Sheriff’s Office – St. Louis County Courts

105 South Central Avenue
5th Floor
Clayton, MO 63105

Telephone Number: 314-615-4724
Fax Number: 314-615-2548

Sheriff Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

Closed on weekends and all legal holidays.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Jim Buckles, Sheriff

St. Louis County ✩ State of Missouri

The Sheriff's Office is made up of two divisions comprised of Bailiffs & Civil Processing.

BAILIFFS
The Bailiff Division is charged with providing court security during all hearings, trials and whenever court is in session. Bailiffs are responsible for the safety and security of the Judges, Court Officers and the courtroom.

CIVIL PROCESSING
The mission of the Civil Division is to provide quality customer service in the processing executions of civil process. The duties of the Civil Division are widely varied. They include, but are not limited to; service of civil process, sale of real and personal property and execution of court ordered evictions.
Civil Processing staff strives to provide all possible assistance within the constraint that the office is prohibited from giving legal advice.

Wage Garnishment

Garnishment is a means by

which a judgment creditor (garnishor) may seize assets of a judgment debtor in the possession of or controlled by a third party (garnishee), in order to satisfy a judgment debt. When the garnishee is debtor’s employer, the process is called Wage Garnishment and the money owed to the debtor is his or her salary or wages.

U. S. and Missouri law limit the amount of wages that may be garnished from any single paycheck in satisfaction of most* debts, to the extent that the lesser of the following may be garnished:

- 25% of disposable income, defined as income remaining after legally required deductions and only legally required deductions, like FICA, Federal Withholding, and State Withholding taken from a person’s salary; or
- The amount which a debtor’s weekly income exceeds 30 times the minimum wage; or
- If debtor is the Head of Household, only 10% of their non-exempt disposable income can be garnished. For the primary or sole wage earner of a family, 90% of his or her income is protected from garnishment.
- The 25% and 10% of income as described in the 1st and 3rd bullets above refers to the maximum amount of income that can be garnished from any single paycheck, no matter how many judgment creditors.

* Exceptions to the above described restrictions to garnishment do not apply to Bankruptcy Court orders or Bankruptcy law, or to debts due for federal or state taxes, or to court orders for the support of any person i.e. Child Support.

For questions about the Head of Household Exemption employees should contact their payroll department (garnishee) to determine whether the adjustment applies to their garnishment. St. Louis County Sheriff Office DOES NOT PROVIDE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD EXEMPTION FORMS. See affidavit and instructions.

Garnishee and Debtors can review Missouri law on wage garnishments via the internet by searching Missouri Revised Statutes then entering 525.030 in the ‘keywords to search for’ and then clicking on the RSMO 525.030 link or by reading Application Provisions Relating to Garnishments, which is located on second page of the Garnishment form.

Eviction Procedures

Eviction Order Procedure

In order to accomplish evictions within statutory time limits, Executions must be received in the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office at least 8 days prior to the expiration date of the execution.

Upon receipt of an Execution to return possession of the premises to a landlord, the sheriff will contact the landlord to set a date for the eviction. A Final Notice to Vacate will be prepared and then posted by a deputy. If the landlord cannot be reached a voicemail will be left or if the landlord is not ready to proceed with the eviction upon contact, the landlord will be advised of the following:

The eviction will take place as soon as practicable following receipt of the request to schedule the eviction.
The date the writ expires.
That the landlord needs to contact the Sheriff's Department at least 7 calendar days prior to expiration of the writ of execution.

After the eviction is scheduled, the following will take place:

The landlord (or his representative) is required to be present and identify the property to be executed upon when the deputy arrives. When multiple evictions are scheduled for the same day, the landlord of each succeeding eviction (after the initial eviction) will be contacted and given a 20 minute notice. If the landlord is not there when the 20 minutes has passed, the deputy will "Stop Action" on the paper.
The day before the scheduled eviction, the deputy will contact the landlord to apprise of where they are on the schedule and give an approximate arrival time.
On the day of the eviction the deputy will proceed to the first location, meet with the landlord who will be required to identify the premises to be executed upon, the deputy will then inform any tenant/occupant who is present of the eviction and order them to leave immediately. After this is accomplished, the deputy will advise the landlord that the eviction is complete and the landlord now has possession of the premises. The deputy will fill out the affidavit of service accordingly.
If the landlord chooses to have the locks changed, the locksmith is present, and if the tenant is present or obviously still lives at the address, the deputy will standby for a reasonable amount of time for the locks to be changed. If the premises is obviously vacant, the deputy will not remain at the site.

