Mo. Rev. Stat. § 488.435 — MO Code / Chapter 488 / Section 488.435
488.435 Sheriff to receive charges for civil cases.
Status: in_force

488.435. Sheriff to receive charges for civil cases. — 1. Sheriffs shall receive a charge, as provided in section 57.280 , for service of any summons, writ or other order of court, in connection with any civil case, and making on the same either a return indicating service, a non est return or a nulla bona return, the sum of twenty dollars for each item to be served, as provided in section 57.280 , except that a sheriff shall receive a charge for service of any subpoena, and making a return on the same, the sum of ten dollars, as provided in section 57.280 ; however, no such charge shall be collected in any proceeding when court costs are to be paid by the state, county or municipality. In addition to such charge, the sheriff shall be entitled, as provided in section 57.280 , to receive for each mile actually traveled in serving any summons, writ, subpoena or other order of court, the rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for all allowable expenses for motor vehicle use expressed as an amount per mile, provided that such mileage shall not be charged for more than one subpoena or summons or other writ served in the same cause on the same trip. All of such charges shall be received by the sheriff who is requested to perform the service. Except as otherwise provided by law, all charges made pursuant to section 57.280 shall be collected by the court clerk as court costs and are payable prior to the time the service is rendered; provided that if the amount of such charge cannot be readily determined, then the sheriff shall receive a deposit based upon the likely amount of such charge, and the balance of such charge shall be payable immediately upon ascertainment of the proper amount of such charge. A sheriff may refuse to perform any service in any action or proceeding, other than when court costs are waived as provided by law, until the charge provided by this section is paid. Failure to receive the charge shall not affect the validity of the service.

2. The sheriff shall, as provided in section 57.280 , receive for receiving and paying moneys on execution or other process, where lands or goods have been levied and advertised and sold, five percent on five hundred dollars and four percent on all sums above five hundred dollars, and half of these sums, when the money is paid to the sheriff without a levy, or where the lands or goods levied on shall not be sold and the money is paid to the sheriff or person entitled thereto, his or her agent or attorney. The party at whose application any writ, execution, subpoena or other process has issued from the court shall pay the sheriff's costs, as provided in section 57.280 , for the removal, transportation, storage, safekeeping and support of any property to be seized pursuant to legal process before such seizure. The sheriff shall be allowed for each mile, as provided in section 57.280 , going and returning from the courthouse of the county in which he or she resides to the place where the court is held, the rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for all allowable expenses for motor vehicle use expressed as an amount per mile. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to garnishment proceeds.

3. As provided in subsection 4 of section 57.280 , for service of any summons, writ, subpoena, or other order of the court included under subsection 1 of section 57.280 , in addition to the charge for such service that each sheriff receives under subsection 1 of section 57.280 , the sheriff of any county of the first, second, or fourth classification or with a charter form of government shall receive twenty dollars and the sheriff of any county of the third classification shall receive fifteen dollars. The money received by the sheriff under subsection 4 of section 57.280 shall be paid into the county treasury and the county treasurer shall make such money payable to the state treasurer. As provided in subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 4 of section 57.280 , the state treasurer shall deposit such moneys in the deputy sheriff salary supplementation fund created under section 57.278 or the sheriffs' retirement fund created under section 57.952 .

4. As provided in subsection 5 of section 57.280 , the court clerk shall collect ten dollars as a court cost for service of any summons, writ, subpoena, or other order of the court included under subsection 1 of this section if any person other than a sheriff is specially appointed to serve in a county that receives funds under section 57.278 . The moneys received by the clerk under this subsection shall be paid into the county treasury and the county treasurer shall make such moneys payable to the state treasurer. The state treasurer shall deposit such moneys in the deputy sheriff salary supplementation fund created under section 57.278 .

(L. 2000 S.B. 1002 Revision, A.L. 2008 H.B. 2224, A.L. 2023 S.B. 186, A.L. 2025 H.B. 147 merged with H.B. 225)