Missouri Debt Relief Programs: Free Counseling, Wage Limits, and Legal Help

What Missouri debt relief programs include

Search results for "debt relief" are full of ads that sound official. In Missouri, the help that actually exists falls into four groups. Picking the right one depends on what is happening to you right now.

If your debts grew because of a job loss or a rent or utility gap, cutting those costs can stop the problem from getting worse. Our Missouri assistance programs guide covers food, rent, and energy help, and Missouri hardship relief lists one-time emergency options.

Free budget help from nonprofit counselors

A nonprofit credit counselor will look at your income, your bills, and each debt, then tell you which options are realistic. The first session is usually free. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling lists member agencies, and most of them counsel by phone, so someone in Kirksville gets the same service as someone in Springfield.

If the numbers work, the counselor may offer a debt management plan. You send one monthly payment to the agency, and it pays your card companies, which often agree to lower interest rates and waive late fees. Plans usually run three to five years. You repay the full balance, and the cards in the plan are closed.

Missouri also has a debt adjuster law in RSMo chapter 425 that controls companies offering to manage your payments for a fee. Before you sign anything, ask for every fee in writing and confirm the agency is a nonprofit. The CFPB explains what good credit counseling looks like, and our national debt relief programs guide compares plans, settlement, and bankruptcy side by side.

The head-of-family garnishment limit

A creditor needs a court judgment before it can garnish wages in Missouri. Once it has one, RSMo 525.030 sets the most that can be taken each week. The cap is the smaller of two numbers:

• A percentage of disposable earnings: 10 percent if you are the head of a family and live in Missouri, or 25 percent if you are not.
• The amount above a floor: whatever your weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. At $7.25 an hour, that floor is $217.50.

Put another way, a Missouri head of family keeps at least 90 percent of take-home pay. "Disposable earnings" means pay after legally required deductions such as taxes and Social Security, not after voluntary ones like insurance premiums.

Missouri court forms describe a head of family as someone who provides substantial support to a spouse or dependents. Do not assume the lower rate will be applied for you. Tell your employer's payroll office and the court clerk in writing that you claim head-of-family status, and keep a copy. A Missouri appeals court in Anani v. Griep said the statute does not require a written affidavit, but a written claim avoids arguments.

These limits do not apply to child support, maintenance, or tax debts, which follow their own rules. Federal benefits such as Social Security and VA payments have separate protection when they are deposited directly; the CFPB explains how that protection works.

Five years or ten: Missouri lawsuit deadlines

Missouri has two statutes of limitations that collectors argue over. RSMo 516.120 gives five years for contracts and open accounts. RSMo 516.110 gives ten years for "a writing" that contains a promise to pay money. The Missouri Supreme Court has said the ten-year rule is an exception and applies only when the writing itself has a promise to pay. In Capital One Bank v. Creed, a Missouri appeals court applied the five-year period to a credit card because the bank did not produce a signed written promise.

In practice, most credit card and store card suits fall under the five-year limit, counted from the last payment or charge. Personal loans with a signed promissory note may have ten years. A partial payment or a written acknowledgment can restart the clock on an old debt, so get legal advice before paying anything on an account that is near or past five years old. The CFPB has a plain explainer on time-barred debt.

The deadline is a defense, not an automatic shield. If a collector sues on an old debt and you do not respond, the court can still enter a default judgment against you.

When a creditor files in circuit court

Most Missouri consumer debt cases are filed in the associate circuit division of the circuit court in your county. Small claims cases are also heard there. The papers you receive will name a court date or a deadline to respond.

1. Read the summons the day it arrives. Write down the court date, the case number, and the plaintiff, which is often a debt buyer rather than your original card company.
2. Look up the case on Case.net, the Missouri courts' free public case search, to see every filing.
3. Check the dates. When did you last pay? If it was more than five years ago on a credit card, raise the statute of limitations.
4. Ask the plaintiff to prove ownership. Debt buyers must show they actually own your account and that the amount is right.
5. Show up. Missing the date usually means a default judgment, followed by garnishment.
6. If you lose, ask about a payment plan and raise the head-of-family rule before any garnishment order goes out.

Missouri judgments do not disappear quickly. Under RSMo 516.350, a judgment is presumed paid after ten years unless the creditor revives it, and creditors often do. Settling a judgment for less, in writing, can be worth asking about.

