To run for city council or alderman in Missouri, first find out what class of city you live in, because the class sets the age, residency and filing rules. In a fourth class city, an alderman must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a city resident for one year and a ward resident at filing; in a third class city, a councilman must be at least 21 before taking office, a U.S. citizen, a city inhabitant for one year and a ward resident for six months. In most cities you then file a declaration of candidacy in person with the city clerk between 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 2026 and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, with proof of identity and a copy of your state tax affidavit. No petition is needed except in the City of St. Louis and where a charter requires one. The election is Tuesday, April 6, 2027.
This guide covers each type of city, the filing steps, and the campaign. Rules come from the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo) and the Secretary of State's 2027 calendar. Dates marked "computed" are derived from a statutory formula. Confirm anything specific to your city with your city clerk.
For the full process of running for any local office, see our guide to running for local office in Missouri.
Step 1: Find out what kind of city you live in
Your city clerk can tell you your city's class or form of government in one phone call. The main types are:
Third class cities
Third class cities elect a mayor and councilmen by ward.
- Councilman: at least 21 before taking office, a U.S. citizen, an inhabitant of the city for one year and a resident of the ward for six months (RSMo 77.060).
- Mayor: at least 30, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the city for two years (RSMo 77.230).
- Filing: all certificates of nomination and petitions are filed with the city clerk and no other officer (RSMo 77.040).
- City taxes: no one in arrears for unpaid city taxes may be elected or appointed to city office (RSMo 77.380).
Fourth class cities
Fourth class cities elect a mayor and a board of aldermen. Elections are held on municipal election days every two years, and the governing body may adopt a primary only by ordinance (RSMo 79.030, 79.035).
- Alderman: at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the city for one year, and a resident of the ward at the time of filing and while serving (RSMo 79.070).
- Mayor: at least 25, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the city for one year (RSMo 79.080).
- Filing: at the place named in the city's published filing notice (RSMo 115.127.5).
Commission form and council-manager cities
In commission form cities that have eliminated the primary, and in council-manager cities without a primary, a candidate files a signed, sworn statement of candidacy with the city clerk, stating that the candidate is a resident and qualified voter, is eligible, and will serve if elected (RSMo 78.090, 78.530). Names appear on the ballot in the order statements were filed.
Charter cities
Home rule cities set their own qualifications, filing rules and sometimes their own election dates in their charters. Some charter cities may use a March 2, 2027 election instead of April 6. Read your charter or ask your city clerk.
The City of St. Louis and Kansas City
City of St. Louis alderperson candidates file a Certificate of Nomination with signatures equal to at least 2% of the votes cast for mayor in the ward at the last general municipal election, pay a $100 fee, and meet the city's own qualifications, including age 25 and ward residency of one year. The city holds a primary on March 2, 2027. See running for office in the City of St. Louis in 2027.
Kansas City candidates file through the City Clerk's Office, but the Kansas City Election Board had not published its 2027 calendar as of October 5, 2026. Check with the Kansas City Election Board for dates.
Step 2: Check the statewide rules
Every candidate must also meet three statewide rules:
- No felony. No one found guilty of or who pled guilty to a felony may qualify as a candidate (RSMo 115.306.1).
- No delinquent taxes. This covers state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes, and real property taxes on the residence listed on the declaration (RSMo 115.306.2).
- No unfiled reports. No one may file for any office until every campaign disclosure report from prior elections is filed (RSMo 130.071).
Our list of mistakes that can disqualify a Missouri local candidate explains each one.
Step 3: Prepare your filing papers
- Tax affidavit. File the Candidate's Affidavit of Tax Payments and Bonding Requirements (Form 5120) with the Missouri Department of Revenue and bring a copy to include with your declaration (RSMo 115.306.2).
- Proof of identity. Ask your clerk which documents are accepted.
- Fee. No general statewide filing fee applies to municipal candidates in the statutes reviewed. Ask your clerk whether your city charges one.
- The filing notice. Before December 15, your city must publish the offices to be filled, where to file, and the opening and closing dates (RSMo 115.127.5). Confirm which ward seats are up.
