Missouri Peace Disturbance and Trespass Laws: Penalties (2026)

Missouri's criminal code has no general offense named disorderly conduct. Its counterpart is peace disturbance under RSMo 574.010, a class B misdemeanor on a first conviction (up to 6 months and a fine of up to $1,000) and a class A misdemeanor on a second or later conviction, with a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 on a third or later conviction.

Trespass in the first degree (569.140) is a class B misdemeanor in most cases, while trespass in the second degree (569.150) is only an infraction with a fine of up to $400. First-degree trespass becomes a class E felony only at a nuclear power plant. For other states, see our guide to disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-18. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Missouri's state criminal statutes on peace disturbance and related public-order offenses (RSMo chapter 574 and section 577.712), trespass and related entry offenses (RSMo chapter 569 and section 389.653), and the misdemeanor sentencing sections in chapters 557 and 558. It does not cover local noise ordinances and quiet hours (see Missouri noise laws), the civil procedure for removing squatters (see Missouri squatters' rights), use of force against an intruder (see Missouri self-defense laws), civil trespass suits, city or county ordinances, or federal property rules. Federal law separately governs federal property and the U.S. Capitol; our disorderly conduct and trespass hub covers that layer.

What is peace disturbance in Missouri?

Under RSMo 574.010.1, a person commits peace disturbance if he or she:

1. "Unreasonably and knowingly disturbs or alarms another person or persons by":
   • "Loud noise";
   • "Offensive language addressed in a face-to-face manner to a specific individual and uttered under circumstances which are likely to produce an immediate violent response from a reasonable recipient";
   • "Threatening to commit a felonious act against any person under circumstances which are likely to cause a reasonable person to fear that such threat may be carried out";
   • "Fighting"; or
   • "Creating a noxious and offensive odor"; or
2. "Is in a public place or on private property of another without consent and purposely causes inconvenience to another person or persons by unreasonably and physically obstructing" vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or "The free ingress or egress to or from a public or private place."

The mental states differ by subdivision. The first group requires that the person act unreasonably and knowingly; the obstruction clause requires that the person purposely cause inconvenience by unreasonably and physically obstructing. The language clause is limited to words addressed face to face to a specific individual under circumstances likely to produce an immediate violent response from a reasonable recipient.

The loud-noise clause is one line of the statute. Quiet hours and decibel limits are mostly local; our Missouri noise laws page covers them. Where a fight causes injury, the assault statutes may also apply; see Missouri assault laws.

Section 574.005 defines the places for chapter 574. A "public place" is "any place which at the time of the offense is open to the public," whether publicly or privately owned, and "private property" is "any place which at the time of the offense is not open to the public."

Penalty and repeat convictions

Section 574.010.2 sets a ladder:

• First conviction: class B misdemeanor, a term not to exceed six months (558.011.1(7)) and a fine of up to $1,000 (558.002.1(3)).
• Second or later conviction: class A misdemeanor, a term not to exceed one year (558.011.1(6)) and a fine of up to $2,000 (558.002.1(2)).
• Third or later conviction: "a person shall be sentenced to pay a fine of no less than one thousand dollars and no more than five thousand dollars."

Peace disturbance has no felony form.

Private peace disturbance

Section 574.020 covers conduct on private property. A person commits private peace disturbance if he or she "is on private property and unreasonably and purposely causes alarm to another person or persons on the same premises by" threatening to commit an offense against any person, or fighting. If a building is divided into separately occupied units, each unit is a separate premises. It is a class C misdemeanor: a term not to exceed 15 days (558.011.1(8)) and a fine of up to $750 (558.002.1(4)).

Other public-order offenses in Missouri

Among the other offenses in chapter 574 are the following.

