(a) Times and Places. Each court shall establish regular times at a courthouse or court facility, at intervals sufficiently frequent for the prompt dispatch of business, at which the court will hear and dispose of any motions and other matters requiring notice and hearing. The court at any time and on such notice, if any, as it considers reasonable may make orders to advance or hear motions and other matters.
Rule 55.30.Times and Places for Hearings to be Established — Use of Telephone or Video Conference — Submission on Written Statements Without Oral Hearing.
Part I · Rule 55: Pleadings, Motions and Hearing · Last amended July 1, 2025 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 55.30 requires each court to set regular times and places for hearing motions, permits telephone or video conferencing at hearings that don’t involve testimony, restricts it at testimonial hearings to cases with party agreement or good cause shown, and lets courts decide motions on the papers without oral argument.
Full Text of Rule 55.30
(b) Use of Telephone or Video Conferencing. The court may allow the parties to participate by telephone or video conferencing at hearings on matters that do not require testimony. Only by agreement of the parties or by order of the court on good cause shown may the court allow the parties to participate by telephone or video conferencing at hearings on matters that require testimony.
(c) Submission Without Oral Argument. To expedite its business, the court may make provision by rule or order for the submission and determination of motions without oral hearing upon brief written statements of reasons in support and in opposition.
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended June 24, 1982, eff. Jan. 1, 1983; amended eff. Nov. 23, 2021, eff. July 1, 2022; Amended Oct. 1, 2024, eff. July 1, 2025.
Official Comment
This is the same as prior Rule 55.42 with phrase “hearing of motions” substituted for “hearing of actions.” Compare: Rules 78 and 83 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Plain-English Summary
Each court has to establish regular times, at a courthouse or court facility, frequent enough to handle motions and other matters requiring notice and a hearing without delay. The court also retains discretion to advance or specially set hearings on whatever notice it considers reasonable.
Telephone or video conferencing is available at hearings on matters that don’t require testimony, giving parties a way to participate remotely for routine matters. For hearings that do require testimony, that flexibility narrows: remote participation is allowed only by agreement of the parties, or by court order on a showing of good cause.
To keep business moving, the rule also lets a court decide motions without an oral hearing at all, based on brief written statements of the reasons supporting and opposing the motion. That submission-on-the-papers option is available by rule or order at the court’s discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I appear by video for a Missouri court hearing?
Yes, for hearings on matters that don’t require testimony. For testimonial hearings, video appearance needs party agreement or a court order for good cause.
Does a testimonial hearing require in-person appearance?
Generally, unless the parties agree to remote participation or the court orders it for good cause shown.
Can a judge decide a motion without oral argument?
Yes, Rule 55.30(c) allows submission and determination of motions on brief written statements without an oral hearing.
How does a court set its regular motion hearing schedule?
Each court establishes regular times and places at a courthouse or court facility frequent enough for prompt dispatch of business.
What’s needed for a telephone hearing on a matter requiring testimony?
Either agreement of the parties or a court order based on good cause shown.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: telephone or video conference hearingsubmission without oral argumentmotion hearing schedule Missourivideo conferencing testimony hearing