565.153. Parental kidnapping — penalty.
It’s illegal for a parent to take or hide their child to keep them from the other parent.
This law says a parent can be charged with a crime if they take or keep their child without good reason and try to keep the other parent or a public agency from their custody rights—especially when there’s no court order in place.
1. A person with custody rights commits parental kidnapping if they take, hide, or keep the child (in or out of Missouri) without good cause and with the intent to block another legal custodian or agency’s rights.
2. Punishment depends on how long the child is kept away:
- Class E felony if under 60 days.
- Class D felony if between 60 and 119 days.
- Class B felony if 120 days or more.
3. Getting a custody order later doesn’t change whether the law was broken at the time of the taking.
4. If found guilty, the court can also order the person to pay for the costs of locating and returning the child.
Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Missouri criminal defense lawyer.
