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Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-102

§105 Missouri

Title 28 › PART I — ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › CHAPTER 5 — DISTRICT COURTS › § 105

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Missouri is split into two federal court districts called the Eastern District and the Western District. The Eastern District has three divisions. The Eastern Division covers Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Saint Louis, Warren, and Washington counties, and the city of Saint Louis. Court for that division is in Saint Louis. The Northern Division covers Adair, Audrain, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, and Shelby counties. Court for that division is in Hannibal. The Southeastern Division covers Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Saint Genevieve, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Wayne counties. Court for that division is in Cape Girardeau. The Western District has five divisions. The Western Division covers Bates, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Saint Clair, and Saline counties. Court for that division is in Kansas City. The Southwestern Division covers Barton, Barry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Stone, and Vernon counties. Court for that division is in Joplin. The Saint Joseph Division covers Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, De Kalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Platte, Putnam, Sullivan, and Worth counties. Court for that division is in Saint Joseph. The Central Division covers Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Hickory, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, and Pettis counties. Court for that division is in Jefferson City. The Southern Division covers Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Howell, Laclede, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Pulaski, Taney, Texas, Webster, and Wright counties. Court for that division is in Springfield.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §105

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Missouri is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. Eastern District (a) The Eastern District comprises three divisions. (1) The Eastern Division comprises the counties of Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Saint Louis, Warren, and Washington, and the city of Saint Louis. Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Saint Louis. (2) The Northern Division comprises the counties of Adair, Audrain, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, and Shelby. Court for the Northern Division shall be held at Hannibal. (3) The Southeastern Division comprises the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Saint Genevieve, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Wayne. Court for the Southeastern Division shall be held at Cape Girardeau. Western District (b) The Western District comprises five divisions. (1) The Western Division comprises the counties of Bates, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Saint Clair, and Saline. Court for the Western Division shall be held at Kansas City. (2) The Southwestern Division comprises the counties of Barton, Barry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Stone, and Vernon. Court for the Southwestern Division shall be held at Joplin. (3) The Saint Joseph Division comprises the counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, De Kalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Platte, Putnam, Sullivan, and Worth. Court for the Saint Joseph Division shall be held at Saint Joseph. (4) The Central Division comprises the counties of Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Hickory, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, and Pettis. Court for the Central Division shall be held at Jefferson City. (5) The Southern Division comprises the counties of Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Howell, Laclede, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Pulaski, Taney, Texas, Webster, and Wright. Court for the Southern Division shall be held at Springfield.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 171 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 91, 36 Stat. 1117; Dec. 22, 1911, ch. 8, 37 Stat. 51). Provisions for furnishing rooms and accommodations at Chillicothe were omitted as obsolete upon advice of Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts that Federal accommodations are now available in such place. “Rolla” was omitted as a place for holding court in the Eastern Division of the Eastern District, and the provision for furnishing quarters there without cost to the United States was also omitted on advice from the clerk of court that no term of court has been held there since 1920. All cases arising in Phelps county in which Rolla is situated are heard at St. Louis. Provisions relating to the maintenance of offices by the clerks and marshals or their deputies were omitted as covered by section 452, 541 [see 561], 542 [see 561], and 751 of this title. Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2012—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 112–188, § 2(1), struck out “Iron,” after “Gasconade,” and “Saint Genevieve,” after “Saint Francois,”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 112–188, § 2(2), inserted “Iron,” after “Dunklin,” and “Saint Genevieve,” after “Ripley,”. 1980—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 96–462, § 4(a)(1), struck out references to Audrain and Montgomery counties in the list of counties comprising the Eastern Division of the Eastern District. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 96–462, § 4(a)(2), added Audrain and Montgomery counties to the Northern Division of the Eastern District. 1962—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–461 transferred the counties of Caldwell, Grundy, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan from the Western Division to the Saint Joseph Division, and omitted Chillicothe as a place for holding court.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–188 effective on the 60th day after Oct. 5, 2012, see section 4 of Pub. L. 112–188, set out as note under section 104 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 Amendment;

Savings Provision

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–462 effective Oct. 1, 1981, but not to affect the composition or preclude the service of any grand or petit juror summoned, empaneled, or actually serving in any judicial district on Oct. 1, 1981, see section 7 of Pub. L. 96–462, set out as a note under section 84 of this title. Pub. L. 96–462, § 4(b), Oct. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 2053, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall not apply to any action commenced before the

Effective Date

of such

Amendments

[Oct. 1, 1981] and pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on such date.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 105

Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102