Communities of less than 400,000 may establish municipal divisions to hear ordinance violations, or the municipality may request that these matters be heard in the associate division of the Circuit Court. Municipal judges are paid locally. By statute each circuit judge appoints a court reporter and the court in each circuit appoints a juvenile officer. A circuit clerk in each county is selected according to law and salaries are set by statute. Circuit court judges must be at least 30 years old, residents of their circuit, U.S. citizens for 10 years and Missouri voters for three years.
Circuit judges serve six-year terms.
Associate judges must be at least 25 years old, Missouri voters and residents of the counties they serve. Associate judges serve four-year terms.