Missouri Statutes

§ 563.041 — Use of physical force in defense of property.

Missouri § 563.041
JurisdictionMissouri
Title XXXVIIICRIMES AND PUNISHMENT; PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS
Ch. 563Defense of Justification

This text of Missouri § 563.041 (Use of physical force in defense of property.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 563.041 (2026).

Text

1.A person may, subject to the limitations of subsection 2, use physical force upon another person when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what he or she reasonably believes to be the commission or attempted commission by such person of stealing, property damage or tampering in any degree.
2.A person may use deadly force under circumstances described in subsection 1 only when such use of deadly force is authorized under other sections of this chapter.
3.The justification afforded by this section extends to the use of physical restraint as protective force provided that the actor takes all reasonable measures to terminate the restraint as soon as it is reasonable to do so.
4.An armed nuclear security guard may use the following levels of

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Legislative History

(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 2007 S.B. 62 & 41, A.L. 2018 H.B. 1797)

Nearby Sections

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Bluebook (online)
Missouri § 563.041, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/mo/563.041.