Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 577
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001 (2026)

Chapter definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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  577.001.  Chapter definitions. — As used in this chapter, the following terms mean:

  (1)  "Aggravated offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Three or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions; or

  (b)  Two or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related traffic offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (2)  "Aggravated boating offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Three or more intoxication-related boating offenses; or

  (b)  Two or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related boating offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (3)  "All-terrain vehicle", any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use, with an unladen dry weight of one thousand five hundred pounds or less, traveling on three, four or more nonhighway tires, with either:

  (a)  A seat designed to be straddled by the operator, or with a seat designed to carry more than one person, and handlebars for steering control; or

  (b)  A width of fifty inches or less, measured from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim, regardless of seating or steering arrangement;

  (4)  "Court", any circuit, associate circuit, or municipal court, including traffic court, but not any juvenile court or treatment court;

  (5)  "Chronic offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Four or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions; or

  (b)  Three or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related traffic offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed; or

  (c)  Two or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions where both intoxication-related traffic offenses were offenses committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (6)  "Chronic boating offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Four or more intoxication-related boating offenses; or

  (b)  Three or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related boating offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed; or

  (c)  Two or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions where both intoxication-related boating offenses were offenses committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (7)  "Continuous alcohol monitoring", automatically testing breath, blood, or transdermal alcohol concentration levels and tampering attempts at least once every hour, regardless of the location of the person who is being monitored, and regularly transmitting the data.  Continuous alcohol monitoring shall be considered an electronic monitoring service under subsection 3 of section 217.690;

  (8)  "Controlled substance", a drug, substance, or immediate precursor in schedules I to V listed in section 195.017;

  (9)  "Drive", "driving", "operates" or "operating", physically driving or operating a vehicle or vessel;

  (10)  "Flight crew member", the pilot in command, copilots, flight engineers, and flight navigators;

  (11)  "Habitual offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Five or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions; or

  (b)  Four or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related traffic offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed; or

  (c)  Three or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions where at least two of the intoxication-related traffic offenses were offenses committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (12)  "Habitual boating offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Five or more intoxication-related boating offenses; or

  (b)  Four or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions where at least one of the intoxication-related boating offenses is an offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed; or

  (c)  Three or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions where at least two of the intoxication-related boating offenses were offenses committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed; or

  (d)  While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acted with criminal negligence to:

  a.  Cause the death of any person not a passenger in the vessel operated by the defendant, including the death of an individual that results from the defendant's vessel leaving the water; or

  b.  Cause the death of two or more persons; or

  c.  Cause the death of any person while he or she has a blood alcohol content of at least eighteen-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in such person's blood;

  (13)  "Intoxicated" or "intoxicated condition", when a person is under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or drug, or any combination thereof;

  (14)  "Intoxication-related boating offense", operating a vessel while intoxicated; boating while intoxicated; operating a vessel with excessive blood alcohol content or an offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense;

  (15)  "Intoxication-related traffic offense", driving while intoxicated, driving with excessive blood alcohol content, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in violation of a state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense, or an offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, any federal offense, or any military offense;

  (16)  "Law enforcement officer" or "arresting officer", includes the definition of law enforcement officer in section 556.061 and military policemen conducting traffic enforcement operations on a federal military installation under military jurisdiction in the state of Missouri;

  (17)  "Operate a vessel", to physically control the movement of a vessel in motion under mechanical or sail power in water;

  (18)  "Persistent offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Two or more intoxication-related traffic offenses committed on separate occasions; or

  (b)  One intoxication-related traffic offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, federal offense, or military offense in which the defendant was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (19)  "Persistent boating offender", a person who has been found guilty of:

  (a)  Two or more intoxication-related boating offenses committed on separate occasions; or

  (b)  One intoxication-related boating offense committed in violation of any state law, county or municipal ordinance, federal offense, or military offense in which the defendant was operating a vessel while intoxicated and another person was injured or killed;

  (20)  "Prior offender", a person who has been found guilty of one intoxication-related traffic offense, where such prior offense occurred within five years of the occurrence of the intoxication-related traffic offense for which the person is charged;

  (21)  "Prior boating offender", a person who has been found guilty of one intoxication-related boating offense, where such prior offense occurred within five years of the occurrence of the intoxication-related boating offense for which the person is charged.

