – as a consolation – were reportedly given the right to choose the new county seat’s name, and named it “Rolla” after a good-for-nothing hunting dog (a story the Phelps County Historical Society itself acknowledges as folk legend). The historic 1860 Phelps County Jail, built of solid quarried dolomite blocks and NRHP-listed (1990), housed both military and civilian Civil War-era prisoners after Union forces occupied Rolla in 1861; it was later donated to the Phelps County Historical Society in 1943. Rolla is home to Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), founded 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, a nationally ranked STEM research university with over 6,400 students.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Phelps County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via phelpscounty.org.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Rolla or Columbia VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
The Public Library of Rolla – 900 N. Pine Street, Rolla, MO 65401 | (573) 364-2604.
Curtis Laws Wilson Library (Missouri S&T) – 400 W. 14th St, Rolla, MO 65409 | (573) 341-4008; open to the community with free library cards, free notary services, and research-librarian consultations; also home to the Rolla branch of the State Historical Society of Missouri and its Rolla Research Center, focused on southern Missouri and Ozark Highlands documents.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The historic 1860 Phelps County Jail Museum, the Missouri S&T campus, and downtown Rolla’s historic district are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “good-for-nothing hunting dog” naming legend behind Rolla is a distinctive local fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Phelps County Assessor – (573) 458-6135.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Rolla Animal Shelter – 1915 Sharp Rd, Rolla, MO 65401 | (573) 364-6995 | Hours: Tue-Sat 10 AM-4 PM (per some sources); operated by the Rolla Police Department’s Animal Control Division; houses roughly 1,700-1,800 animals annually with a 66% adoption rate; adoption fee $20; owner relinquishment fees $10 (Rolla residents) or $45-$65 (county residents); a new shelter facility has been under construction at Hwy 72 & Lions Club Drive.
Tri-County Humane Society – 745 E. Springfield St, Saint James, MO 65559 | (573) 265-7955 | Email: [email protected].
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Phelps County – confirm current contact via phelpscounty.org.
NOTES: Phelps County is the fifth county in the twelfth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “good-for-nothing hunting dog” naming legend behind Rolla, and the county’s status as home to the 2000 U.S. population center, are distinctive local facts. 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 Phelps County
Phelps County is south-central Missouri’s engineering education and Route 66 county – an Ozarks community whose nationally ranked technical university and Mother Road heritage define a distinctive identity.
Rolla (the county seat, population ~20,000) is dominated by Missouri University of Science and Technology – founded 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, it has grown into one of the nation’s top engineering universities with particular strength in mining, civil, electrical, and aerospace engineering.
Route 66 through Rolla preserves authentic mid-20th century roadside culture – the Totem Pole Trading Post, classic motor courts, and neon signage attract Route 66 enthusiasts from around the world.
Meramec Spring Park near St. James is one of Missouri’s largest springs, producing 100 million gallons daily and supporting excellent trout fishing.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Phelps County Assessor at 200 N. Main Street, Suite 126, Rolla, MO 65401, phone 573-364-1960. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
Phelps County Circuit Court at 200 N. Main Street, Rolla, MO 65401, phone 573-364-1891, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N. Main St., Rolla, MO 65401
(573) 364-1891
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Phelps County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Phelps 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
Phelps County Circuit Court, Probate Division 200 N. Main Street, Rolla, MO 65401 (573) 458-6000
Phelps County is in south-central Missouri, seated in Rolla – home to Missouri University of Science and Technology.
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. Main St., Rolla, MO 65401
(573) 364-5185
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 N. Main St., Rolla, MO 65401
(573) 364-1891
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Phelps
(573) 364-3158
Phelps Health
phelpshealth.org (Rolla — quality regional hospital; major central Ozarks anchor)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Phelps County Health Department – (573) 458-6010.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Rolla
Population: 45,000
Area: 672 sq mi
Established: 1857
Tier: 3
Public Records
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