Before a protection order can take effect, it must be served upon the abuser. In most states, protection orders are served by the sheriff department. You can contact the clerk of the court in the court that issued your order to find out the procedure for service if you are unsure. For a list of Missouri courts, check the MO Courthouse Locations page on our site. Listed below are telephone numbers and addresses for sheriff departments in Missouri, which comes from the www.usacops.com website.