Disrupting a house of worship (574.035). This covers intentionally and unreasonably disturbing, interrupting or disquieting a house of worship "by using profane discourse, rude or indecent behavior, or making noise either within the house of worship or so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the worship services," and intentionally injuring, intimidating or interfering with a person exercising religious freedom or seeking access to a house of worship, by force, threat or physical obstruction. It is a class B misdemeanor, a class A misdemeanor for a second offense, and a class E felony for a third or later offense. In Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests v. Joyce, 779 F.3d 785 (8th Cir. 2015), the federal Eighth Circuit held that the section's ban on disturbing worship "by using profane discourse, rude or indecent behavior" is content based and violates the First Amendment; the plaintiffs did not challenge the "making noise" clause. The words remain in the printed statute.

Unlawful funeral protest (574.160). Picketing or engaging in other protest activities "within three hundred feet of any residence, cemetery, funeral home, church, synagogue, or other establishment during or within one hour before or one hour after the conducting of any actual funeral or burial service at that place." Class B misdemeanor; class A misdemeanor for a person previously found guilty under the section.

Unlawful assembly (574.040). Knowingly assembling "with six or more other persons" and agreeing with them "to violate any of the criminal laws of this state or of the United States with force or violence." Class B misdemeanor.

Refusal to disperse (574.060). Being present at the scene of an unlawful assembly or a riot and knowingly failing or refusing to obey a law enforcement officer's lawful command to depart. Class C misdemeanor. Chapter 574 contains no separate riot offense section.

Promoting civil disorder (574.070). Teaching or demonstrating the use or construction of a firearm, explosive or incendiary device capable of causing injury or death, "knowing or intending" that it be used in furtherance of a civil disorder (a violent public disturbance by three or more persons). Class D felony: up to 7 years (558.011.1(4)) and a fine of up to $10,000 (558.002.1(1)).

Drunkenness or drinking in a prohibited place (574.075). Entering "any schoolhouse or church house in which there is an assemblage of people, met for a lawful purpose, or any courthouse, in an intoxicated and disorderly condition," or drinking or offering to drink intoxicating liquor in the presence of that assembly or in a courthouse. Class B misdemeanor. Chapter 574 contains no general public-intoxication offense; this section is the chapter's only intoxication crime.

False reports, bomb threats and terrorist threats. Knowingly making a false report to a law enforcement officer that an offense has occurred or is about to occur, or a false report of a fire or other emergency to police, a fire department or another emergency organization, is making a false report (575.080), a class B misdemeanor; the statute provides that it is a defense that the person retracted the report before anyone took substantial action in reliance on it. Knowingly making a false report that a bomb or other explosive has been placed in a public or private place or vehicle is making a false bomb report (575.090), a class E felony. Making a terrorist threat covers knowingly threatening an incident or condition involving danger to life, communicating a false report of one, or causing a false belief that one exists. It is a class D felony when done with the purpose of frightening ten or more people or causing the evacuation, quarantine or closure of any part of a building, inhabitable structure, place of assembly or transportation facility (574.115), a class E felony when done in reckless disregard of that risk (574.120), and a class A misdemeanor when done with criminal negligence as to it (574.125). None of the three terrorist-threat sections applies to a person acting in good faith with the purpose to prevent harm.

Interference with a health care facility (574.203). Willfully or recklessly interfering with a hospital or its employees by causing a peace disturbance inside, refusing an employee's order to vacate, or threatening injury to patients or employees or damage to the hospital's property. The section excludes people seeking mental health, psychiatric or psychological care and people who are developmentally disabled. It is a class D misdemeanor for a first offense (fine of up to $500 under 558.002.1(5)) and a class C misdemeanor for a second or later offense.

Interference with a first responder (574.207). Added by 2025 HB 225, effective August 28, 2025. After receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a first responder engaged in a lawful duty, a person commits the offense by knowingly and willfully approaching within 20 feet with intent to impede the responder's duty, threaten physical harm, or engage in a course of conduct directed at the responder that serves no legitimate purpose. It is a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class A misdemeanor for a second or later offense. The section "shall have no impact on an individual's first amendment rights, and shall not restrict the ability to observe or record first responders."

Disorderly conduct at a bus terminal (577.712). The one place Missouri's statutes use the label disorderly conduct is section 577.712: when a person in a bus terminal fails to comply with a company representative's request or to state an acceptable business purpose, the representative may ask the person to leave, and "Refusal to comply with such request shall constitute disorderly conduct. Disorderly conduct shall be a class C misdemeanor."

