Certification of Trust - Missouri
CERTIFICATION OF TRUST
(Pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes § 456.10-1013)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Purpose and Statutory Authority
- Trust Identification and Existence
- Taxpayer Identification Number
- Settlor Information
- Currently Acting Trustee Information
- Trust Revocability and Revocation Power
- Co-Trustee Signature Authority
- Trustee Powers
- Trust Property and Title
- Amendments and Modifications
- Exclusion of Dispositive Terms
- Mandatory Certifications and Representations
- Third-Party Reliance and Liability Protections
- Missouri-Specific Statutory Requirements
- Execution by All Trustees
- Acknowledgment
1. PURPOSE AND STATUTORY AUTHORITY
This Certification of Trust (this "Certification") is made and furnished pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes § 456.10-1013, which is part of the Missouri Uniform Trust Code, RSMo § 456.1-101 et seq. The undersigned Trustee(s) furnish this Certification to evidence the existence and validity of the trust identified herein in lieu of providing a copy of the complete trust instrument, as authorized by Missouri law.
This Certification is intended to provide any person or entity dealing with the Trustee(s) sufficient information to rely upon in conducting business transactions with the Trust, without requiring disclosure of the dispositive provisions of the trust instrument.
2. TRUST IDENTIFICATION AND EXISTENCE
The undersigned Trustee(s) hereby certify that the following trust exists and is currently in full force and effect:
Full Legal Name of Trust: [________________________________]
Date Trust Instrument Was Executed: [__/__/____]
Type of Trust:
☐ Revocable Living Trust
☐ Irrevocable Living Trust
☐ Testamentary Trust (created under the Last Will and Testament of [________________________________], dated [__/__/____])
☐ Special Needs / Supplemental Needs Trust
☐ Charitable Remainder Trust
☐ Charitable Lead Trust
☐ Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
☐ Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT)
☐ Other: [________________________________]
State of Situs: Missouri
County of Primary Administration: [________________________________]
Governing Law: The Trust is governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, including the Missouri Uniform Trust Code, RSMo § 456.1-101 et seq.
3. TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Trust Taxpayer Identification Number:
☐ The Trust has been assigned a separate Employer Identification Number (EIN): [________________________________]
☐ The Trust uses the Settlor's Social Security Number as its taxpayer identification number. The last four digits are: XXX-XX-[________]
☐ The Trust's EIN application is pending with the Internal Revenue Service.
4. SETTLOR INFORMATION
Settlor 1 (Grantor/Trustor):
Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
☐ Currently living
☐ Deceased — Date of Death: [__/__/____]
Settlor 2 (if applicable):
Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
☐ Currently living
☐ Deceased — Date of Death: [__/__/____]
5. CURRENTLY ACTING TRUSTEE INFORMATION
The following individual(s) and/or entity(ies) are ALL of the currently acting Trustee(s) of the Trust:
Trustee 1:
Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
☐ Individual ☐ Corporate/Institutional Trustee
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Date Began Serving: [__/__/____]
☐ Original Trustee ☐ Successor Trustee
Trustee 2 (if applicable):
Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
☐ Individual ☐ Corporate/Institutional Trustee
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Date Began Serving: [__/__/____]
☐ Original Trustee ☐ Successor Trustee
Trustee 3 (if applicable):
Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
☐ Individual ☐ Corporate/Institutional Trustee
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Date Began Serving: [__/__/____]
☐ Original Trustee ☐ Successor Trustee
6. TRUST REVOCABILITY AND REVOCATION POWER
A. Revocability Status:
☐ The Trust is REVOCABLE.
☐ The Trust is IRREVOCABLE.
☐ The Trust was originally revocable and became irrevocable upon:
☐ The death of the Settlor on [__/__/____]
☐ The express action of the Settlor on [__/__/____]
☐ The occurrence of a specified event: [________________________________]
B. Identity of Person(s) Holding Power to Revoke:
☐ Not applicable — the Trust is irrevocable.
☐ The following person(s) currently hold the power to revoke the Trust:
Name: [________________________________]
Relationship to Trust: [________________________________]
Scope of Power: ☐ Full revocation ☐ Partial revocation
Name: [________________________________]
Relationship to Trust: [________________________________]
Scope of Power: ☐ Full revocation ☐ Partial revocation
7. CO-TRUSTEE SIGNATURE AUTHORITY
☐ This section is not applicable — there is only one currently acting Trustee.
☐ There are multiple co-Trustees. The authority to act is as follows:
☐ ALL co-Trustees must act unanimously to exercise trustee powers.
