Any party, on motion, may have a bill of costs reviewed by the court in which the civil action was heard.
Rule 77.05.Costs--Review by Court.
Part I · Rule 77: Costs · Last amended January 1, 1981 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 77.05 lets any party ask the trial court, by motion, to review a bill of costs in the civil action that was heard in that court, giving a way to challenge or confirm the amounts charged.
Full Text of Rule 77.05
Amendment History
Adopted June 5, 1980, eff. Jan. 1, 1981.
Official Comment
This is substantially the same as prior Rule 77.27 except that the references to liability of the clerk have been deleted. Amended Sept. 30, 1985, eff. July 1, 1986.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 77.05 supplies the checkpoint that makes the cost rules that precede it workable. Once costs are assessed under Rule 77.01, or security is required under Rule 77.02, someone still has to total up the actual bill and give the parties a chance to question it. This rule provides that chance.
Any party may bring a motion asking the court that heard the civil action to review the bill of costs. The rule keeps review in the same court and the same case instead of routing cost disputes to a separate proceeding, which keeps the process quick and keeps the judge who handled the case in the best position to evaluate what was reasonably incurred.
The official comment notes that this rule descends from an earlier version that also addressed the clerk's liability for costs, and that those references were deleted. What remains is a focused mechanism: a party disputes the amount, files a motion, and the court that heard the case decides it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may ask the court to review a bill of costs?
Any party to the civil action may bring the motion, not just the party who ultimately must pay the costs.
Which court reviews the bill of costs?
The court in which the civil action was heard — the review stays with the trial court instead of moving to a different tribunal.
What triggers review under this rule?
A motion filed by a party. The rule does not provide for automatic review; a party must ask for it.
Does this rule set a deadline for seeking review?
No deadline appears in the rule's text; it authorizes review on motion.
What used to be included in this rule that was removed?
According to the official comment, references to the clerk's liability for costs were dropped from the prior rule.
How does this rule connect to enforcement of a cost award?
Once a bill of costs survives review, Rule 77.06 allows execution to issue for those costs, either before or after final judgment.
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: bill of costs reviewchallenge cost bill Missourimotion to review costscourt review of costsdisputing taxed costs