Medical bills in Missouri

As of November 2026, we found no Missouri law that bans medical debt from credit reports or caps interest on it, so Missouri patients rely mainly on federal rules and hospital policies. A national CFPB rule that would have removed medical bills from credit reports was struck down by a federal court in July 2025. The three national credit bureaus still leave off paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, and unpaid medical debt during its first year in collections.

The strongest tool is often the hospital's own financial assistance policy. Nonprofit hospitals must have a written policy under federal tax law, and many Missouri hospitals offer free or reduced care to patients with low incomes. Before you pay or set up a plan:

• Ask for an itemized bill and check for duplicate charges.
• Ask for the financial assistance application, even if the bill is already with a collector.
• If you had MO HealthNet (Medicaid) on the date of service, tell the provider; a covered service usually cannot be billed to you.
• Ask in writing for collection to pause while your application is reviewed.

Our national guide to debt relief for medical bills explains negotiation and charity care in more detail.

Property Missouri lets you keep

Missouri's exemption laws, mainly RSMo 513.430 and 513.475, list property a creditor cannot take to satisfy a judgment. The amounts have been low for years. House Bill 1870, passed in 2026, raises several of them on January 1, 2027, with inflation adjustments every three years starting April 1, 2029, according to a summary posted by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Which amount applies in a given case can depend on timing, such as when a lien attached or a bankruptcy was filed. Ask a lawyer if your case straddles the change. Retirement accounts, public benefits, and some insurance have their own protections.

Filing bankruptcy in Missouri

Missouri has two federal bankruptcy districts: the Eastern District, based in St. Louis, and the Western District, based in Kansas City. Before filing, you must take a credit counseling course from a provider approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. The U.S. Courts website explains Chapter 7, which wipes out most unsecured debt, and Chapter 13, which sets a three-to-five-year repayment plan.

Missouri is an "opt-out" state under RSMo 513.427. That means Missouri filers must use the Missouri exemptions in the table above, plus certain federal non-bankruptcy exemptions, and cannot choose the federal bankruptcy list. The jump in the homestead and vehicle amounts in 2027 may change the math for some homeowners who were holding off. A lawyer can run the numbers for a filing date before and after the change.

Bankruptcy stays on a credit report for up to ten years, and it does not erase most student loans, recent taxes, or child support. It does stop garnishment and collection suits as soon as the case is filed.

Legal aid by region

Missouri's four legal services programs divide the state by county. Each one handles consumer cases such as collection suits and garnishment for people who meet income guidelines. Services are free.

Mid-Missouri Legal Services says it helps with unfair debt collection and with protecting a family's income from collectors. Legal Services of Southern Missouri lists debt collection and bankruptcy among its consumer cases. Call as soon as you get court papers, since intake can take a few days.

The Attorney General and other complaint routes

The Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division enforces the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, reviews complaints, and often mediates disputes with businesses. Its hotline is 800-392-8222, and complaints can be filed online. The division is a good place to report a debt settlement company that took fees and did nothing, or a business that lied about what you owe.

For collection agencies, debt buyers, and credit reporting errors, also file with the CFPB through its online complaint form. Federal law bars collectors from threats, false statements, and calls at unusual hours, and the CFPB forwards each complaint to the company for a response. Keep a log of every call, with the date, time, caller, and what was said.

Warning signs of a debt relief scam

Real help in Missouri is either free or clearly priced. Walk away from a company that:

• Uses words like "Missouri state relief program" or "government debt forgiveness" for credit cards. No such program exists.
• Wants a large fee before it settles or reduces any debt.
• Tells you to stop paying creditors without warning you that you could be sued and garnished.
• Promises to remove accurate late payments or collections from your credit report.
• Pressures you to sign the same day or asks for your online banking password.

The CFPB lays out the risks of debt settlement. Remember that calling legal aid, the Attorney General's hotline, or a nonprofit counselor costs nothing, and applying for official programs is always free.

Related guides

• Iowa debt relief programs
• Arkansas debt relief programs
• Oklahoma debt relief programs
• Tennessee debt relief programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Missouri statutes and exemption amounts can change, so check the current law or ask a lawyer before acting. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the Missouri Attorney General, any Missouri court, or any government agency.