This section defines terms used in sections 43.400 to 43.410, including “missing child,” “missing child report,” “missing person,” “patrol,” and “registrar.”
43.400. Definitions. — As used in sections 43.400 to 43.410, the following terms mean: (1) "Missing child" or "missing juvenile", any person who is under the age of eighteen years or who is in foster care regardless of the person's age or who is an emancipated minor as defined in section 302.178, a homeless youth as defined in section 167.020, or an unaccompanied minor as defined in section 210.121, whose temporary or permanent residence is in the state of Missouri or who is believed to be within the state of Missouri, whose location has not been determined, and who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement agency; (2) "Missing child report", a report prepared on a standard form supplied by the Missouri state highway patrol for the use by private citizens and law enforcement agencies to report missing children or missing juvenile information to the Missouri state highway patrol; (3) "Missing person", a person who is missing and meets one of the following characteristics: (a) Is physically or mentally disabled to the degree that the person is dependent upon an agency or another individual; (b) Is missing under circumstances indicating that the missing person's safety may be in danger; (c) Is missing under involuntary or unknown circumstances; subject to the provisions of (a), (b), (d), (e), and (f) of this subsection; (d) Is a child or juvenile runaway from the residence of a parent, legal guardian, or custodian; (e) Is a child and is missing under circumstances indicating that the person was or is in the presence of or under the control of a party whose presence or control was or is in violation of a permanent or temporary court order and fourteen or more days have elapsed, during which time the party has failed to file any pleading with the court seeking modification of the permanent or temporary court order; (f) Is missing under circumstances indicating that the person was or is in the presence of or under the control of a party whose presence or control was or is in violation of a permanent or temporary court order and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person may be taken outside of the United States; (4) "Patrol", the Missouri state highway patrol; (5) "Registrar", the state registrar of vital statistics. (L. 1985 H.B. 366, et al. § 5, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1272, et al., A.L. 2003 S.B. 30, A.L. 2023 S.B. 186)