Camping on state land. Section 67.2300.5 would have made unauthorized sleeping or camping on state-owned land a class C misdemeanor after a warning. The Revisor's note to the section states that it was declared unconstitutional in Byrd v. State (Mo. banc 2023) as part of 2022 H.B. 1606, which was held to violate the single-subject rule of the Missouri Constitution and declared invalid in its entirety.

Trespass in Missouri

Missouri has two numbered degrees of trespass plus several special trespass offenses.

Trespass in the first degree

Under RSMo 569.140.1, a person commits trespass in the first degree "if he or she knowingly enters unlawfully or knowingly remains unlawfully in a building or inhabitable structure or upon real property."

For land, the statute adds a notice condition. Under 569.140.2, a person "does not commit the offense of trespass in the first degree by entering or remaining upon real property unless the real property is fenced or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders or as to which notice against trespass is given by: (1) Actual communication to the actor; or (2) Posting in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders." That notice condition applies to real property; the building and inhabitable structure branch has no such condition.

Grading under 569.140.3:

• Class B misdemeanor in its ordinary form: up to 6 months and up to $1,000.
• Class A misdemeanor if the victim is intentionally targeted as a law enforcement officer, or targeted because he or she is a relative within the second degree of a law enforcement officer: up to 1 year and up to $2,000.
• Class E felony "If the building or real property is part of a nuclear power plant": up to 4 years (558.011.1(5)) and a fine of up to $10,000 (558.002.1(1)).

Being told to leave

Section 569.010(2), which applies throughout chapter 569, defines "enter unlawfully or remain unlawfully" as entering or remaining "when he or she is not licensed or privileged to do so." It continues: "A person who, regardless of his or her purpose, enters or remains in or upon premises which are at the time open to the public does so with license and privilege unless he or she defies a lawful order not to enter or remain, personally communicated to him or her by the owner of such premises or by other authorized person." A license to be in a building that is only partly open to the public does not extend to the part that is not open to the public.

At a campground or RV park, a person who stays after the owner asks him or her to leave for a reason listed in 419.090.3 (not a registered guest or visitor, staying past the agreed departure, unpaid fees, causing a disturbance, or violating the law) is guilty of trespass in the first degree under 569.140 (419.090.4). The section does not apply to Missouri state parks.

Trespass in the second degree

Section 569.150 provides: "A person commits trespass in the second degree if he or she enters unlawfully upon real property of another. This is an offense of absolute liability." It "is an infraction." Infractions are not further classified (557.016.3), and the fine ceiling for an infraction is $400 (558.002.1(6)).

Purple paint and posting

Section 569.145 lets an owner or lessee post land "by placing identifying purple marks on trees or posts around the area to be posted." Each purple mark must be either:

"(1) A vertical line of at least eight inches in length and the bottom of the mark shall be no less than three feet nor more than five feet high. Such marks shall be placed no more than one hundred feet apart and shall be readily visible to any person approaching the property; or (2) A post capped or otherwise marked on at least its top two inches. The bottom of the cap or mark shall be not less than three feet but not more than five feet six inches high. Posts so marked shall be placed not more than thirty-six feet apart and shall be readily visible to any person approaching the property." (RSMo 569.145)

Before a mark visible from both sides of a fence shared by different owners or lessees is applied, all of them must agree to post their property. The section concludes: "Posting in such a manner shall be found to be reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders for the purposes of section 569.140."

The wildlife statutes in RSMo chapter 252 and the Wildlife Code's hunting chapter, 3 CSR 10-7, contain no separate posted-land or hunting-trespass offense.

Squatting: criminal mischief

The 2024 squatting law, HB 2062 (approved by the Governor on July 12, 2024), created RSMo 569.200, effective August 28, 2024: "A person commits the offense of criminal mischief if he or she unlawfully detains, occupies, or trespasses upon a residential dwelling." It is a class A misdemeanor: up to 1 year and up to $2,000. The same act created a civil removal procedure, and under 534.604.3, "A violation of the terms and conditions of an ex parte order under section 534.602 shall be a class A misdemeanor." The removal procedure itself is covered on our Missouri squatters' rights page.