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(L. 1982 S.B. 513, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1531, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1169 & 1271 merged with S.B. 722, A.L. 2005 H.B. 972 merged with S.B. 37, et al., A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1371, A.L. 2015 S.B. 254, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332, A.L. 2017 S.B. 34, A.L. 2018 1st Ex. Sess. H.B. 2, A.L. 2020 H.B. 1963)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 64 cases (23 in the last 5 years), 1984–2025 · leading case: Cox v. Dir. of Revenue, 98 S.W.3d 548 (Mo. 2003).
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Cox v. Dir. of Revenue, 98 S.W.3d 548 (Mo. 2003). · cites it 4× “The legislature's re-enactment of the terms "driving" and "operating" in section 577.001 emphasizes that both words have distinct meanings.”
Baptist v. Lohman, 971 S.W.2d 366 (Mo. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 9× “See Section 577.001 RSMo Supp.1996. We disagree, and affirm the judgment of the trial court.”
State v. Knifong, 53 S.W.3d 188 (Mo. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 6× “She first contends that the trial court erred in denying her motions for acquittal and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or for new trial because the definition of “intoxicated condition” in § 577.001, RSMo 1994, is unconstitutionally vague, in violation of the Fifth and…”
State v. Mitchell, 203 S.W.3d 246 (Mo. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 6× “” Instead, a chapter-wide definition for this word is found in § 577.001. Prior to 1996, the word “operates” was defined to mean “physically driving or operating or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle.”
Cox v. Dir. of Revenue, State of Mo., 37 S.W.3d 304 (Mo. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 6× “" The terms "driving" and "operating" were defined by § 577.001, as follows: "[P]hysically driving or operating or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle.”
State v. Thurston, 84 S.W.3d 536 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 5× “Prior to a 1996 legislative amendment of this definition, "operate” was defined as “physically driving or operating or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle” Section 577.001(1) RSMo (1994) (emphasis added).”
State of Missouri, Plaintiff-respondent v. Sheena Darlene Cordell, 500 S.W.3d 343 (Mo. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 3× “that the acts underlying the two municipal convictions were acts specifically prohibited under Missouri’s driving while intoxicated statutes, §§ 577.001 and 577.010[.]” Standard of Review “It is the State’s burden to prove prior [IRTOs] beyond a reasonable doubt.”
State v. Brown, 300 Neb. 57 (Neb. 2018). “" Another Missouri statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001 (2) (West 2003), defined " ' intoxicated condition ' " as being "under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or drug, or any combination thereof.”
Missouri Ass'n of Club Executives, Inc. v. State, 208 S.W.3d 885 (Mo. 2006). · cites it 3× “Legislative and Procedural History When HB 972 was first introduced on April 1, 2005, its purpose and title were stated as follows: “An Act to repeal sections 577.001, 577.023, RSMo, and 302.”
Snodgras Ex Rel. Keown v. Martin & Bayley, Inc., 204 S.W.3d 638 (Mo. 2006). · cites it 3× “020 or who is visibly intoxicated as defined in section 577.001, RSMo, or has a detectable blood alcohol content of more than two-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol” is guilty of a misdemeanor); section 577.”
State v. Cross, 34 S.W.3d 175 (Mo. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 4× “The definition of "driving" in section 577.001 on which Hines [ v. Director of Revenue, 916 S.”
State v. Block, 798 S.W.2d 213 (Mo. Ct. App. 1990). · cites it 4× “The applicable statutory provision § 577.001, RSMo 1986, which provides, in pertinent part, as follows: 1.”
Show all 64 citing cases →
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(1) — 3 cases
State v. Thurston, 84 S.W.3d 536 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002). “Prior to a 1996 legislative amendment of this definition, "operate” was defined as “physically driving or operating or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle” Section 577.001(1) RSMo (1994) (emphasis added).”
State v. Anderson, 107 S.W.3d 447 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. Ct. App. 2021).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(11) — 2 cases
Gerald Parsons v. State of Missouri, 574 S.W.3d 810 (Mo. Ct. App. 2019).
State of Missouri v. Michael L. Ellmaker (Mo. Ct. App. 2020).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(11)(a) — 6 cases
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. Ct. App. 2021).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri, Plaintiff-respondent v. Steven W. Marrs (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).
State of Missouri v. James Kip Wilson (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(13) — 5 cases
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. Ct. App. 2021).
State of Missouri, Plaintiff-respondent v. Joseph P. Salsman (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).
State of Missouri v. Scott Alan Schwarz (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(15) — 11 cases
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. 2024).
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
State of Missouri v. James Kip Wilson (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(16) — 1 case
CHRIS WOOD, Petitioner-Respondent v. Dir. OF REVENUE (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(18) — 1 case
Christopher L. Wright v. State of Missouri (Mo. Ct. App. 2020).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(18)(a) — 2 cases
State of Missouri v. Sandra K. Benson (Mo. Ct. App. 2022).
State of Missouri v. James P. Golden (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(2)(a) — 1 case
State of Missouri, Respondent v. James Willis Peters, Appellant (Mo. Ct. App. 2025).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(20) — 2 cases
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
DONALD WAYNE McMANNIS, Movant-Appellant v. STATE OF MISSOURI, Respondent-Respondent (Mo. Ct. App. 2025).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(5) — 3 cases
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. 2024).
State of Missouri v. Michael L. Ellmaker (Mo. Ct. App. 2020).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(5)(a) — 3 cases
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
State of Missouri v. David Scott Nowicki (Mo. 2024).
State of Missouri, Respondent v. James Willis Peters, Appellant (Mo. Ct. App. 2025).
— Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.001(9) — 15 cases
State v. Barac, 558 S.W.3d 126 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. Ct. App. 2021).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. Timothy A. Shepherd (Mo. 2022).
State of Missouri v. James P. Golden (Mo. Ct. App. 2023).
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