Injunctions may be granted by a circuit or associate circuit judge.
Rule 92.01.Who May Grant.
Part III · Rule 92: Injunctions · Last amended July 1, 2006 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 92.01 confirms that any circuit judge or associate circuit judge has authority to grant an injunction, so a party seeking equitable relief is not limited to a single judge or division within the circuit.
Full Text of Rule 92.01
Amendment History
Adopted June 5, 1980, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Amended Dec. 20, 2005, eff. July 1, 2006.
Official Comment
This is substantially the same as Sections 526.010 and 526.020, RSMo.
Plain-English Summary
An injunction is a court order telling someone to do something, or stop doing something, instead of a money judgment. Before a court can even reach the standards for granting one, someone has to have the power to sign the order in the first place. Rule 92.01 answers that threshold question for Missouri circuit courts: both circuit judges and associate circuit judges may grant injunctions. Neither category of judge is boxed out, and a litigant does not need to track down a particular judge or division to ask for emergency relief.
The rule is short because its job is narrow. It says who may act, not when they should act or what a party must show. Those questions belong to Rule 92.02, which lays out the standards for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, and to Rule 92.03 and Rule 92.04, which address what happens to an injunction once a case is on appeal. Rule 92.01 only clears the way so that any circuit or associate circuit judge can hear and decide the request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which judges in Missouri can issue an injunction?
Rule 92.01 gives this authority to both circuit judges and associate circuit judges. A party does not need to find a judge holding a particular title to ask for injunctive relief.
Do I have to bring my request for an injunction to a specific judge?
No. The rule does not single out one judge or one division. Any circuit or associate circuit judge in the circuit may grant the injunction.
Does Rule 92.01 explain when a court should grant an injunction?
No. Rule 92.01 addresses only who has the power to grant one. The standards for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction are set out in Rule 92.02.
Why does the rule mention associate circuit judges separately from circuit judges?
Missouri's court structure historically distinguished between circuit judges and associate circuit judges with more limited dockets. Rule 92.01 makes clear that both can grant injunctions, removing any doubt about an associate circuit judge's authority to do so.
Does Rule 92.01 apply to both temporary restraining orders and permanent injunctions?
Yes. The rule speaks to injunctions generally. The particular type of order being sought, and the showing required to get it, are governed by other rules within Rule 92.
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: who can grant an injunction Missouriinjunction authoritycircuit judge injunction powerassociate circuit judge injunction