Frequently Asked Questions

Missouri workers have many state and federal protections on the job, including rights to minimum wage and overtime pay, the right to organize with coworkers, a safe workplace, and protection from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. These are brief summaries; the worker toolkits provide more detail.

• Minimum wage: In 2026, Missouri's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour for employees covered by minimum-wage laws. Some exceptions apply.
• Overtime pay: Most employees must receive 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in one workweek. Eligibility rules and exceptions can vary, including for tipped workers.
• Tips: Tips belong to workers, not the employer, and total hourly earnings must still reach at least the minimum wage. Some tip pools are legal and others are not.
• Last paycheck: When a job ends, including after a firing, workers still have the right to receive their final paycheck on time. Missouri provides a written-demand process that may help workers obtain it quickly.
• Organizing: Employees may act together to demand better pay and safer working conditions. Employers may not retaliate against workers for protected organizing activity.
• Workers' compensation: A worker injured on the job may be entitled to employer-paid medical treatment from a provider chosen by the employer, wage-loss benefits, and other benefits. Report the injury to the employer in writing as soon as possible.
• A safe workplace: Workers have a federal right to a safe work environment and may raise safety concerns without unlawful retaliation.
• Freedom from discrimination and harassment: Employers may not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, pregnancy, or age. Deadlines for discrimination claims can be short, so act quickly.
• Protection from retaliation: State and federal laws protect many workers who speak up about their own rights or their coworkers' rights.

If you believe your employer is withholding wages, document your hours, pay stubs, schedules, and messages. You may demand the unpaid wages in writing, report the issue to the Department of Labor, or consider a small-claims case depending on the amount. Speak with an employment attorney if a large amount is owed or the same problem may affect a group of workers. The Last Paycheck and Minimum Wage and Overtime toolkits provide additional guidance.

A firing can be unfair without being illegal. Missouri generally follows at-will employment, meaning a nonunion employee can usually be fired at any time for almost any reason. However, an employer may not fire someone for an unlawful reason, such as reporting wage theft or a workplace injury, or because of race, sex, or another protected characteristic. Employers rarely state an illegal reason directly, so the surrounding facts matter. If the circumstances seem suspicious, speak with an employment attorney promptly; filing deadlines may be short.

Most hourly workers and some salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for each hour over 40 in a single workweek. Exceptions depend on factors such as job duties, pay, and the employer's annual revenue. If you are unsure whether you qualify, keep accurate records of your hours and pay, contact the Department of Labor, submit an intake request, or speak with an employment attorney.

If you were injured at work in Missouri, act quickly and keep records. The Injured at Work toolkit explains workers' compensation rights in more detail.

• Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible and no later than 30 days after the injury.
• Follow workplace rules about safety equipment and post-injury alcohol or drug testing.
• Ask your employer where to obtain medical care. The employer must pay for authorized treatment but generally chooses the provider.
• Keep detailed notes about medical appointments and everyone you speak with.
• Track all work time missed because of the injury.
• Speak with an attorney if you are not receiving the medical care or benefits you need, or if you have questions.

Missouri tenants have important rights. This summary is general information; individual cases may depend on the lease and specific facts.

• Livable conditions: A landlord must provide safe, sanitary, and livable housing, including working plumbing, reliable electricity and heat, secure exterior doors, ventilation, and protection from serious leaks or infestations.
• No retaliation: A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for reporting housing-code violations.
• No self-help eviction: A landlord may not remove a tenant or the tenant's belongings without a court order.
• Utilities: A landlord may not disconnect a tenant's utilities to force the tenant out.
• Security deposit: A landlord may not charge more than two months' rent as a deposit. The tenant must have an opportunity for a move-out walkthrough, and the landlord must return the deposit within 30 days or provide an explanation of lawful deductions.
• Privacy and respect: A landlord generally may not enter the home without permission or reasonable advance notice.
• Discrimination: A landlord may not deny housing or treat a tenant differently because of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or family status. Sexual harassment is prohibited.
• Fees: A landlord may charge only fees, including late fees, authorized by the lease.
• Truthful information: A landlord may not use deceptive statements about the home's condition to induce someone to move in.
• Sale of the property: A new owner must provide written contact information and proof of ownership before collecting rent.
• Do not simply withhold rent when a landlord violates your rights. Doing so can expose you to an eviction filing. Speak with an attorney first.

