Executions shall be directed to “any sheriff in the State of Missouri” and may be executed in any county by the sheriff of that county. More than one execution may be outstanding at the same time.
Rule 76.05.How Directed and Executed.
Part I · Rule 76: Executions · Last amended January 1, 1981 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 76.05 directs every execution to 'any sheriff in the State of Missouri,' letting the sheriff of any county execute it and permitting more than one execution to be outstanding on the same judgment at the same time.
Full Text of Rule 76.05
Amendment History
Adopted June 10, 1980, eff. Jan. 1, 1981.
Official Comment
This is substantially the same as prior Rules 76.05 and 76.06.
Plain-English Summary
A judgment debtor's property is not always in one county. Rule 76.05 solves that by directing executions broadly, to any sheriff in the state, rather than naming a single county's sheriff. Whichever county's sheriff ends up handling the writ can execute it there, without the creditor having to obtain a separate execution addressed to that particular county.
The rule also confirms that a creditor is not limited to one execution at a time. If a debtor has assets scattered across several counties, the creditor can have more than one execution outstanding simultaneously, letting sheriffs in different places pursue different property in parallel rather than waiting in sequence.
Together these two features make execution practical for debtors with property in multiple locations. Without them, a creditor would have to chase down assets one county at a time, giving a debtor more opportunity to move or hide property before the next writ caught up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the creditor have to name a specific county when applying for execution?
No. The execution is directed generally to any sheriff in the State of Missouri, so it is not tied to a single named county from the outset.
Can a sheriff in a county where the judgment was not entered execute the writ?
Yes. Because the execution is addressed to any sheriff statewide, the sheriff of whatever county holds the debtor's property can act on it.
Can a creditor have two executions running against the same debtor at once?
Yes. Rule 76.05 expressly allows more than one execution to be outstanding at the same time.
Does this rule change where the underlying lawsuit must have been filed?
No. It only addresses how the execution, once issued, is directed and where it may be executed; it does not affect venue for the original judgment.
What happens if a debtor has property in three different counties?
The creditor can have executions outstanding that reach property in each of those counties, with the sheriff in each county handling the levy on the property located there.
Does this rule apply only to real estate or also to personal property?
It applies to executions generally, covering both real estate and personal property, since the rule speaks to how and where any execution may be executed.
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: sheriff directivestatewide executionmultiple executionswrit of execution venue