The institution, prosecution, trial and determination of civil actions to establish evidence of and to perfect land titles shall conform in all respects to rules of procedure covering ordinary civil actions and service of process shall be had in the same manner as provided in Rule 54.
Rule 93.01.Procedure--Service of Process.
Part III · Rule 93: Land Titles · Last amended January 1, 1981 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 93.01 directs that civil actions to establish evidence of, or perfect, title to land follow the same procedural rules as any other civil action, including the same method of service of process used generally under Rule 54.
Full Text of Rule 93.01
Amendment History
Adopted June 5, 1980, eff. Jan. 1, 1981.
Plain-English Summary
Missouri law allows a lawsuit aimed at establishing evidence of land title, or perfecting that title, and Rule 93.01 tells courts and litigants how to run one. Rather than creating a separate procedural track, the rule folds these actions into the ordinary civil rulebook. The institution, prosecution, trial, and determination of the case proceed exactly as any other civil action would.
Service of process gets the same treatment. Instead of a specialized notice scheme, a land title action is served the way any civil defendant is served under Rule 54. The result is a narrow, practical rule: it does not redefine what a land title action is or add new pleading requirements, it only plugs this type of case into the procedure already used for ordinary civil litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of case does Rule 93.01 cover?
It covers civil actions brought to establish evidence of, or to perfect, title to land.
Does a land title action follow special procedures different from other lawsuits?
No. Rule 93.01 requires these actions to conform in all respects to the rules governing ordinary civil actions.
How are defendants served in a land title case?
Service of process follows the same method used generally under Rule 54, the same as in any other civil action.
Does Rule 93.01 set out what a plaintiff must prove to establish title?
No. The rule addresses procedure, not the substantive elements of a land title claim, which come from other sources of Missouri law.
Which court hears a land title action under Rule 93.01?
Because the rule folds these actions into ordinary civil procedure, they proceed in the same circuit courts that handle other civil cases.
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: land title action Missouriperfect land title lawsuitestablish title to land Missouriland title civil procedure Missouri