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Missouri County
St. Louis City County Government Offices
County SeatSt. Louis (Independent City — not part of any county)
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Office: City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) – 1915 Olive Street, 6th Floor, St. Louis, MO 63103 | Emergency Management Director Sarah Russell, (314) 696-9067; a division of the Department of Public Safety, maintaining prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery programs; Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM.
Police: St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) – Non-emergency (314) 231-1212.
Fire: St. Louis Fire Department – Non-emergency (314) 533-3406; established September 14, 1857, the second-oldest professional fully paid fire department in the United States; serves 66.6 square miles and a daytime population exceeding 2 million.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64/US-40, I-44, I-55, and I-70 all converge in downtown St. Louis, historically earning it the nickname “Gateway to the West.”
Notes: The City of St. Louis spans 66.17 square miles as an independent city (61.72 sq mi land). Founded February 14, 1764, and incorporated in 1822, the city is named for Louis IX of France. City Hall – 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Building Division, Department of Public Safety – 1200 Market St, Room 401, City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103 | (314) 622-4231; enforces building code, issues permits, conducts inspections, demolishes vacant buildings, enforces zoning.
Notes: The City of St. Louis holds a genuinely unique legal status in American municipal history: in a local event known as “The Great Divorce,” voters narrowly approved separation of the City from St. Louis County on August 22, 1876 (after a contested recount that took nearly four months to resolve), formally taking effect in March 1877. Prior to the split, St. Louis County encompassed both the city and surrounding communities like Clayton, Kirkwood, and Florissant, with the City as county seat; afterward, the remaining County established its own courthouse in Clayton. This split is why the City and County maintain entirely separate library systems, court records, and government structures to this day – a distinctive fact relevant to anyone researching St. Louis-area records or history. The Gateway Arch, designed by architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965, stands 630 feet tall along the riverfront – the tallest monument of its kind in the United States, symbolizing the city’s role in westward expansion; it draws millions of visitors annually. St. Louis hosted the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World’s Fair), celebrating the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: City of St. Louis Veterans Service – confirm current contact via stlouis-mo.gov.
Federal: John Cochran VA Medical Center serves the City of St. Louis; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
St. Louis Public Library (main branch) – 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103; a fully separate library system from St. Louis County Library, a direct legacy of the 1876 “Great Divorce.”
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Gateway Arch and Gateway Arch National Park, Forest Park, Busch Stadium, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Union Station are the city’s premier and most nationally significant attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Great Divorce” story is one of the most distinctive municipal-governance facts covered anywhere in this project, directly shaping how city and county records, services, and institutions are organized today.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: City of St. Louis Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via stlouis-mo.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
City of St. Louis Animal Care and Control (ACC) – Office: 1520 Market Street, Suite 4051; Shelter (Animal Care Center): 2801 Clark Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103 | ACC direct (314) 657-1500 | After-hours/weekends via SLMPD non-emergency, (314) 231-1212; Office hours Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM, Shelter hours daily 10 AM-5 PM. Shelter operations are managed under contract by Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment (CARE STL), (314) 612-5310, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; adoptions are performed through this partnership.
Other regional resources: Stray Rescue of St. Louis, 2320 Pine Street, (314) 771-6121; Animal Protective Association of Missouri, 1705 South Hanley Road, (314) 645-4610; Humane Society of Missouri, St. Louis City campus, 1201 Macklind Ave, (314) 951-1562.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: City of St. Louis – confirm current contact via stlouis-mo.gov.
NOTES: This is the first of two St. Louis-area jurisdictions in the sixteenth (final) batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo – the independent City of St. Louis. The genuine “Great Divorce” of 1876/1877 is one of the most distinctive municipal-governance 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 St. Louis City County
Heritage | St. Louis is the independent city on the Mississippi River — Missouri’s largest city and one of America’s great river cities; the Gateway Arch National Park (St. Louis — the 630-foot stainless steel Gateway Arch is the tallest monument in the United States and one of the most iconic American architectural achievements; the tram ride to the top provides extraordinary views of the Mississippi River, the Illinois plains, and the St. Louis cityscape; the Museum of Westward Expansion beneath the Arch documents the Louisiana Purchase and the great American westward migration with exceptional quality; an absolutely essential American heritage destination); the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in America — the stunning mosaic interior is the largest mosaic artwork in the world; absolutely outstanding); the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (St. Louis — the brewery tours at the historic home of Budweiser beer are quality and interesting; the Clydesdales are magnificent); Forest Park and its free institutions (the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, the Saint Louis Science Center, and the Muny — collectively one of the finest concentrations of free-admission cultural institutions in America); the Hill neighborhood (Italian-American heritage community; outstanding Italian food and bakeries) Outdoors | Forest Park (one of the finest urban parks in America — larger than Central Park; the free institutions, the Grand Basin, the beautiful landscapes, and the recreational facilities make it extraordinary); the Mississippi River (historic riverfront access at the Arch grounds; beautiful river views; quality catfish fishing); Missouri Botanical Garden (one of the world’s finest botanical gardens; 79 acres of outstanding collections) Notable | Gateway Arch National Park (one of America’s most iconic monuments and heritage sites — the 630-foot stainless steel Arch is extraordinary; the tram ride to the top and the Museum of Westward Expansion beneath the Arch are outstanding; the Gateway Arch represents the American spirit of westward expansion and stands as one of the most beautiful and dramatic structures in America; an absolutely essential destination for any visitor to Missouri or the Midwest); Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (the largest mosaic artwork in the world fills this stunning Byzantine cathedral — an extraordinary and deeply moving architectural achievement; one of America’s finest church interiors); Forest Park’s free institutions (the Saint Louis Zoo, the Art Museum, the History Museum, and the Science Center — collectively an extraordinary and rare public gift; the quality of each institution is exceptional); Barnes-Jewish/Washington University and SSM Health SLU both operate Level I Trauma centers; St. Louis has a diverse economy in healthcare, technology, finance, and education Library | St. Louis Public Library — (314) 241-2288 | slpl.org (historic Central Library building is one of America’s finest historic library buildings; quality collections and programming)
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CITY REGISTER / CLERK
1200 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 622-4321
Genealogy
Local societies
St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS), one of the largest local genealogical societies in the United States, founded 1967, with over 2,000 members – serves both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Mercantile Library (formed 1846), now on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus at 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121 – houses a rare book and manuscript collection emphasizing Western Americana, travel, and exploration.
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
City of St. Louis Circuit Court, Probate Division 10 N. Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63101
The City of St. Louis is an independent city – it is not part of any Missouri county and has its own Circuit Court and Probate Division separate from St. Louis County. Missouri’s counties and the City of St. Louis together make up the state’s 46 judicial circuits; the city constitutes its own circuit for court purposes.
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 city. 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 of the City of St. Louis, since the decedent was domiciled there.
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 city, 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 / POLICE
1915 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 444-0800
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
300 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 622-4336
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. Louis City
(314) 340-7400
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
barnesjewish.org (Level I Trauma; one of the top hospitals in America; Washington University Medical Campus)
SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital
ssmhealth.com (Level I Trauma; major academic medical center)
Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital
cardinalglennon.com (premier pediatric hospital)
Mercy Hospital St. Louis
mercy.net (major regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: City of St. Louis Department of Health – confirm current phone via stlouis-mo.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: St. Louis (Independent City — not part of any county)
Population: 286,578
Area: 62 sq mi
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in St. Louis City County facilities via Amazon.
