Title XXXVIII, CRIMES AND PUNISHMENT; PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS

578.012. Animal abuse — penalties. — 1. A person commits the offense of animal abuse if he or she: (1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed by or expressly exempted from the provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 and 273.030; (2) Purposely or in…

578.013. Recordings of farm animals alleged to be abused or neglected, submission to law enforcement required — violation, penalty. — 1. Whenever any farm animal professional videotapes or otherwise makes a digital recording of what he or she believes to depict a farm animal subj…

578.014. Responsibility of parent or guardian of minor owning. — The parent or guardian of a minor child is responsible for the adequate care of any animal owned by, in the control of, or harbored by that minor child. ­­-------- (L. 1983 S.B. 211 § 5)

578.016. Impoundment of animal found off property of owner or custodian, disposition, procedure — liability of owner or custodian for costs — lien — rights of owner or custodian. — 1. Any duly authorized public health official, law enforcement official, or animal control officer …

578.018. Warrant for entry on private property to inspect — impoundment of animals, disposition. — 1. Any duly authorized public health official or law enforcement official may seek a warrant from the appropriate court to enable him or her to enter private property in order to in…

578.021. Neglected or abused animal not to be returned to owner or custodian, when. — If a person is found guilty of the offense of animal neglect or animal abuse and the court having jurisdiction is satisfied that an animal owned or controlled by such person would in the future …

578.022. Law enforcement dogs, exempt from certain laws, when. — Any dog that is owned, or the service of which is employed, by a law enforcement agency and that bites or injures another animal or human in the course of their official duties is exempt from the provisions of secti…

578.023. Keeping a dangerous wild animal — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of keeping a dangerous wild animal if he or she keeps any lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, Canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, bear, nonhuman prima…

578.024. Keeping a dangerous dog — penalties. — 1. A person commits the offense of keeping a dangerous dog if he or she owns or possesses a dog that has previously bitten a person or a domestic animal without provocation and that dog bites any person on a subsequent occasion. 2. …

578.025. Dogfighting — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of dogfighting if he or she: (1) Owns, possesses, keeps, or trains any dog, with the intent that such dog shall be engaged in an exhibition of fighting with another dog; (2) For amusement or gain, causes any dog to…

578.026. Spectating dog fighting — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of spectating dogfighting if he or she is knowingly present, as a spectator, at any place, building, or structure where preparations are being made for an exhibition of the fighting of dogs, with the in…

578.027. Causing a dog to pursue a live animal propelled by a device — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of causing a dog to pursue a live animal propelled by a device if he or she ties or attaches or fastens any live animal to any machine or device propelled by any powe…

578.028. Unlawful removal of an electronic dog collar or radio transmitting device — penalty — restitution. — 1. A person commits the offense of unlawful removal of an electronic dog collar or radio transmitting device if he or she removes an electronic or radio transmitting coll…

578.029. Knowingly releasing an animal — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of knowingly releasing an animal if he or she, acting without the consent of the owner or custodian of an animal, intentionally releases any animal that is lawfully confined for the purpose of com…

578.030. State highway patrol and other law enforcement officers, powers and duties to enforce animal protection. — 1. The provisions of section 43.200 notwithstanding, any member of the state highway patrol or other law enforcement officer may apply for and serve a search warran…

578.050. Bullbaiting and cockfighting — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of bullbaiting or cockfighting if he or she: (1) Keeps, uses, or in any way is connected with or interested in the management of, or receives money for the admission of any person to, any place kep…

578.095. Desecration of flags — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of desecrating a flag if he or she purposefully and publicly mutilates, defaces, defiles, tramples upon or otherwise desecrates the national flag of the United States or the state flag of the state of Miss…

578.100. Selling goods on Sunday, penalty — certain counties may be exempted from prohibition — procedure — duty of revisor of statutes. — 1. Whoever engages on Sunday in the business of selling or sells or offers for sale on such day, at retail, motor vehicles; clothing and wear…

578.105. Additional counties may be exempted from provisions of section 578.100, procedure. — If any county of the first class having a charter form of government containing the major portion of a city of over four hundred fifty thousand inhabitants exempts itself from the applic…

578.106. City of St. Louis, certain areas, may be exempt from Sunday sales law, procedure — exception — limitation. — 1. The governing body of any city not within a county may, by ordinance, exempt areas of the city located within two thousand five hundred yards of a convention c…

578.110. Counties may be exempted from provisions of section 578.100, procedure. — 1. As used in this section, the term "area" includes all cities not within a county, all first class counties having a charter form of government and adjoining such cities not within a county and a…

578.115. No penalty, when. — No person may be denied employment or advancement in employment because of his or her refusal to work on his or her normal day of worship. ­­-------- (L. 1979 H.B. 56 § 2)

578.120. Sale of motor vehicles on Sunday prohibited, exceptions — encouragement by certain associations to remain closed on Sundays not a violation of antitrust laws — violations, penalty. — 1. Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary, no dealer, distributor…