Special trespass offenses

Trespass on a critical infrastructure facility (569.086). A person commits this offense "if he or she purposely trespasses or enters property containing a critical infrastructure facility without the permission of the owner of the property or lawful occupant thereof." It is a class B misdemeanor. Covered facilities include refineries, critical electric infrastructure, water and wastewater facilities, telecommunications facilities including cell towers and fiber lines, ports, railroad switching yards and tracks, gas plants, dams, grain mills, broadband networks, and aboveground pipelines that are fenced or marked with signs. The section does not apply to conduct protected by the U.S. or Missouri Constitution or by state or federal law. 2026 SB 903 and SB 1421 amended the section, effective August 28, 2026, removing from it the class A misdemeanor for trespass with intent to damage, tamper with or impede a facility and the class D felony for damaging one; damage is now covered by 569.117.

Damage of a critical infrastructure facility (569.117). Section 569.117 was created by 2026 SB 903 and SB 1421, effective August 28, 2026. Purposely damaging, destroying or tampering with facility equipment is a class D felony. Recklessly damaging, destroying or tampering with a facility, or removing a component, is a class A misdemeanor if the damage is under $750, a class E felony from $750 to under $25,000, and a class D felony at $25,000 or more. Damage that interrupts, impairs or degrades service is a class C felony regardless of value. A person convicted must make restitution and perform community service of 100 hours for a first offense, 200 for a second and up to 300 for a third or later.

Trespass of a school bus (569.155). Knowingly and unlawfully entering any part of, or unlawfully operating, a school bus. Class A misdemeanor.

Prohibited acts involving crops (569.132). Among the prohibited acts is entering or remaining "on land on which a crop is located with the intent to commit an act prohibited by this section." It is a class A misdemeanor for each violation, rising to a class E felony at $750 of crop loss or damage, class D at $1,000, class C at $25,000 and class B at $75,000.

Trespass to railroad property (389.653). Despite its name, this offense covers throwing an object at a train or rail-mounted work equipment, or maliciously or wantonly causing a derailment. It is a class A misdemeanor, or a class E felony if it causes more than $1,500 in damage, injures or kills a person, or involves discharging a firearm or weapon at a train or work equipment. Railroad switching yards and tracks are also critical infrastructure facilities under 569.086.

The burglary line

Burglary in the second degree (569.170) is knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully "in a building or inhabitable structure for the purpose of committing a crime therein." It is a class D felony. Since August 28, 2025 (2025 SB 71), the section also covers entering a motor vehicle with intent to commit a felony or stealing (class D felony, or class C if the person had a firearm or stole one from the vehicle) and entering a restricted area of a business to commit a crime, where the area is reserved for staff and holds money or property or is marked with signs forbidding entry; that form is a class B misdemeanor (class A on a second or later violation). The same act created 569.175: trying the doors of one vehicle after another to gain entry for the purpose of stealing is unlawfully gaining entry into motor vehicles, a class A misdemeanor. For how Missouri law treats force used against an intruder, see Missouri self-defense laws.

Missouri peace disturbance and trespass penalties at a glance

The misdemeanor jail terms come from RSMo 558.011.1 in its version in force until January 1, 2028: class A, a term not to exceed one year; class B, six months; class C, fifteen days. Fines come from RSMo 558.002.1: up to $10,000 for a class C, D or E felony, $2,000 for a class A misdemeanor, $1,000 for class B, $750 for class C, $500 for class D, and $400 for an infraction. Felony terms come from the same section: class B, 5 to 15 years; class C, 3 to 10 years; class D, up to 7 years; class E, up to 4 years (558.011.1(2)-(5)). For class D and E felonies the court may instead impose a special term of up to one year in the county jail (558.011.2). For the full class table, see Missouri felony classes and misdemeanor penalties.

