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Property Crimes
RSMo 569.175effective 28 Aug 2025

Unlawfully gaining entry into a motor vehicle, offense of

In plain English

This law covers when someone goes from car to car trying door handles or locks to get in and steal something. If a person does this and does not own the cars or have permission to enter them, that is a crime. It is a class A misdemeanor.

Penalties named in this law
class A misdemeanorup to 1 year in jail

Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.

Word-for-word law

569.175. gaining entry into a motor vehicle, of — . — 1. A person commits the offense of unlawfully gaining entry into motor vehicles if the person lifts the door handles or otherwise tries the doors and locks of successive motor vehicles to gain entry into the motor vehicles for the purpose of committing the offense of unless the person is the owner of the motor vehicles or has the owners' permission to enter the motor vehicles. For purposes of this section, "successive" means lifting the door handles or otherwise trying the doors and locks of one vehicle after another.

2. The offense of unlawfully gaining entry into motor vehicles is a .

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Source & history notes

(L. 2025 S.B. 71)

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Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.

RSMo 569.175: Unlawfully gaining entry into a motor vehicle, offense of | KnowMo Laws