Unpaid on a job inside the St. Louis city limits? LevelSet Collections prepares, serves and files St. Louis City mechanics liens for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on jobs downtown, in Midtown and the Central West End, and across North and South City. We have filed more than 1,100 liens since 2020, with one all-inclusive price for the whole St. Louis City filing.
Quick answer: A St. Louis City mechanics lien is a lien statement filed with the Circuit Clerk of the 22nd Judicial Circuit at the Civil Courts Building, 10 N. Tucker Boulevard. St. Louis has been an independent city since 1876, so city property is never a St. Louis County lien. The window is 6 months, and subs and suppliers serve a notice of intent at least 10 days before filing. See the full Missouri deadlines and statutes.
Where St. Louis City liens are filed
The City of St. Louis handles county functions itself, including its courts. Lien statements go to the Circuit Clerk of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, Thomas Kloeppinger, at the Civil Courts Building, 10 N. Tucker Boulevard, open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The 22nd Circuit’s local rules list suits to enforce equitable mechanics liens among the equity cases its civil divisions hear.
The city’s Recorder of Deeds is a separate office, in City Hall, Room 126, 1200 Market Street, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its land records page describes recording by mail or in person. We use it for the deed, not the lien.
An independent city, and finding the owner
Since 1876, St. Louis has been an independent city, not part of any county, and St. Louis County is an entirely separate government surrounding it. A job with a St. Louis mailing address may be in the city or in the county, so we check the parcel before deciding which circuit clerk gets the filing.
Ownership comes from the city Assessor’s Address and Property Search, which takes a street address or parcel number and shows the owner under Basic Info. It doesn’t search by owner name. We then pull the deed from the Recorder of Deeds for the legal description.
Where we file across St. Louis City
We file liens throughout the city, from downtown and the riverfront to Midtown, the Central West End, Soulard, The Hill, Tower Grove and the neighborhoods of North St. Louis. Anything past the city limits, like Clayton, University City or Florissant, is St. Louis County.
St. Louis City work runs from rehabs of older brick buildings to new apartments and institutional projects. On April 21, 2026, the city approved a conditional use permit for the Armory Innovation Data Center at the old Famous-Barr warehouse site, with an estimated $15 million community benefit contribution. A bill introduced in May 2026 would put $230 million of the Rams settlement toward tornado recovery, infrastructure and downtown, including $70 million for tornado housing repair and stabilization. Public projects like the $1.7 billion NGA West campus, which broke ground in 2019, run on payment bonds, not liens.
What sinks liens in St. Louis City
- Filing in Clayton. City property goes to the 22nd Circuit at 10 N. Tucker, not the St. Louis County Circuit Clerk.
- Recording it at City Hall. The Recorder of Deeds in Room 126 keeps deeds. The lien statement is filed with the Circuit Clerk.
- Searching the owner by name. The city’s property search works by address or parcel number only.
- A home rehab without owner consent. A sub on an owner-occupied home may need the owner’s signed consent to have a lien.
- A notice of intent that was only mailed. Subs and suppliers have it served on the owner at least 10 days before filing. See the Missouri deadline table.
How LevelSet handles a St. Louis City lien
- Intake. You tell us the job address, the full contract chain, your itemized account, when the debt accrued and whether the job is an owner-occupied home.
- Statutory form. We confirm the parcel is inside the city limits, pull the owner from the Assessor and the deed from the Recorder of Deeds, and prepare the lien statement and any notice of intent.
- Notarization. Matt Rush signs the lien statement and swears to the account as agent for the claimant before a notary.
- Recording. We file it with the 22nd Circuit Clerk at the Civil Courts Building.
- Service. For subs and suppliers, the notice of intent is served on the owner at least 10 days ahead, and the general contractor gets a copy of the filed statement.
Example: a St. Louis City deadline walk-through
Example: A general contractor hired directly by the owner finishes a storefront rehab downtown on July 30. As the original contractor, it doesn’t serve the 10-day notice of intent. Its lien statement has to be filed with the 22nd Circuit Clerk by January 30 (6 months), and a suit to enforce it has to follow within 6 months of filing.
Too late for a St. Louis City lien?
Missing the 6 months ends the lien, not the debt. We pursue unpaid St. Louis City construction invoices through construction collections on contingency, 10% to 33%; no collection, no fee.
Other Missouri counties we file in
Jackson County · St. Louis County
Our Missouri mechanics lien page has every Missouri notice, filing and suit deadline with statute citations. We handle liens in all 114 Missouri counties and St. Louis City.
Pricing
Liens $199 to $500, including recording fees, notarizing and serving. Pre-lien notices $100. Typical turnaround 2 business days. No minimum. Call (469) 694-8003, Monday through Friday, 8am to 7pm.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you file a St. Louis City mechanics lien?
With the Circuit Clerk of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, Civil Courts Building, 10 N. Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63101.
Is St. Louis City part of St. Louis County?
No. St. Louis has been an independent city since 1876, and St. Louis County is a separate government that surrounds it.
Is a St. Louis City lien recorded at City Hall?
No. The Recorder of Deeds in City Hall, Room 126, keeps deeds. The lien statement goes to the 22nd Circuit Clerk at 10 N. Tucker.
How do you find the owner of a St. Louis City property?
With the city Assessor’s Address and Property Search, by street address or parcel number. It doesn’t search by owner name.
This page is general information, not legal advice. LevelSet Collections is not a law firm; we prepare and file liens and notices as agent for the claimant. Deadlines change and depend on the facts of your job. We'll check your dates against the statute before filing. Lien laws are constantly changing. Contact us for the most up-to-date information.
Owed money on a St. Louis City job?
Liens $199 to $500 with notice, filing and notarizing included. Filed at the Civil Courts Building, usually in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
