Do I Need a TOD Deed in Knox County, Missouri?
Missouri authorizes transfer on death deedsRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Knox County the Recorder of Deeds records one for $26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page. Most beneficiary deeds run two to four pages. No transfer tax applies to beneficiary deeds in Knox County.
Record the beneficiary deed at the Recorder of Deeds, 107 North Fourth Street, Edina, MO 63537.
Knox County does not offer e-recording; the beneficiary deed is recorded in person or by mail at the Recorder of Deeds.
A beneficiary deed in Missouri requires notary acknowledgmentRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Knox County.
No. A beneficiary deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Missouri
Free forms for planning your estate in Missouri: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Missouri.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Missouri requires 2RSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses and notarizationRSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source for a healthcare power of attorney.
HIPAA Release
In Missouri, a HIPAA release is the federal authorization alone: the state adds no category rule, and the document carries the elements federal law requires, among them an expiration date or an expiration event that relates to the individual45 CFR 164.508(c)(1)(v)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Financial Power of Attorney
Missouri requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Missouri, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Missouri does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Missouri allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleMo. Rev. Stat. 301.681Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau using Form 108.
Living Will
In Missouri, the living will is the DeclarationMo. Rev. Stat. ch. 459, §§ 459.010-459.055 (Declarations, Life Support) and § 459.250 (Advance Health Care Directives Registry)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Last Will and Testament
In Missouri, a will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Codicil to a Will
In Missouri, a codicil is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRSMo §§ 472.010(30), 474.337Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Missouri
Free tools for planning your estate in Missouri: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Missouri and read its answer.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
Missouri allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleMo. Rev. Stat. 301.681Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau using Form 108.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Missouri runs $3,570Estimate: 10 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,355Estimate: 15 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $984Estimate: 3 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,968Estimate: 6 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Missouri, four years at a public university cost about $82,516NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 9% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesMo. Rev. Stat. §§ 145.011, 145.1000; Mo. Dept. of Revenue, Estate Tax (no Missouri estate tax imposed; no return required for deaths on or after Jan. 1, 2005)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Missouri automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMo. Rev. Stat. § 461.051Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Missouri, a will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Missouri recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedRSMo § 474.360Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Missouri itself needs 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Missouri costs an estimated $28,815RSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M); § 473.153(1) (base: personal property administered)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees are statutory (set by law)RSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M); § 473.153(1) (base: personal property administered)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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Missouri Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Missouri probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.