578.151. Interference with lawful hunting, fishing or trapping in the first degree — penalty. — 1. It is the intent of the general assembly of the state of Missouri to recognize that all persons shall have the right to hunt, fish and trap in this state in accordance with law and …

578.152. Interference with lawful hunting, fishing or trapping in the second degree — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of interference with hunting, fishing, or trapping in the second degree if he or she enters or remains in a hunting, fishing or trapping area where law…

578.153. Peace officer's and conservation agent's powers to enforce — failure to obey peace officer or conservation agent, penalty. — 1. A peace officer as defined by chapter 590 who reasonably believes that a person has violated section 578.151 or 578.152 may order the person to…

578.156. Interference with the transportation of livestock, offense of — penalties. — 1. A person commits the offense of interference with the transportation of livestock if the person knowingly does any of the following: (1) Stops, hinders, impedes, boards, obstructs, or otherwi…

578.170. Definitions. — Definitions. As used in sections 578.170 to 578.188, the following terms mean: (1) "Animal," every living vertebrate except a human being; (2) "Baiting," to attack, provoke, or harass an animal with one or more animals for the purpose of training an animal…

578.173. Baiting or fighting animals — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of baiting or fighting animals if he or she: (1) Baits or fights animals; (2) Permits baiting or animal fighting to be done on any premises under his or her charge or control; (3) Promotes, conducts…

578.176. Bear wrestling — penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of bear wrestling if he or she: (1) Wrestles a bear; (2) Permits bear wrestling to be done on any premises under his or her charge or control; (3) Promotes, conducts, or stages bear wrestling; (4) Advertises bea…

578.179. Seizure and disposition of animals. — Procedure. — Whenever an indictment is returned or a complaint is filed alleging a violation of section 578.173 or 578.176 and, in the case of a complaint, a magistrate finds probable cause that a violation has occurred, the court sh…

578.182. Exemptions. — Exemptions. — 1. The provisions of sections 578.173 and 578.176 shall not apply to: (1) Any person simulating a fight for the purpose of using the simulated fight as part of a motion picture production or a motion picture production for television, provided…

578.185. Injunction. — Injunction. — A court of competent jurisdiction may enjoin a person from a continuing violation of section 578.173 or 578.176. ­­-------- (Adopted by Initiative, Proposition A, § F, November 3, 1998)

578.188. Severability. — Severability. — The provisions of sections 578.170, 578.173, 578.176, 578.179, 578.182, and 578.185 are hereby declared to be severable. If any of these provisions, or the application of any of these provisions to any person or circumstance, is declared i…

578.350. Medical deception — penalty — immunity, when. — 1. A person licensed under chapter 334 or 335 who treats a person for a wound inflicted by gunshot commits the infraction of medical deception if he or she knowingly fails to immediately report to a local law enforcement of…

578.365. Hazing — consent not a defense — penalties — defenses, immunity from prosecution. — 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as "Danny's Law". 2. A person commits the offense of hazing if he or she knowingly, actively, and not under duress participates in, solicit…

578.398. Sports bribery, first degree, penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of sports bribery in the first degree if he or she gives, promises or offers any benefit to any participant or prospective participant in any sport or game with the purpose to influence him or her t…

578.399. Sports bribery, second degree, penalty. — 1. A person commits the offense of sports bribery in the second degree if he or she, being a participant or prospective participant in any sport or game, accepts, attempts to obtain, or solicits any benefit in exchange for losing…

578.405. Prohibited acts against animal research and production facilities — definitions — penalties. — 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as "The Animal Research and Production Facilities Protection Act". 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: (1) "An…

578.421. Citation of law — definitions. — 1. Sections 578.421 to 578.437 shall be known and may be cited as the "Missouri Criminal Street Gangs Prevention Act". 2. As used in sections 578.421 to 578.437, the following terms mean: (1) "Criminal street gang", any ongoing organizati…

578.423. Participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, penalty. — Any person who actively participates in any criminal street gang with knowledge that its members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal street gang activity, and who willfully promotes, fu…

578.425. Felony committed to promote or assist criminal conduct by gang members, punishment in addition to regular sentences. — Any person who is convicted of a felony which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, any criminal street gang, wi…

578.427. Labor union activities and other employee activities, exempt — local governments may adopt laws consistent with and alternative to. — 1. Sections 578.421 to 578.437 shall not apply to employees engaged in concerted activities for their mutual aid and protection, or the a…

578.430. Buildings, rooms and structures used for criminal street gangs' activities deemed public nuisances — owner knowing of gang use, court may order no occupancy up to one year — penalty. — 1. Any room, building, structure or inhabitable structure as defined in section 556.06…

578.435. Weapon defined — weapons owned or in possession of gang members may be confiscated — weapon deemed a nuisance and destroyed by court order, when. — 1. As used in this section and section 578.437, the term "weapon" means any firearm, concealable firearm, blackjack, explos…

578.437. Weapon not to be declared a nuisance unless notice given to lawful owner, procedure — burden of proof on state that return of weapon would endanger lives. — No weapon shall be declared a nuisance pursuant to section 578.435 and this section unless reasonable notice has b…