Missouri Theft and Shoplifting Laws

If you're looking for a Missouri online theft class, it's important to know your Missouri theft laws. This can help you understand more about your offense.

Please note that the Missouri theft and shoplifting laws displayed on this page are to help you to understand your state Missouri theft, shoplifting and stealing laws. While we have made every attempt to show the most up-to-date version of Missouri theft laws, we do not guarantee its accuracy. This page is not a replacement for legal advice from an attorney. We suggest that you consult with an appropriate lawyer for more information about Missouri theft laws.

Class	Price
4 Hour Theft Class	$99	Register Now
6 Hour Theft Class	$129	Register Now
8 Hour Theft Class	$149	Register Now
12 Hour Theft Class	$199	Register Now
16 Hour Advanced Class	$249	Register Now
24 Hour Extended Theft Class	$349	Register Now

Determination of value

The value of property is determined as follows:

1. The value of property means its market value at the time and place of the crime. If this can't be determined, then it should be the cost of replacing the property within a reasonable time after the crime. If the victim is a merchant who sells the type of property in question, then it should be valued at the price the merchant would normally sell it.

2. Certain written instruments, like checks, drafts, or promissory notes, will be valued based on the amount that can be collected on them. Other instruments that affect valuable rights, privileges, or obligations will be valued based on the greatest amount of economic loss the owner of the instrument might reasonably suffer because of the loss of the instrument.

3. If the value of property can't be determined using the standards in 1) and 2), then its value will be considered to be less than $500.

Stealing--penalties

570.030.

1. A person commits the crime of stealing if he or she appropriates property or services of another with the purpose to deprive him or her thereof, either without his or her consent or by means of deceit or coercion.

2. Evidence of the following is admissible in any criminal prosecution pursuant to this section on the issue of the requisite knowledge or belief of the alleged stealer:

(1) That he or she failed or refused to pay for property or services of a hotel, restaurant, inn or boardinghouse;

(2) That he or she gave in payment for property or services of a hotel, restaurant, inn or boardinghouse a check or negotiable paper on which payment was refused;

(3) That he or she left the hotel, restaurant, inn or boardinghouse with the intent to not pay for property or services;

(4) That he or she surreptitiously removed or attempted to remove his or her baggage from a hotel, inn or boardinghouse;

(5) That he or she, with intent to cheat or defraud a retailer, possesses, uses, utters, transfers, makes, alters, counterfeits, or reproduces a retail sales receipt, price tag, or universal price code label, or possesses with intent to cheat or defraud, the device that manufactures fraudulent receipts or universal price code labels.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any offense in which the value of property or services is an element is a class C felony if:

(1) The value of the property or services appropriated is five hundred dollars or more but less than twenty-five thousand dollars; or

(2) The actor physically takes the property appropriated from the person of the victim; or

(3) The property appropriated consists of:

(a) Any motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft; or

(b) Any will or unrecorded deed affecting real property; or

(c) Any credit card or letter of credit; or

(d) Any firearms; or

(e) Any explosive weapon as defined in section 571.010; or

(f) A United States national flag designed, intended and used for display on buildings or stationary flagstaffs in the open; or

(g) Any original copy of an act, bill or resolution, introduced or acted upon by the legislature of the state of Missouri; or

(h) Any pleading, notice, judgment or any other record or entry of any court of this state, any other state or of the United States; or

(i) Any book of registration or list of voters required by chapter 115; or

(j) Any animal considered livestock as that term is defined in section 144.010; or

(k) Live fish raised for commercial sale with a value of seventy-five dollars; or

(l) Captive wildlife held under permit issued by the conservation commission; or

(m) Any controlled substance as defined by section 195.010; or

(n) Anhydrous ammonia;

(o) Ammonium nitrate; or

(p) Any document of historical significance which has fair market value of five hundred dollars or more.

1. If an actor appropriates any material with a value less than five hundred dollars in violation of this section with the intent to use such material to manufacture, compound, produce, prepare, test or analyze amphetamine or methamphetamine or any of their analogues, then such violation is a class C felony. The theft of any amount of anhydrous ammonia or liquid nitrogen, or any attempt to steal any amount of anhydrous ammonia or liquid nitrogen, is a class B felony. The theft of any amount of anhydrous ammonia by appropriation of a tank truck, tank trailer, rail tank car, bulk storage tank, field (nurse) tank or field applicator is a class A felony.

2. The theft of any item of property or services pursuant to subsection 3 of this section which exceeds five hundred dollars may be considered a separate felony and may be charged in separate counts.

3. Any person with a prior conviction of paragraph* (j) or (l) of subdivision (3) of subsection 3 of this section and who violates the provisions of paragraph* (j) or (l) of subdivision (3) of subsection 3 of this section when the value of the animal or animals stolen exceeds three thousand dollars is guilty of a class B felony. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, such person shall serve a minimum prison term of not less than eighty percent of his or her sentence before he or she is eligible for probation, parole, conditional release, or other early release by the department of corrections.

4. Any offense in which the value of property or services is an element is a class B felony if the value of the property or services equals or exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars.

5. Any violation of this section for which no other penalty is specified in this section is a class A misdemeanor.

Stealing animals, penalty.

570.033. Any person who, without lawful authority, willfully takes another's animal with the intent to deprive him of his property is guilty of a class D felony.

Stealing, third offense.

570.040. 1. Every person who has previously pled guilty to or been found guilty of two stealing-related offenses committed on two separate occasions where such offenses occurred within ten years of the date of occurrence of the present offense and who subsequently pleads guilty or is found guilty of a stealing-related offense is guilty of a class D felony, unless the subsequent plea or guilty verdict is pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision (3) of subsection 3 of section 570.030, in which case the person shall be guilty of a class B felony, and shall be punished accordingly.

