Trespass in the first degree means a person goes into or stays in a building, a place people live, or on someone's land when they are not allowed to be there. For open land with no fence or signs, a person only breaks this law if the land has a fence or barrier to keep people out, or if someone was directly told to stay out, or if signs are posted where people would notice them. This is usually a class B misdemeanor, but it becomes a class A misdemeanor if the target is a law enforcement officer or a close relative of one, and it becomes a class E felony if the property is part of a nuclear power plant.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
569.140. in the first degree — . — 1. A person commits the of trespass in the first degree if he or she enters or knowingly remains unlawfully in a building or or upon .
2. A person does not commit the offense of trespass in the first degree by entering or remaining upon real property unless the real property is fenced or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders or as to which notice against trespass is given by:
(1) Actual communication to the ; or
(2) in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders.
3. The offense of trespass in the first degree is a , unless the victim is intentionally targeted as a , as defined in section 556.061, or the victim is targeted because he or she is a relative within the to a law enforcement officer, in which case it is a . If the building or real property is part of a nuclear power plant, the offense of trespass in the first degree is a .
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Red section numbers link to that law.
Source & history notes
(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2017 S.B. 34, A.L. 2018 H.B. 1797) Streams and rivers, no civil liability for adjoining landowners, when, 258.200
Related Missouri laws
Polluting cave or subsurface waters
RSMo 569.137
Unlawfully entering or defacing a cave or cavern
RSMo 569.135
Posting of property against trespassers, purple paint used to mark streets and posts, requirements
RSMo 569.145
Prohibited acts
RSMo 569.132
Claim of right
RSMo 569.130
Trespass in the second degree
RSMo 569.150
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.