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Rent Regulations

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.800

Criminal prosecution unnecessary for certain eviction proceedings to begin — drug-related criminal conviction, effect on certain eviction proceedings

In Force
Verified 10/14/2026 · Next check 10/21/2026
effective 10/14/2026MissouriEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.800
1. A civil action brought pursuant to sections 441.710 to 441.880 shall not be precluded even though a criminal prosecution involving the drug-related activity has not been commenced, will not be commenced, has not been concluded or has been concluded without a judgment of conviction.

2. If a criminal prosecution involving the drug-related criminal activity results in a criminal conviction the conviction shall collaterally estop the convicted defendant from challenging the essential allegations of the criminal offense in any subsequent civil proceeding brought pursuant to sections 441.710 to 441.880.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Missouri Revised Statutes § 441.800 establishes that a civil eviction action based on drug-related activity can proceed independently of any criminal case. A landlord does not need to wait for a criminal prosecution to begin, conclude, or result in a conviction before filing a civil action under the state's drug-related eviction statutes. Additionally, if a criminal conviction does result from the same drug-related conduct, that conviction prevents the convicted party from re-litigating the core facts of the offense in the subsequent civil eviction proceeding.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.800, property owners and managers pursuing drug-related evictions through the civil process established in sections 441.710 to 441.880 are not required to coordinate their timeline with any criminal prosecution. Compliant operators generally document the drug-related activity independently and proceed with the civil action on its own merits, regardless of whether criminal charges are pending, dropped, or unresolved. When a criminal conviction has been obtained, operators are generally aware that the conviction carries collateral estoppel effect, meaning the convicted party cannot contest the underlying facts of the offense in the civil proceeding.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.800 means that a tenant facing a civil eviction action under sections 441.710 to 441.880 cannot rely on the absence of a criminal prosecution—or its outcome—as a complete defense to the civil case. Tenants should be aware that if a criminal conviction has been entered for the drug-related conduct at issue, that conviction may limit the factual arguments available in the civil eviction proceeding through the doctrine of collateral estoppel. Tenants in this situation may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand what defenses remain available in the civil action.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 14, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.130
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.250
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.290
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.510
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.590
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.630
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.640
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.530
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.770
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.830
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.820
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

Source:https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=441.800
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