October 7th, 2026 Local News
Jefferson City, Mo. (KFMO) - Several Missouri laws related to public safety took effect August 28, 2026. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has released a synopsis of the legislation, highlighting changes involving critical infrastructure, traffic and boating, and offenses against the person.
Critical infrastructure
The new laws address damage to critical infrastructure facilities and unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones.
Under the changes, a person can commit the offense of damaging a critical infrastructure facility either purposely or recklessly. The legislation also adds critical infrastructure facilities to the list of locations where UAS overflights are prohibited under 400 feet. The capacity threshold for an “open air facility” is reduced to 500 people.
Traffic and boating changes
The legislation permits MoDOT to increase speed limits to 75 miles per hour on all rural interstates. MoDOT must conduct a study before taking action, and any changes will occur at a later date.
School bus safety provisions include five license points for violations of Section 304.050. If a person causes serious physical injury or death, the violation will be classified as a Class D felony. The law also includes new fine and license suspension provisions for repeat offenders.
The changes also classify driving with criminal negligence in a manner that causes another person's death as a Class A felony.
Bentley and Mason's Law addresses child maintenance when a person is convicted under certain impaired-driving statutes and the criminal act causes the death of a parent. Child maintenance is due until the child reaches the applicable age or other conditions outlined in the law.
Mason's Law allows individuals to register with the Missouri Department of Revenue if they or a family member have a condition that could affect their ability to cooperate with law enforcement. That provision takes effect January 1, 2027.
Those born on or after January 1, 2006, will need a boating safety identification card to operate a boat on Missouri waters.
RJ's Law creates an alert system for missing individuals with certain disabilities affecting mental cognition. The system will go into effect on or before July 1, 2027.
Harassment, stalking and other criminal offenses
Several changes address harassment, stalking and digital abuse.
The new harassment provisions add levels of severity to convictions involving prior offenses. The first- and second-degree stalking laws receive large-scale rewrites that include technological abuse. The new cyberharassment offense addresses threatening, aggressive or fear-inducing conduct using digital technology.
The cyberstalking offense addresses conduct using digital technology to intimidate, track, follow or cause reasonable fear, alarm, anxiety, stress or terror. Cyberstalking is also added as an offense qualifying for a full order of protection.
The legislation creates offenses involving the disclosure of intimate digital depictions and sadistic online exploitation. It also reduces the age of a “child” under the endangering the welfare of a child statute to any person under 18 years old.
Gift card fraud is now an offense involving knowingly altering or tampering with a gift card or its packaging, or using deceit to obtain a gift card or redemption information.
The Highway Patrol says the synopsis is intended to make the public aware of some of the new legislation related to crime and public safety. For complete descriptions, visit the Missouri House of Representatives or Missouri Senate websites, or review the individual statutes linked in the original release.