Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Missouri

Legal aid organizations, right-to-counsel programs and official court self-help resources in Missouri, gathered from the state, county and city pages on this site.

Right to a free lawyer in eviction cases

Statewide: No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases found. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no counsel provision)

St. Louis City: Housing Eviction Law Program (HELP STL City / Right to Counsel), created by City Ordinance 71694 (Board Bill #59): free legal representation for eligible low-income city residents at risk of eviction, delivered by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Started August 2024. Call Dept. of Human Services (314) 657-1671 or (314) 657-1654. Source
Clay County (Liberty, North Kansas City, part of Kansas City): No county-wide program. Tenants whose rental is inside Kansas City, Missouri city limits (which include parts of Clay County) may qualify for Kansas City's Right to Counsel program once an eviction has been filed; apply at (816) 474-5112. This is a city program, not a county one. Source
Kansas City: Yes, regardless of income. Tenants (including contract-for-deed and rent-to-own occupants) get legal representation in eviction and related rental proceedings, from filing until dismissal or final judgment, plus mediation. Landlords may not retaliate against a tenant for using the program. Providers have included Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom and Legal Aid of Western Missouri. In 2025 the city added emergency rental assistance for program participants (Ord. 250902). Source
St. Louis: Yes, a program for eligible low-income city residents facing eviction, created by Ordinance 71694 (Board Bill 59, signed July 12, 2023) and running since August 2024 through Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. It started in ZIP codes 63101, 63103, 63111, 63112 and 63118, to be reassessed at launch. Exact income limits were not stated on city pages. Source

Free legal aid organizations

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri - Housing Law Program — Free help for tenants facing eviction in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson and St. Charles counties; intake 314-534-4200 or 800-444-0514.
Serves: St. Louis County, St. Louis City, Jefferson County
Legal Aid of Western Missouri — Free civil legal help including housing/eviction; Kansas City central office 816-474-6750. Site links to 'KCMO Eviction Defense' (Kansas City's Right to Counsel program).
Serves: Jackson County (Kansas City), Clay County (Liberty, North Kansas City, part of Kansas City)
Legal Services of Southern Missouri — Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents of 43 southern Missouri counties; headquarters at 3130 South Delaware, Springfield (417-881-1397; toll-free 800-444-4863).
Serves: Greene County (Springfield)
Mid-Missouri Legal Services — Free civil legal help for low-income residents of central Missouri; Boone County is in its service area. Columbia main office, 117 North Garth Avenue (573-442-0116).
Serves: Boone County (Columbia)
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri — Free civil legal help for low-income people and older adults in 21 eastern Missouri counties; intake 314-534-4200 or 800-444-0514 (Advocacy Referral Team) or apply online. Offers the MoTenantHelp.org self-help tools for tenants facing eviction.
Serves: St. Charles County (St. Charles, O'Fallon, St. Peters)

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Missouri

If you do not qualify for free legal aid, a bar lawyer referral service can match you with a landlord-tenant lawyer for a low-cost first consultation.

St. Louis Lawyer Search — Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis area) — (314) 421-4134; toll-free (833) 743-8212

Official court and state resources

Legal aid groups set their own eligibility rules (usually income-based). Call ahead or check their site.

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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.