☐ A MAJORITY of co-Trustees may exercise trustee powers.
☐ ANY ONE co-Trustee may act independently.
☐ Specific authority allocation: [________________________________]
Additional Co-Trustee Provisions:
☐ One co-Trustee has been designated as the administrative or managing Trustee with authority to act independently on routine matters.
☐ Certain powers require all co-Trustees to act, while others may be exercised individually: [________________________________]
☐ The trust instrument contains a deadlock resolution provision: [________________________________]
8. TRUSTEE POWERS
The currently acting Trustee(s) have been granted the following powers under the trust instrument and Missouri law, including but not limited to the powers enumerated in RSMo § 456.8-816:
A. Real Property Powers:
☐ To acquire, hold, sell, exchange, lease, and manage real property
☐ To execute and deliver deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, leases, and other conveyances
☐ To improve, subdivide, develop, raze, or otherwise alter real property
☐ To grant and acquire easements, restrictive covenants, and rights of way
☐ To borrow money and encumber real property as security therefor
☐ To manage rental property and collect rents
B. Financial Powers:
☐ To open, maintain, and close accounts at banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions
☐ To deposit, withdraw, and transfer funds
☐ To invest and reinvest trust assets in all forms of property and securities
☐ To purchase, sell, and trade stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities
☐ To borrow money and pledge trust assets as collateral
☐ To enter into and manage certificates of deposit and money market accounts
C. Business and Contractual Powers:
☐ To form, operate, and dissolve business entities
☐ To hold and exercise rights as an owner, shareholder, member, or partner
☐ To enter into, amend, and terminate contracts and agreements
☐ To employ and compensate agents, attorneys, accountants, investment advisors, and other professionals
D. Tax and Administrative Powers:
☐ To file tax returns and make tax elections
☐ To pay taxes, debts, charges, and expenses of trust administration
☐ To distribute income and principal to or for the benefit of beneficiaries
☐ To allocate receipts and disbursements between income and principal
☐ To exercise all powers granted by the Missouri Uniform Trust Code
E. Litigation and Claims Powers:
☐ To commence, prosecute, defend, and settle claims and lawsuits
☐ To compromise, arbitrate, and mediate disputes
☐ To retain legal counsel and authorize legal proceedings
9. TRUST PROPERTY AND TITLE
Manner of Holding Title:
Title to trust property shall be held as follows:
[________________________________], Trustee(s) of the [________________________________], U/A dated [__/__/____]
Property Related to Current Transaction (if applicable):
☐ Real property located at: [________________________________]
County: [________________________________] State: Missouri
Legal Description: [________________________________]
Parcel/Locator Number: [________________________________]
☐ Financial account(s) at: [________________________________]
Account Number(s): [________________________________]
☐ Investment account(s): [________________________________]
☐ Vehicle(s): [________________________________]
☐ Other: [________________________________]
10. AMENDMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS
☐ The trust instrument has NOT been amended, modified, or restated since its original execution.
☐ The trust instrument has been amended and/or restated as follows:
Date: [__/__/____] Type: ☐ Amendment ☐ Complete Restatement
Description: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____] Type: ☐ Amendment ☐ Complete Restatement
Description: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____] Type: ☐ Amendment ☐ Complete Restatement
Description: [________________________________]
11. EXCLUSION OF DISPOSITIVE TERMS
Pursuant to RSMo § 456.10-1013, this Certification does not contain and is not required to contain the dispositive terms of the Trust. The dispositive terms set forth the distribution provisions of the trust estate and are confidential. Third parties are not entitled to demand disclosure of the dispositive terms as a condition of transacting business with the Trust.
12. MANDATORY CERTIFICATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS
The undersigned Trustee(s), pursuant to RSMo § 456.10-1013, do hereby certify, represent, and declare as follows:
A. The Trust identified in this Certification currently exists, is validly established under the laws of the State of Missouri, and has not been revoked or terminated.
B. The date of execution of the trust instrument is as stated in Section 2 of this Certification.
C. The undersigned constitute ALL of the currently acting Trustees of the Trust and are duly appointed, qualified, and authorized to act.
D. The Trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner that would cause the representations contained in this Certification of Trust to be incorrect.
E. The powers set forth in Section 8 accurately reflect the powers granted to the Trustee(s) under the trust instrument and applicable Missouri law.
F. The taxpayer identification number provided in Section 3 is the correct identification number assigned to or used by the Trust.
