Missouri’s Stand Your Ground law removes the previous duty to retreat when facing an imminent threat of deadly force or serious bodily harm, allowing individuals to lawfully use deadly force in self-defense without attempting to escape if they are in a place they have a right to be, including their home, vehicle, or any other lawful location. This law is codified in Missouri Revised Statutes § 563.031 and effectively expands the traditional castle doctrine beyond the home to include public and private properties where the person is lawfully present.
Under this law, a person may use deadly force if they reasonably believe such force is necessary to defend themselves or another innocent party from imminent deadly force or serious injury. However, the protection does not extend to those who are the initial aggressors or provoke the confrontation intentionally. The Stand Your Ground defense is an affirmative defense, meaning the defendant acknowledges the act but seeks to justify it under self-defense law. Raising this defense involves strict procedural requirements and often requires skilled legal counsel, as prosecutors may challenge the validity of the claim even in cases involving fatalities.
Missouri law also provides immunity from criminal prosecution and civil liability for those using force in self-defense, unless there is probable cause that the force was unlawful or used against law enforcement. Recent legislative proposals aim to expand this immunity further, but as of mid-2025, no such expansions have become law.
The Stand Your Ground law has been controversial, with critics associating it with increased gun violence and racial disparities in its application. It essentially authorizes individuals to respond with deadly force first rather than retreating safely when threatened, which some argue emboldens dangerous confrontations.
In brief, Missouri’s Stand Your Ground law means that people lawfully present in a location can use deadly force without retreating if they reasonably fear for their life or safety, but they must not be the initial aggressor, and claims of self-defense must meet strict evidentiary standards in court.
Sources
[1] https://www.superlawyers.com/resources/criminal-defense/missouri/what-stand-your-ground-laws-mean-in-missouri/
[2] https://www.missourinet.com/2025/03/25/missouri-bill-proposes-to-expand-stand-your-ground-law/
[3] https://www.findlaw.com/state/missouri-law/missouri-self-defense-laws.html
[4] https://www.everytown.org/press/another-missouri-session-wraps-without-the-state-taking-any-substantive-action-on-the-gun-violence/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law
