Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Missouri County
Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri
Missouri's oldest European settlement and French Colonial architecture - from Ste. Genevieve's distinction as the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri (established by French Canadian settlers in the 1730s - over 30 French Colonial Creole-style buildings survive, forming one of the most significant concentrations of French Colonial architecture in the United States and a National Historic Landmark District) to the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park (designated in 2018, one of the newest national parks, preserving the French Colonial townscape and its unique vertical-log construction architecture) and the Mississippi River's historic role in the community's founding.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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: Ste. Genevieve County Emergency Management Agency – 295 Brooks Dr., Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 | (573) 883-3866
Services: Protects lives and property through planning, training, and education.
Dispatch: Ste. Genevieve County Central Dispatch – 911 (emergency), (573) 883-5215 (dispatch), (573) 883-5820 (Sheriff’s Office main line).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. If a crime occurs in unincorporated county territory, call the Sheriff’s Office; if in a city with its own police department, contact that department directly.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: MO-32 and MO-61 serve Ste. Genevieve, the county seat, on the west bank of the Mississippi River about 60 miles south of St. Louis.
Notes: Ste. Genevieve County is one of the few places in the U.S. where Paw Paw French, a distinct dialect descended from the region’s original French settlers, is still spoken.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Ste. Genevieve County – confirm current building/zoning permit contact via stegencounty.gov.
Notes: Ste. Genevieve is genuinely Missouri’s oldest permanent European settlement, generally dated to around 1735, founded by French colonists as part of the Illinois Country under French rule, later ceded to Spain in 1762, and transferred to the United States via the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Louis Bolduc House (built circa 1788-1793) is considered the oldest house in Missouri, and several other 18th-century French colonial poteaux-sur-sol (post-on-sill) homes survive in the city, including the Amoureux House and the Jean-Baptiste Valle House. Ste. Genevieve’s National Historic Landmark Historic District preserves this remarkable mix of 18th-century French colonial and 19th-century German immigrant architecture.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Ste. Genevieve County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via stegencounty.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Ste. Genevieve County Library – confirm current address/phone via stegencounty.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Ste. Genevieve’s National Historic Landmark Historic District is the county’s premier attraction, offering visitors a genuinely unparalleled glimpse into Missouri’s colonial past – a mix of surviving 18th-century French colonial homes and 19th-century German immigrant architecture unlike anywhere else in the state. The Louis Bolduc House, considered the oldest house in Missouri (circa 1788-93), and several other original French colonial homes are open to visitors
Notes: Ste. Genevieve’s status as Missouri’s oldest permanent settlement, and its surviving 18th-century French colonial architecture – including the state’s oldest house – is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Ste. Genevieve County Assessor – confirm current contact via stegencounty.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control – administered as a division of the Sheriff’s Office
Services: Humanely captures animals running at large, investigates abuse/neglect, and shelters lost or abandoned animals for adoption; adopters must sign an agreement to spay/neuter and vaccinate per Missouri’s Animal Care and Facilities Act; a $10 kennel fee applies if the same pet is picked up twice or more in one year. Also serving the region: Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary and Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Ste. Genevieve County – confirm current contact via stegencounty.gov.
NOTES
Ste. Genevieve’s status as Missouri’s oldest permanent settlement (circa 1735), with the state’s oldest surviving house and a National Historic Landmark Historic District of French colonial architecture, is one of the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. 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 Ste. Genevieve County
Ste. Genevieve County contains Missouri’s oldest European settlement – a French Colonial town of extraordinary architectural preservation and one of America’s newest national parks.
Ste. Genevieve (population ~4,500) was established in the 1730s by French Canadian settlers drawn by lead mining and Mississippi River trade. Over 30 French Colonial Creole buildings survive – including the Bolduc House (1770), the Green Tree Tavern, and other poteaux-en-terre (posts-in-ground) and poteaux-sur-sole (posts-on-sill) structures found virtually nowhere else in America.
The Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park – designated in 2018 – brings National Park Service resources to preserving and interpreting this unique French Colonial heritage in a Mississippi River town.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ste. Genevieve County Assessor at 55 S. Third Street, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670, phone 573-883-5492. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
Ste. Genevieve County Circuit Court at 55 S. Third Street, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670, phone 573-883-5589, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
55 S. 3rd St., Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
(573) 883-5589
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Ste. Genevieve County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Ste. Genevieve, the county seat, is the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River, founded by French colonists, and holds a wealth of colonial-era historical records.
Local societies
No dedicated Ste. Genevieve 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
Ste. Genevieve County Circuit Court, Probate Division 55 South 3rd Street, Room 23, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 (573) 883-2705
Ste. Genevieve County is in southeastern Missouri along the Mississippi River, seated in Ste. Genevieve – the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi.
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
55 S. 3rd St., Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
(573) 883-5571
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
55 S. 3rd St., Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
(573) 883-5589
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Ste. Genevieve
(573) 883-2241
Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital
stegenevievehospital.org (Ste. Genevieve — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Ste. Genevieve County Health Department – 115 Basler Drive, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670, (573) 883-7411.
Hospital: Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (SGCMH) – 800 Ste. Genevieve Drive, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670, (573) 883-2751, providing healthcare for all ages and stages of life.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Ste. Genevieve
Population: 18,500
Area: 502 sq mi
Established: 1812
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Ste. Genevieve County residents.
