MISSOURI, USA — With the new year comes a few changes to Missouri law, including a minimum wage increase passed by voters on the Nov. 5 ballot and stricter enforcement of the state's hands free law.
Here's a closer look at some of the legislative changes that take effect on Jan. 1 in the Show Me State.
Minimum wage increase, paid sick leave
Passed by a majority of Missouri voters in November, Proposition A raises the minimum wage for all private and non-exempt businesses from $12.30 to $13.75 in 2025, according to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Employers are required to pay tipped employees at least 50% of the minimum wage, $6.875 per hour, plus any amount necessary to bring the employee's total pay to a minimum of $13.25 per hour.
Employers in the retail or service business who gross less than $500,000 a year are not required to pay the state minimum wage, according to the labor department.
Proposition A also requires all employers to provide an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
Hands Free Law enforcement
Beginning Jan. 1, law enforcement will issue citations to drivers who violate the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law by using phones, computers or other devices while behind the wheel. Previously, police could only issue a warning for noncommercial drivers that violated the law.
For first conviction within the last 24 months under the Hands Free Law, drivers could face up to a $150 fine. For a second violation, they could face up to a $250 fine, and after two or more violations, they could face up to a $500 fine. For violations that occur in a school zone or a work zone with workers present, the driver could face up to a $500 fine and, in the event of a crash:
- A Class D misdemeanor if the damage to property exceeds $5,000.
- A Class B misdemeanor if it causes serious physical injury to another person.
- A Class D felony if it results in the death of another person.
- Commercial driver's license disqualification if a commercial vehicle was used.
Criminal justice reform
Effective Jan. 1, Missouri's updated expungement law allows individuals to apply for multiple expungements, treating crimes from the same course of conduct as one unit. Limits on the number of crimes a person can expunge in their lifetime increase to two felonies and three misdemeanors or ordinance violations, and there is no cap on infractions. Waiting periods shorten to three years after completing a felony sentence; one year for misdemeanors, municipal violations, and infractions; and 18 months for arrests without charges, provided no other convictions occur during that time.
