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Missouri County
St. Francois County, Missouri
The Old Lead Belt and Missouri's mining heritage - from Bonne Terre Mine's underground lake (the world's largest known underwater cave system open to scuba divers - 24 miles of flooded mine shafts from the St. Joseph Lead Company's operations that ended in 1962, now attracting thousands of divers annually to explore the preserved Victorian-era mining infrastructure beneath a Missouri town) to Farmington's role as the commercial hub of the Old Lead Belt - the mining district that made Missouri the world's leading lead producer for decades - and a southeastern Missouri county whose mineral wealth shaped American industrial history.
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: St. Francois County Emergency Management/911 Center – coordinates with the City of Farmington; both use the Smart911 Emergency Notification System and outdoor warning sirens activated by the “Rapid Warn” polygon-based system (in use since 2022).
Sheriff: St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office – Farmington, MO 63640; confirm current non-emergency phone via sfcgov.org.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-67 and MO-32 serve Farmington, the county seat and largest city, about 60-75 miles south of St. Louis in the Lead Belt region.
Notes: St. Francois County is part of the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington Combined Statistical Area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Farmington Planning and Zoning/Building Permits – building permit applications and special use permits require site plans; confirm current forms via farmington-mo.gov.
Notes: The St. Francois County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence, built 1870-71 in Greek Revival brick and limestone style at 11 N. Franklin St., Farmington, was one of Missouri’s oldest continuously operating jails until retired in 1996; it’s individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now serves as low-cost lodging for cyclists on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: St. Francois County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via sfcgov.org.
Notes: Norman L. Rigdon VFW Post 5896 serves local veterans.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Confirm current St. Francois County/Farmington public library address and hours via sfcgov.org or farmington-mo.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: St. Francois County sits at the heart of Missouri’s historic “Lead Belt,” a region whose 19th- and 20th-century lead mining shaped the local economy and community identity for generations. The historic 1870-71 County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence, a National Register-listed Greek Revival landmark, now serves cyclists on the cross-country TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. Farmington’s Courthouse Square Historic District preserves this heritage in the county seat
Notes: St. Francois County’s identity as the heart of Missouri’s historic Lead Belt mining region is a genuine and well-documented local distinction.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: St. Francois County Assessor – confirm current contact via sfcgov.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: St. Francois County government-run animal pounds, supported by Farmington Rescue Friends, a volunteer advocacy group (not a licensed 501(c)(3) shelter) that raises awareness and helps place animals from the county’s pounds with rescues; confirm current pound contact via sfcgov.org or farmington-mo.gov.
Services: Farmington Rescue Friends works to connect animals in county-run pounds with rescue organizations and adopters, including transports to regional partner shelters.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: St. Francois County – confirm current contact via sfcgov.org.
NOTES
St. Francois County’s identity as the heart of Missouri’s historic Lead Belt mining region, along with the National Register-listed 1870-71 county jail now serving cross-country cyclists, are genuine and well-documented local distinctions. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of mid-August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About St. Francois County
St. Francois County is southeastern Missouri’s lead mining heritage county – a community whose underground mineral wealth made it one of the most economically significant counties in the American Midwest for over a century.
Farmington (the county seat, population ~17,000) is the county’s commercial and healthcare hub serving the surrounding mining-heritage communities.
Bonne Terre (population ~7,000) draws thousands of scuba divers annually to explore 24 miles of flooded mine shafts – preserved pumps, ore carts, and mining equipment create an eerie industrial underwater museum unlike anything else in the world.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
St. Francois County Assessor at 1 W. Liberty Street, Suite 200, Farmington, MO 63640, phone 573-756-1878. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
St. Francois County Circuit Court at 12 E. Liberty Street, Farmington, MO 63640, phone 573-756-5411, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 W. Liberty St., Farmington, MO 63640
(573) 756-5411
Genealogy
County-level record sources
St. Francois County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated St. Francois 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
St. Francois County Circuit Court, Probate Division 1 North Washington Street, Farmington, MO 63640 (573) 756-4551 St. Francois County is in southeastern Missouri, in the Lead Belt region, seated in Farmington.
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
1 W. Liberty St., Farmington, MO 63640
(573) 756-2244
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1 W. Liberty St., Farmington, MO 63640
(573) 756-5411
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — St. Francois
(573) 756-6747
Parkland Health Center
parklandhealthcenter.org (Farmington — quality regional hospital; Mercy Health affiliate)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: St. Francois County Health Department – confirm current phone via sfcgov.org.
Hospital: Parkland Health Center (BJC HealthCare) – 1101 W. Liberty St., Farmington, MO, (573) 756-6451, a full-service acute care hospital named a 2025 U.S. News & World Report High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care; also operates Missouri’s first Rural Emergency Hospital in nearby Bonne Terre.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Farmington
Population: 67,000
Area: 456 sq mi
Established: 1821
Tier: 3
Public Records
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