UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s) Kemper, Jonathan M. 1000 Walnut Street Kansas City, Missouri 64106 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 1/22/2003 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [X] Director [ ] 10% Owner [X] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) Vice Chairman 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 17,262(1) I Charlotte Kemper Trust Common Stock 21,444(1) I David BR Kemper Trust Common Stock 4,743(1) D Direct Common Stock 2,073(1) I Exec Comp Plan Common Stock 101,994(1) I Irrev Trust for self Common Stock 36,189(1) I Irrev Trust- children Common Stock 203,545(1) I Julie K Foyer Trust Common Stock 60,641(1) I Laura K Fields Trust Common Stock 17,246(1) I Nicholas Kemper Trust Common Stock 01/22/03 M 8,372 A $13.823310 I Rev Trust for self Common Stock 01/22/03 M 20,241 A $13.823310 I Rev Trust for self Common Stock 01/22/03 F 14,670 D $40.140000 773,365(1) I Rev Trust for self Common Stock 14,175(1) I Thrift Plan Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option (right to buy) $13.823310 01/22/03 M 8,372 02/03/03 Stock Option (right to buy) $13.823310 01/22/03 M 20,241 02/03/03 Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option (right to buy) 01/22/03 Common Stock 8,372 D Direct Stock Option (right to buy) 01/22/03 Common Stock 20,241 0 D DirectExplanation of Responses: (1) Stock Holdings adjusted to include 5% Stock Dividend, record date 11/29/2002; payable 12/13/2002. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ By: Jeffery D. Aberdeen For: Jonathan M. Kemper DATE 01/23/03