Missouri Judgment Collection Costs: Fees for Garnishment, Execution, and Filing

The Costs Add Up

Collecting a Missouri small claims judgment isn't free. Every enforcement action — garnishment, execution, and debtor examinations — carries filing fees, service deposits, and sometimes publication costs. Understanding these upfront helps you decide which tools are worth using based on the size of your judgment.

Missouri law allows courts to award reasonable, necessary costs involved in executing and selling property under a judgment, except attorney's fees. The creditor must certify the expenses in an affidavit, provide receipts, and obtain the court's award under RSMo 514.303.

Fee Breakdown by Enforcement Tool

Garnishment (Wage or Bank)

• Clerk surcharge: $10 per garnishment filing (statutory fee under OSCA guidelines)
• Sheriff service fee: $30–$60 per defendant, depending on the county. Jackson County charges $46 per defendant through its Department of Civil Process. St. Louis County charges $46 per defendant ($40 if served at the Government Center).
• Total per garnishment: roughly $40–$70

A continuous wage garnishment is one filing that stays in place until the judgment is satisfied, so you pay these fees once. But you also need to file a Statement of Judgment Balance (Form CV93) every six months — there's no fee for that, but missing it terminates the garnishment and you'd pay again to refile.

A bank garnishment is one-shot. If it doesn't recover the full balance, you'll pay another round of fees for a second attempt or a different enforcement method.

Property Execution (Writ of Execution)

• Clerk surcharge: $10
• Sheriff levy deposit: varies by county, typically $30–$60 for service plus additional deposits for towing and storage if a vehicle is involved
• Appraisal costs: if exemption claims are raised and the court appoints appraisers
• Publication costs: the sheriff must publish a notice of the public sale in a local newspaper and post notices in public venues
• Total: can reach $200+ depending on the property type and county

For small claims judgments in the $500–$5,000 range, property execution costs can consume a significant portion of the recovery. It's most practical for higher-balance judgments or when the debtor has identifiable, valuable, unencumbered property.

Real-Estate Judgment Lien

A Missouri small claims judgment cannot be turned into a real-estate lien. RSMo 482.365.1, 511.350.3, and 517.151 exclude small claims judgments from that procedure, so do not pay transcript or docketing fees to try to create a lien from one.

Debtor Examination

• Filing fee: varies by court, but typically nominal
• Service of process: $30–$60 for the sheriff to serve the examination order and subpoena duces tecum on the debtor
• Total: $40–$70

Worth the investment early in the process if you don't know where the debtor works or banks. The information gained can save you from filing garnishments that come back empty.

County-by-County Variation

Sheriff service fees differ across Missouri's 45 judicial circuits. A few examples from verified 2026 fee schedules:

Rural counties may have different fee structures — check with the circuit clerk's office before filing.

How to Recover These Costs

When the court awards qualifying execution costs under RSMo 514.303, track them alongside the judgment balance. Form CV92 includes lines for court costs and execution filing fees; include only costs the court has allowed.

Under RSMo 408.040, payments are applied first to post-judgment costs, then to post-judgment interest, and then to the judgment balance, which includes the original amount awarded. This covers post-judgment collection costs before payments reduce the original judgment balance.

If the debtor is judgment-proof and you've spent $200 on enforcement that produced nothing, qualifying costs are recoverable only if the court awards them and the debtor eventually has assets to reach.

Making the Math Work

Before filing any enforcement action, compare the cost to the expected recovery:

• A $40 wage garnishment filing against a steadily employed debtor will recover its cost quickly
• A $200 property execution against $500 worth of non-exempt personal property may not be worth it
• A real-estate lien is unavailable for a Missouri small claims judgment, regardless of the filing fee

The Missouri Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide includes a cost-benefit framework for each enforcement tool, helping you decide which methods make financial sense for your specific judgment amount.

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