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RSMo 577.020effective 01 Jan 2017

Chemical tests for alcohol content of blood

In plain English

When someone drives a car, boat, or flies a plane on Missouri public roads or waterways, the law treats that person as already having agreed to take a chemical test — like a breath, blood, urine, or saliva test — to check for alcohol or drugs. This applies when a person is arrested or stopped under certain conditions, like suspected drunk driving or being under 21 with any alcohol in their system. The test has to be done the right way by approved people, and the person tested can ask for their own separate test and can get the results of the test taken.

Word-for-word law

577.020. s for alcohol content of blood — implied, when — ed, when, how — available to person tested, contents — videotaping of chemical or evidence. — 1. Any person who operates a vehicle upon the public highways of this state, a , or any aircraft, or acts as a flight crew member of an aircraft shall be to have given consent, subject to the of sections 577.019 to 577.041, to a chemical test or tests of the person's breath, blood, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcohol or drug content of the person's blood the following circumstances:

(1) If the person is ed for any arising out of acts which the arresting officer had to believe were committed while the person was operating a vehicle or a vessel while in an ;

(2) If the person is for any offense of operating an aircraft while under section 577.015 or operating an aircraft with under section 577.016;

(3) If the person is under the age of twenty-one, has been stopped by a , and the law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that such person was operating a vehicle or a vessel with a of two-hundredths of one percent or more ;

(4) If the person is under the age of twenty-one, has been stopped by a law enforcement officer, and the law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that such person has committed a violation of the traffic laws of the state, or any of the state, and such officer has reasonable grounds to believe, after making such stop, that such person has a blood alcohol content of two-hundredths of one percent or greater;

(5) If the person is under the age of twenty-one, has been stopped at a or roadblock and the law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that such person has a blood alcohol content of two-hundredths of one percent or greater; or

(6) If the person, while operating a vehicle, has been involved in a or accident which resulted in a or a readily apparent as defined in section 556.061, or has been arrested as evidenced by the of a for the violation of any state law or with the of equipment violations contained in chapters 306 and 307, or similar provisions contained in county or municipal ordinances.

2. The to submit to the chemical tests listed in 1 of this section shall be limited to not more than two such tests arising from the same stop, , arrest, incident or charge.

3. To be considered valid, of the person's breath, blood, saliva, or urine shall be performed, according to methods approved by the state , by d medical personnel or by a person possessing a valid d by the state department of health and senior services for this purpose.

4. The state department of health and senior services shall approve satisfactory techniques, devices, equipment, or methods to be used in the chemical test pursuant to the provisions of sections 577.019 to 577.041. The shall also establish standards to the qualifications and competence of individuals to conduct such analyses and issue permits which shall be subject to or by the state department of health and senior services.

5. The person tested may have a physician, or a qualified technician, chemist, nurse, or other qualified person at the choosing and expense of the person to be tested, administer a test in addition to any administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer. The failure or inability to obtain an additional test by a person shall not the admission of evidence relating to the test taken at the direction of a law enforcement officer.

6. Upon the request of the person who is tested, full information concerning the test shall be made available to such person. Full information is limited to the following:

(1) The type of test administered and the procedures followed;

(2) The time of the collection of the blood, breath, or urine sample analyzed;

(3) The numerical results of the test indicating the alcohol content of the blood and breath and urine;

(4) The type and status of any permit which was held by the person who performed the test;

(5) If the test was administered by means of a breath-testing , the date of the most recent of such instrument.

7. Any person given a chemical test of the person's breath pursuant to subsection 1 of this section or a field sobriety test may be videotaped during any such test at the direction of the law enforcement officer. Any such video recording made during the chemical test pursuant to this subsection or a field sobriety test shall be at any trial of such person for a violation of any state law or county or municipal ordinance, and at any or held pursuant to the provisions of chapter 302.

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Source & history notes

(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 1982 S.B. 513, A.L. 1983 S.B. 318 & 135, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1169 & 1271 merged with S.B. 722, A.L. 1998 S.B. 634, A.L. 2001 H.B. 144 & 46, A.L. 2006 S.B. 872, et al., A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1371) Effective 1-01-17 (1985) The arrested person does not have a choice of which statutory test to take. If a choice were allowed, the person could avoid taking the test by choosing one which was unavailable. Kiso v. King (A.), 691 S.W.2d 374. (1987) Department of Health rules on approved methods and techniques for chemical analysis of blood alcohol relate to evidence, are procedural and may be applied retrospectively. State v. Kummer, 741 S.W.2d 285 (Mo.App.E.D.). (2019) Implied consent provisions of this section and section 577.033 do not permit warrantless blood draws from unresponsive subjects in criminal cases, absent evidence of exigent circumstances. State v. Osborn, 591 S.W.3d 1 (Mo.App. W.D.).

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

RSMo 577.020: Chemical tests for alcohol content of blood | KnowMo Laws