This information applies to Missouri. Tenant law varies by state, and eviction cases move quickly. Kansas City, Missouri residents have a right to free legal help through the city's Right to Counsel program and may apply by calling 816-474-5112, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Service: The lawsuit may be handed to you or another adult in your home, or posted visibly at the home. Contact an attorney immediately if you want to defend the case.
• Posted lawsuits: If the papers were only posted at the home and you do not appear, the landlord may obtain an eviction judgment but generally not a money judgment for past-due rent.
• Court appearance: If neither you nor your attorney appears, the landlord will usually receive a default judgment. An eviction judgment becomes public and can make future renting more difficult.
• Read the petition: It explains the landlord's allegations, the type of case, and the money requested. Seek legal help immediately if it is inaccurate or alleges an expedited eviction.
• Rent and possession: The landlord may seek eviction and past-due rent and fees. Paying the full amount claimed by the court date may require dismissal. Keep receipts and written proof, and still appear in court unless an attorney advises otherwise.
• Defenses and counterclaims: You may challenge unauthorized fees or an incorrect balance. Serious landlord violations, such as unsafe conditions or utility shutoffs, may support a counterclaim. Consult an attorney.
• Unlawful detainer: This type of case may allege that the tenant stayed after the tenancy ended or violated the lease. Written notice rules apply. The landlord may seek eviction, rent, damages, and sometimes double rent. Most counterclaims cannot be brought in this type of case, but notice, amount, and alleged lease violations can be disputed.

Missouri landlords must maintain safe, sanitary, and livable rental housing and make repairs required by the lease. Serious issues can include no heat, a broken toilet not caused by the tenant, mice or cockroaches, standing sewage, a leaking roof, or dangerous electrical defects.

• Notify the landlord promptly. Use the tenant portal if available, then follow up with a dated and signed letter or email describing the problem, your name and address, and when it began. Save a copy and document any repair promise made by phone or in person.
• Give the landlord a reasonable amount of time to make the repair.
• If the problem remains, possible remedies may include a lawsuit, ending the lease and moving, reporting a code violation, placing rent into an escrow account, or making a qualifying repair and deducting the cost. These procedures are technical and carry risks. Speak with an attorney before acting.
• Do not simply stop paying rent. Without following the correct legal process, you may not be protected if the landlord files an eviction case.

Missouri tenants can reduce disputes by documenting the rental from the beginning and keeping important communications in writing.

• Read the lease before signing, especially repair provisions. Ask to negotiate unfair terms and make sure every agreed change appears in the signed lease.
• Get any promise to complete repairs before move-in in writing and signed by the landlord.
• Keep a file containing the lease, rent receipts, notices, and every communication with the landlord.
• At move-in, list and photograph existing damage. Send copies to the landlord and keep proof so you are not charged later.
• Before moving out, photograph the home's condition and follow the lease's notice requirements.
• For a month-to-month tenancy, give written notice at least one full month before the next rent-due date. Keep a copy of the notice.

Missouri law limits security deposits and provides procedures for move-out inspections and returns.

• A landlord may not collect more than two months' rent as a security deposit.
• Provide a forwarding address. The landlord must return the deposit within 30 days after move-out and explain any deductions for repairs.
• The landlord may deduct reasonable costs for tenant-caused damage, such as carpet burns or holes in walls, but not ordinary wear and tear such as routine painting, carpet cleaning, or replacing already worn carpet.
• The landlord must notify you when the move-out walkthrough will occur. Attend, take photographs, and dispute damage you did not cause or consider ordinary wear.
• If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or part of the deposit, a court may award up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.