G. All information provided in this Certification is true and correct to the best of the Trustee's knowledge.
13. THIRD-PARTY RELIANCE AND LIABILITY PROTECTIONS
Pursuant to RSMo § 456.10-1013:
A. Any person who acts in reliance upon this Certification of Trust without knowledge that the representations contained herein are incorrect is not liable to any person for so acting and may assume without inquiry the existence of the facts stated in this Certification.
B. A person who in good faith enters into a transaction in reliance upon this Certification may enforce the transaction against the trust property as if the representations contained herein were correct.
C. Knowledge of the terms of the Trust may not be inferred solely from the fact that a person holds a copy of all or part of the trust instrument.
D. A person who, in addition to this Certification, demands a copy of the trust instrument or excerpts thereof may be liable for costs, expenses, reasonable attorney's fees, and damages if a court determines that the demand was not made in good faith.
14. MISSOURI-SPECIFIC STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
A. All Trustees Must Sign: Unlike many UTC states that only require trustees with signatory authority to sign, Missouri law (RSMo § 456.10-1013) requires that the certification of trust be signed by ALL trustees. This is a critical requirement for compliance with Missouri law.
B. Acknowledgment or Guarantee: A third party may require that the certification of trust be acknowledged (notarized) or guaranteed. While not mandated by RSMo § 456.10-1013 for all transactions, acknowledgment is required for recording real property documents under Missouri law. See RSMo § 442.150 (officers authorized to take acknowledgments) and § 442.210 (form and contents of the certificate of acknowledgment).
C. Taxpayer Identification Number Required: Missouri specifically requires disclosure of the trust's taxpayer identification number in the certification. This requirement is not universal among UTC states.
D. Missouri Uniform Trust Code: Missouri adopted the Uniform Trust Code effective January 1, 2005, codified at RSMo § 456.1-101 et seq. The certification of trust provisions are found at RSMo § 456.10-1013.
E. Recording of Certification: For real property transactions in Missouri, this Certification may be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the property is situated. The recorded certification provides constructive notice of the trust's existence and the Trustee's authority.
F. Trust Protector Provisions: If the Trust includes a trust protector (permitted under RSMo § 456.8-808), the trust protector's authority does not need to be disclosed in this Certification unless relevant to the current transaction.
15. EXECUTION BY ALL TRUSTEES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being ALL of the currently acting Trustees of the Trust identified herein, do hereby execute this Certification of Trust as of the date(s) set forth below, pursuant to RSMo § 456.10-1013.
TRUSTEE SIGNATURE(S):
Trustee 1:
Signature: ________________________________________
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
Trustee 2 (if applicable):
Signature: ________________________________________
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
Trustee 3 (if applicable):
Signature: ________________________________________
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
16. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
STATE OF MISSOURI
COUNTY OF [________________________________]
On this [______] day of [________________], [________], before me, the undersigned Notary Public in and for said County and State, personally appeared [________________________________], known to me (or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence) to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument, and acknowledged that he/she/they executed the same as Trustee(s) of the Trust identified herein for the purposes therein stated.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year last above written.
Signature of Notary Public: ________________________________________
Printed Name of Notary: [________________________________]
My Commission Expires: [__/__/____]
Commissioned in: [________________________________] County, Missouri
[NOTARY SEAL]
ATTACHMENTS
☐ No attachments are included with this Certification.
☐ The following attachments are included:
☐ Excerpt(s) from the trust instrument regarding Trustee powers
☐ Copy of IRS EIN assignment (Form SS-4 or Letter 147C)
☐ Exhibit A — Legal Description of Real Property
☐ Copy of Trustee identification documents
☐ Other: [________________________________]
This Certification of Trust is made pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes § 456.10-1013 and is intended to be relied upon by third parties in connection with transactions involving the Trust. This Certification does not contain the dispositive provisions of the Trust.
PREPARED BY:
Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] Zip: [__________]
Missouri Bar Number (if applicable): [________________________________]
About this template
- Last updated
- July 5, 2026
- Citations checked
- July 5, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Missouri
- Category
- Estate Planning & Wills
Legal authority
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 456.10-1013 (Certification of Trust)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 456.1-101 et seq. (Missouri Uniform Trust Code)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 486.600 et seq. (Notaries Public and Notarial Acts)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 442.150, § 442.210 (acknowledgment of instruments affecting real estate)
Estate planning documents decide what happens to your property, your children, and your medical care when you cannot make those decisions yourself. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives each serve different purposes and each have to meet state law requirements for signing, witnessing, and notarization. A document that looks fine on the page but was not executed correctly can be rejected in probate, which is exactly when it is too late to fix.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on July 5, 2026.
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