Step 4: File during the window
The default filing window runs from 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 2026 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2027 (SOS 2027 calendar; RSMo 115.127.5). Plan to file in person with ID, and confirm the process with your clerk.
Ballot order. Names are listed in the order candidates file (RSMo 115.237.1). The city may hold a random drawing among those who file before 5:00 p.m. on the first day (RSMo 115.124.2). Without a drawing, the first person in line on December 15 is listed first. With a drawing, all first-day filers draw for position, so arriving early that day does not change your place. Ask your clerk which applies.
One office only. Filing for a second office at the same election without withdrawing from the first disqualifies you (RSMo 115.351).
For a filing-day checklist, see how to file a declaration of candidacy in Missouri.
Step 5: After filing
- Personal financial disclosure. If your city's annual operating budget is over $1 million and it has not adopted its own conflict-of-interest ordinance and filed it with the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC), file your disclosure by Tuesday, January 19, 2027 (computed). If it is still not filed by close of business on Tuesday, January 26, 2027 (computed), your name is removed from the ballot (RSMo 105.487, 105.492). Your clerk gives you written notice at filing.
- Campaign committee. In cities of 100,000 or fewer, you need no committee if contributions and expenditures stay at or under $1,000 and no one gives more than $325; above that, form a committee no later than 30 days before the election. In cities over 100,000, the limit is $500 with an exemption statement (RSMo 130.016). See campaign committees for Missouri local candidates.
- Uncontested seats. Cities over 2,000 people hold the election even if a race is uncontested. Cities of 2,000 or fewer can skip uncontested elections only if voters have adopted that option (RSMo 115.124.1). See when Missouri cancels an uncontested election.
- Write-ins. Write-in candidates for municipal office must file by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 26, 2027 (computed) and meet the same tax and felony rules (RSMo 115.453).
Once in office, council members and aldermen should also know how removal works in their type of city. Third class cities allow voter recall petitions, while fourth class cities provide removal by the board and mayor rather than by voter petition (RSMo 77.650, 79.240). Our explainer on how recall works for Missouri city officials covers each type.
Step 6: Organize your campaign by ward
In a ward race, you can often meet many likely voters in person. Ask your local election authority how to obtain the list of registered voters in your ward, and plan to knock on the doors of people who vote in local elections. Beacon, our canvassing app, can put that list on a map, assign territories to volunteers and record each door's result; its political canvassing guide covers door strategy.
Keep the voter dates in front of your supporters: registration closes March 10, 2027, and no-excuse in-person absentee voting begins March 23, 2027 (computed). Our campaign plan to April 6 for Missouri local races lays out each week.
Step 7: Text supporters in your ward
For the supporters who asked to hear from you, a text is a direct way to share event invitations and voter dates. In CampaignCNX+, set it up like this:
- Confirm your Campaign Verify eligibility first. Political texting requires Campaign Verify, a nonprofit check that confirms to the mobile phone companies that you are a real campaign. It needs a committee with an EIN (a federal tax ID number) and a filing published by an election authority. Candidates with no committee are not eligible, so if you are using the no-committee limits above, you would need a committee to text this way. Confirm your committee's filing can be viewed online, on the MEC or your local election authority's website, before requesting, and ask Campaign Verify Support if it is not.
- Open your account. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration with the mobile phone companies and guides you through Campaign Verify.
- Add only people who gave permission. Add supporters who gave written consent to receive texts, with the date and source recorded in a custom field. Tag each contact with the street or event where you met them, and put them in a group, because messages are sent to groups.
- Send short, clear messages. Keep each under 160 characters, name your campaign, and include "Reply STOP to opt out" on the first message. STOP replies are handled automatically, and texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
- Answer replies yourself. Replies arrive in a two-way inbox. Volunteers can help as team members with admin, manager or staffer roles.
For budgets, see what it costs to text a local race.
100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and nothing sends until it is bought. When you are ready, start your CampaignCNX+ trial.