Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 210.125 (2026)

Protective custody of child, who may take, reports required

✓ current as of May 2026

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210.125. Protective custody of child, who may take, reports required — temporary protective custody defined. — 1. A police officer, law enforcement official, or a physician who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering from illness or injury or is in danger of personal harm by reason of his surroundings and that a case of child abuse or neglect exists, may request that the juvenile officer take the child into protective custody under chapter 211.

2. A police officer, law enforcement official, or a physician who has reasonable cause to believe that a child is in imminent danger of suffering serious physical harm or a threat to life as a result of abuse or neglect and such person has reasonable cause to believe the harm or threat to life may occur before a juvenile court could issue a temporary protective custody order or before a juvenile officer could take the child into protective custody, the police officer, law enforcement official or physician may take or retain temporary protective custody of the child without the consent of the child's parents, guardian or others legally responsible for his care.

3. Any person taking a child in protective custody under this section shall immediately notify the juvenile officer of the court of the county in which the child is located of his actions and notify the division and make a reasonable attempt to advise the parents, guardians or others legally responsible for the child's care. The jurisdiction of the juvenile court attaches from the time the juvenile is taken into protective custody. Such person shall file, as soon as practicable but no later than twelve hours, a written statement with the juvenile officer which sets forth the identity of the child and the facts and circumstances which gave such person reasonable cause to believe that there was imminent danger of serious physical harm or threat to the life of the child. Upon notification that a child has been taken into protective custody, the juvenile officer shall either return the child to his parents, guardian, or others responsible for his care or shall initiate child protective proceedings under chapter 211. In no event shall an employee of the division, acting upon his own, remove a child under the provisions of this act^*.

4. Temporary protective custody for purposes of this section shall not exceed twenty-four hours. Temporary protective custody for a period beyond twenty-four hours may be authorized only by an order of the juvenile court.

5. For the purposes of this section, "temporary protective custody" shall mean temporary placement within a hospital or medical facility or emergency foster care facility or such other suitable custody placement as the court may direct; provided, however, that an abused or neglected child may not be detained in temporary custody in a secure detention facility.

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(L. 1975 H.B. 578 § 4, A.L. 1982 H.B. 1171, et al.)

*"This act" (H.B. 1171, et al., 1982) contained numerous sections. Consult Disposition of Sections table for a definitive listing.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1992–2022 · leading case: Dunkle v. Dunkle, 158 S.W.3d 823 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005).

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Dunkle v. Dunkle, 158 S.W.3d 823 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005). “"Rules 110 through 128 shall govern practice and procedure in the juvenile and family courts under sections 210.125, 210.160, 210.166, 210.700 to 210.”

In the Interest of R.G., 885 S.W.2d 757 (Mo. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 2× “Louis County issued a protective custody order under § 210.125 RSMo.1986, placing R.G. in the temporary custody of the DFS and giving Father physical custody of R.”

In the Interest of T.N.H., 70 S.W.3d 2 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 3× “in temporary protective custody with the Division of Family Services (DFS) pursuant to Section 210.125 and Rule 111.12. At this time and at all times hereinafter mentioned, T.”

Beevers v. M.H., 842 S.W.2d 200 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 2× ““ ‘[Protective custody’ means the taking and retention of the person of a juvenile in judicial custody in connection with proceedings under section 210.125 or subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 211.”

In Re Tnh, 70 S.W.3d 2 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 3× “in temporary protective custody with the Division of Family Services (DFS) pursuant to Section 210.125 and Rule 111.12. At this time and at all times hereinafter mentioned, T.”

Perry v. St. Louis Cnty. (E.D. Mo. 2022). · cites it 2× “11 Defendants argue that the claims are not plausible because, under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 210.125 , a police officer, a law enforcement official, or a physician with “reasonable cause to believe that a child is in imminent danger” may take temporary custody of the children.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.