Jurisdiction and venue
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri (W.D. Mo., docket abbreviation mowb) is one of two bankruptcy court districts in Missouri (the other being the Eastern District, docket abbreviation moeb). It is a unit of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 157. Venue for a voluntary bankruptcy petition is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, which generally requires the debtor to file in the district where the debtor's domicile, residence, principal place of business, or principal assets have been located for the 180 days preceding filing.
Court website: mow.uscourts.gov/bankruptcy.
Divisional court locations
The Western District of Missouri covers 66 counties roughly comprising the western and southwestern halves of the state. The bankruptcy court holds proceedings at four divisional offices:
Kansas City Division (headquarters)
Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse, 400 East 9th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106. Clerk's office for W.D. Mo. bankruptcy is located here.
Springfield Division
U.S. Courthouse, 222 N. John Q. Hammons Parkway, Springfield, MO 65806.
Jefferson City Division
Christopher S. Bond U.S. Courthouse, 80 Lafayette Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
St. Joseph Division
U.S. Courthouse, 80 East 9th Street (mailing) / 201 South 8th Street (visiting address), St. Joseph, MO 64501. Hearings in St. Joseph cases are typically conducted at the Kansas City courthouse, with the St. Joseph location used primarily for filings.
Always confirm hearing locations on the court's docket entry or hearing notice; many matters are conducted by Zoom under the court's remote-proceedings procedures.
Statutory filing fees
Filing fees are set by 28 U.S.C. § 1930 and the Judicial Conference fee schedule. The schedule below reflects amounts in effect at publication; verify current amounts on the court's fee schedule page before filing.
| Chapter | Filing Fee | Admin / Trustee Surcharge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 7 (individual) | $245 | $78 admin + $15 trustee | $338 |
| Chapter 13 (individual) | $235 | $78 admin | $313 |
| Chapter 11 (non-railroad) | $1,167 | $571 admin (US Trustee quarterly fees apply separately) | $1,738 |
| Chapter 11 Subchapter V | $1,167 | $571 admin | $1,738 |
Individual Chapter 7 debtors below 150% of the federal poverty line may apply for a fee waiver under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f) using Official Form 103B. Otherwise, fees may be paid in installments under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (Form 103A).
Electronic filing and pro se intake
The W.D. Mo. uses CM/ECF for case filing. Attorneys file electronically; pro se debtors typically file paper petitions at one of the divisional clerk's offices. The court's Local Rules govern formatting, signatures, and chambers procedures.
For required schedules and statements, see the national Official Forms set (B 101 voluntary petition, B 106 schedules, B 107 statement of financial affairs, B 122 means-test forms).
Required pre-filing steps
- Credit counseling certificate — required under 11 U.S.C. § 109(h) within 180 days before filing. See approved providers reference.
- Means test (Chapter 7) — required for individual consumer cases. See means-test reference.
- Exemption schedule (Schedule C) — Missouri is an opt-out state; filers must use Missouri state exemptions. See Missouri exemptions reference.
- Tax returns — copies of the most recent federal tax return must be supplied to the trustee under 11 U.S.C. § 521(e)(2).