Recent changes

• 2026 SB 903 and SB 1421, effective August 28, 2026, amended the facility list in 569.086 (trespass on a critical infrastructure facility), removed from 569.086 the class A misdemeanor for trespass with intent to damage or impede a facility and the class D felony for damaging one, and created 569.117 (damage of a critical infrastructure facility) with the grades described above.
• 2026 HB 2637 and HB 3155 amend the sentencing section 558.011 effective January 1, 2028, according to the Revisor's note; until then the 2021 version described above remains in effect. The 2028 version keeps the misdemeanor terms and felony ranges used on this page and adds minimum percentages of a felony sentence to be served before parole eligibility.
• 2025 HB 225 created interference with a first responder (574.207), effective August 28, 2025, and 2025 SB 71, effective the same day, added the motor-vehicle and restricted-business-area forms of second-degree burglary (569.170) and created unlawfully gaining entry into motor vehicles (569.175).
• 2024 HB 2062 created criminal mischief for unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling (569.200) and the ex parte removal order offense (534.604), effective August 28, 2024.

Related Missouri laws

• Disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state
• Missouri noise laws: peace disturbance, quiet hours, fines
• Missouri felony classes and misdemeanor penalties
• Missouri squatters' rights
• Missouri self-defense laws
• Missouri assault laws
• Missouri expungement laws

This article provides general legal information about Missouri statutes, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Missouri.

Last updated: 2026-10-18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is disorderly conduct a crime in Missouri?

Missouri's criminal code uses the name peace disturbance (RSMo 574.010) for this offense. The label disorderly conduct appears only in 577.712, which makes refusing a bus company's request to leave a terminal a class C misdemeanor.

Is peace disturbance a misdemeanor in Missouri?

Yes. A first conviction is a class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months and $1,000), a second or later conviction is a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $2,000), and a third or later conviction carries a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 (574.010.2).

Can swearing at someone be peace disturbance in Missouri?

Section 574.010.1(1)(b) covers offensive language addressed face to face to a specific individual under circumstances likely to produce an immediate violent response from a reasonable recipient, when it unreasonably and knowingly disturbs or alarms that person.

Is public intoxication illegal in Missouri?

Chapter 574 has no general public-intoxication offense. Section 574.075 makes it a class B misdemeanor to enter a school or church assembly or a courthouse in an intoxicated and disorderly condition, or to drink liquor there.

What are the degrees of trespass in Missouri?

Trespass in the first degree (569.140) is knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully in a building or inhabitable structure, or on land that is fenced or noticed, and is usually a class B misdemeanor. Trespass in the second degree (569.150) is entering unlawfully on another's real property, an infraction with a fine of up to $400.

Is trespassing a felony in Missouri?

First-degree trespass is a class E felony only when the building or real property is part of a nuclear power plant (569.140.3). Trespass on a critical infrastructure facility is a class B misdemeanor, while damaging such a facility (569.117, since August 28, 2026) can be a felony, and second-degree burglary of a building is a class D felony.

Does Missouri have a purple paint law?

Yes. Under RSMo 569.145, an owner or lessee may post land with purple vertical marks at least 8 inches long, 3 to 5 feet high and no more than 100 feet apart, or with posts whose top two inches are purple, 3 feet to 5 feet 6 inches high and no more than 36 feet apart.

Do I need a no trespassing sign in Missouri?

For land, first-degree trespass requires that the property be fenced or enclosed to exclude intruders, or that notice be given by actual communication or by posting reasonably likely to come to intruders' attention (569.140.2). Second-degree trespass, entering unlawfully upon real property of another, is a separate absolute-liability infraction (569.150).

What happens if a store tells you to leave in Missouri?

Under 569.010(2), a person in a place open to the public is there with license unless they defy a lawful order not to enter or remain, personally communicated by the owner or another authorized person. Knowingly remaining unlawfully in a building is trespass in the first degree, a class B misdemeanor in its ordinary form.

Is squatting a crime in Missouri?

Since August 28, 2024, unlawfully detaining, occupying or trespassing upon a residential dwelling is criminal mischief under RSMo 569.200, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year and a fine of up to $2,000.