Landlords should check the property prior to a scheduled eviction to determine whether the tenant has vacated the premises. If the tenant has moved and the property has been vacated, the landlord should contact the Sheriff's Department to cancel the eviction.

TIME LIMITS ON SERVICE

Executions for Possession of

Premises for Non-Payment of

Rent (Landlord-Tenant Actions)...................................................30 days after the date of issuance

(Missouri Supreme Court Rule 54.21)

Executions in Unlawful Detainer of Possession Of premises…………………………….20 days after the date of issuance

Sheriff FAQ's

Frequently asked questions

Who can I talk to about my Civil Process?

What is the Sheriff's Office service fees?

Will The Sheriff's Office keep my address and telephone number confidential?

How long will it take the Sheriff's Office to serve my process?

How can I verify issuance and service information?

Why did the Sheriff's Office charge me even though my process was not served?

Where do I request issuance of a Writ of Garnishment?

How is a Writ of Garnishment Served?

What is a Notice to Judgment Debtor of Exemption?

How long do I have to Claim Exemption?

Who can I talk to about my Civil Process?

The Sheriff's Office cannot give Legal Advice; we can inform you of our procedures and policies concerning the execution of civil process. Contact our office at 314-615-4724.

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What is the Sheriff's Office service fees?

The fees for service are listed on this web site. Click to see the Schedule of Fees.

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Will The Sheriff's Office keep my address and telephone number confidential?

With few exceptions, all information including litigant name, addresses and telephone numbers are public record.

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How long will it take the Sheriff's Office to serve my process?

It is difficult to anticipate when the Sheriff's Office will serve your civil process. Most types of process must be served within legal time limits. A Sheriff's Deputy will make a due and diligent attempt to serve your process based on a variety of factors unique to each case, including address information and time frame provided. A high volume of process and/or a shortage of personnel may hamper our efforts to expeditiously serve your process. We understand that your case is a personal priority to the concerned litigants and try to manage our office efficiently to provide the best possible use of available resources.

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How can I verify issuance and service information?

Select Missouri Case.Net link on this web page. Case.Net is your access to the automated case management system. From Case.Net you are able to inquire on case records. Select Service Information Tab to inquire about service information.

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Why did the Sheriff's Office charge me even though my process was not served?

The Sheriff Fees are established by statute. The office must charge a fee not only for service but also for non-service. A non-service fee is charged if the person cannot be served at the given address.

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Where do I request issuance of a Writ of Garnishment?

The Clerk of the Court that entered the judgment will issue a Writ of Garnishment.

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How is a Writ of Garnishment Served?

Once The Clerk of the Court processes the Garnishment the Plaintiff/Petitioner (or their Attorney) must forward the papers to the Sheriff's Office for service. The Sheriff’s Office will serve Garnishments on Garnishees and record in writing as to the time, place and manner of service and sign the return. See Missouri Case.Net link for service information.

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What is a Notice to Judgment Debtor of Exemption?

The purpose of this notice is to tell you about your rights. You have legal rights which may prevent all or part of your money or property from being taken. That part of the money or property which may not be taken is called "Exempt Property".

Common exemption is: Personal Property $600, Head of Household $1250, Dependents $350 each. Our office cannot give you legal advice regarding exempt property you may want to consult with an attorney who can advise you of your rights.

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How long do I have to Claim an Exemption?

GARNISHMENTS ON BANK ACCOUNTS

The Debtor may claim an exemption by filing a request with the court. Contact the Circuit Court Garnishment Department at 314-615-3230 for additional information.

EXECUTIONS

The Debtor may claim an exemption by filing a request with the Sheriff's Office within 20 days after notice of levy.

Upon receipt of the exemption request, the Sheriff's Office shall notify the party requesting the execution, that a claim of exemption has been filed. The requesting party may object within 10 days of receipt of notice by filing a request for court review. If the request is not made in a timely manner, the Sheriff's Office shall release from execution the items claimed as exempt by the debtor. If a request for court review is filed in a timely manner, the exemption claim shall be reviewed by the court.

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BAILIFF
DEPUTY SHERIFF – CIVIL PROCESS

For additional information concerning employment with the
St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office or to apply visit
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/stlouis