1. As used in this section, the term "stealing- related offense" shall include federal and state violations of criminal statutes against stealing, robbery, or buying or receiving stolen property and shall also include municipal ordinances against same if the defendant was either represented by counsel or knowingly waived counsel in writing and the judge accepting the plea or making the findings was a licensed attorney at the time of the court proceedings.

2. Evidence of prior guilty pleas or findings of guilt shall be heard by the court, out of the hearing of the jury, prior to the submission of the case to the jury, and the court shall determine the existence of the prior guilty pleas or findings of guilt.

Aggregation of amounts involved in stealing.

570.050. Amounts stolen pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, whether from the same or several owners and whether at the same or different times, constitute a single criminal episode and may be aggregated in determining the grade of the offense.

Wire, device, or pipe associated with conducting electricity or transporting combustible fuel--possession of prohibited, when--penalty. 570.055. Any person who steals or appropriates, without consent of the owner, any wire, electrical transformer, metallic wire associated with transmitting telecommunications, or any other device or pipe that is associated with conducting electricity or transporting natural gas or other combustible fuels shall be guilty of a class C felony.

Lost property.

570.060. 1. A person who appropriates lost property shall not be deemed to have stolen that property within the meaning of section 570.030 unless such property is found under circumstances which gave the finder knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner.

1. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of lost property.

Claim of right.

570.070. 1. A person does not commit an offense under section 570.030 if, at the time of the appropriation, he

(1) Acted in the honest belief that he had the right to do so; or

(2) Acted in the honest belief that the owner, if present, would have consented to the appropriation.

1. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of claim of right.

Receiving stolen property.

570.080. 1. A person commits the crime of receiving stolen property if for the purpose of depriving the owner of a lawful interest therein, he or she receives, retains or disposes of property of another knowing that it has been stolen, or believing that it has been stolen.

1. Evidence of the following is admissible in any criminal prosecution pursuant to this section to prove the requisite knowledge or belief of the alleged receiver:

(1) That he or she was found in possession or control of other property stolen on separate occasions from two or more persons;

(2) That he or she received other stolen property in another transaction within the year preceding the transaction charged;

(3) That he or she acquired the stolen property for a consideration which he or she knew was far below its reasonable value;

(4) That he or she obtained control over stolen property knowing the property to have been stolen or under such circumstances as would reasonably induce a person to believe the property was stolen.

1. Receiving stolen property is a class A misdemeanor unless the property involved has a value of five hundred dollars or more, or the person receiving the property is a dealer in goods of the type in question, or the property involved is an explosive weapon as that term is defined in section 571.010, in which cases receiving stolen property is a class C felony.

Alteration or removal of item numbers with intent to deprive lawful owner.

570.085. 1. A person commits the crime of alteration or removal of item numbers if he, with the purpose of depriving the owner of a lawful interest therein:

(1) Destroys, removes, covers, conceals, alters, defaces, or causes to be destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered, or defaced, the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark, on any item which bears a serial number attached by the manufacturer or distinguishing number or mark applied by the owner of the item, for any reason whatsoever;

(2) Sells, offers for sale, pawns or uses as security for a loan, any item on which the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark has been destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered, or defaced; or

(3) Buys, receives as security for a loan or in pawn, or in any manner receives or has in his possession any item on which the manufacturer's original serial number or other distinguishing owner-applied number or mark has been destroyed, removed, covered, concealed, altered, or defaced.

1. Alteration or removal of item numbers is a class D felony if the value of the item or items in the aggregate is five hundred dollars or more. If the value of the item or items in the aggregate is less than five hundred dollars, then it is a class B misdemeanor.

Stealing, civil liability--parent or guardian civilly liable for minor's stealing--conversion of shopping carts, penalty.

570.087. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "Actual damages", the full retail value of any merchandise which is taken or which has its price altered in a manner described in subsection 2 of this section, plus any proven incidental costs to the owner of the merchandise not to exceed one hundred dollars;

(2) "Mercantile establishment", any place where merchandise is displayed, held or offered for sale either at retail or at wholesale;

(3) "Merchandise", all things movable and capable of manual delivery and offered for sale either at retail or wholesale;

(4) "Unemancipated minor", an individual under the age of eighteen years whose parents or guardian have not surrendered the right to the care, custody and earnings of such individual, and are under a duty to support or maintain such individual.

1. An adult or a minor who takes possession of any merchandise from any mercantile establishment without the consent of the owner, without paying the purchase price and with the intention of converting such merchandise to his own use, or the use of another, or who purchases merchandise after altering the price indicia of such merchandise, shall be civilly liable to the owner for actual damages plus a penalty payable to the owner of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars and all court costs and reasonable attorney fees.

2. The parents or guardian having physical custody of an unemancipated minor, who takes possession of any merchandise from any mercantile establishment without the consent of the owner, without paying the purchase price and with the intention of converting such merchandise to his own use, or the use of another, or who purchases merchandise after altering the price indicia of such merchandise, shall be civilly liable to the owner for actual damages, provided that a parent or guardian shall not be liable if they have not had physical custody for a period in excess of one year.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections 2 and 3 of this section, any person who, without the consent of the owner, takes possession of a shopping cart from any mercantile establishment with the intent to convert such shopping cart to his own use or the use of another shall be civilly liable to the owner for actual damages plus a penalty payable to the owner of one hundred dollars and all court costs and reasonable attorney fees.

4. A conviction under section 570.030 or 570.040 shall not be a condition precedent to maintaining a civil action pursuant to the provisions of this section.

5. No owner or agent or employee of the owner may attempt to gain an advantage in a civil action by threatening to initiate a criminal prosecution pertaining to the same incident.

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