Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 632
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 632.305 (2026)

Detention for evaluation and treatment, who may request

✓ current as of May 2026
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  632.305.  Detention for evaluation and treatment, who may request — procedure — duration — disposition after application. — 1.  An application for detention for evaluation and treatment at a mental health facility may be executed by any adult person, who need not be an attorney or represented by an attorney, on a form provided by the court for such purpose, and shall allege under oath, without a notarization requirement, that the applicant has reason to believe that the respondent is suffering from a mental disorder and presents a likelihood of serious harm to himself or herself or to others.  The application shall specify the factual information on which such belief is based and should contain the names and addresses of all persons known to the applicant who have knowledge of such facts through personal observation.

  2.  The filing of a written application in court by any adult person, who need not be an attorney or represented by an attorney, shall authorize the applicant to bring the matter before the court on an ex parte basis to determine whether the respondent should be taken into custody and transported to a mental health facility.  The application may be filed in the court having probate jurisdiction in any county where the respondent may be found.  If the court finds that there is probable cause, either upon testimony under oath or upon a review of affidavits, declarations, or other supporting documentation, to believe that the respondent may be suffering from a mental disorder and presents a likelihood of serious harm to himself or herself or others, it shall direct a peace officer to take the respondent into custody and transport him or her to a mental health facility for detention for evaluation and treatment for a period not to exceed ninety-six hours unless further detention and treatment is authorized pursuant to this chapter.  Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the court, in the exercise of its discretion, from giving the respondent an opportunity to be heard.

  3.  A peace officer may take a person into custody for detention for evaluation and treatment at a mental health facility for a period not to exceed ninety-six hours only when such peace officer has reasonable cause to believe that such person is suffering from a mental disorder and that the likelihood of serious harm by such person to himself or herself or others is imminent unless such person is immediately taken into custody.  Upon arrival at the mental health facility, the peace officer who conveyed such person or caused him or her to be conveyed shall either present the application for detention for evaluation and treatment upon which the court has issued a finding of probable cause and the respondent was taken into custody or complete an application for initial detention for evaluation and treatment for a period not to exceed ninety-six hours which shall be based upon his or her own personal observations or investigations and shall contain the information required in subsection 1 of this section.

  4.  If a person presents himself or herself or is presented by others to a mental health facility and a licensed physician, a registered professional nurse or a mental health professional designated by the head of the facility and approved by the department for such purpose has reasonable cause to believe that the person is mentally disordered and presents an imminent likelihood of serious harm to himself or herself or others unless he or she is accepted for detention, the licensed physician, the mental health professional or the registered professional nurse designated by the facility and approved by the department may complete an application for detention for evaluation and treatment for a period not to exceed ninety-six hours.  The application shall be based on his or her own personal observations or investigation and shall contain the information required in subsection 1 of this section.

  5.  No notarization shall be required for an application or for any affidavits, declarations, or other documents supporting an application.  The application and any affidavits, declarations, or other documents supporting the application shall be subject to the provisions of section 492.060 allowing for declaration under penalty of perjury.

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(L. 1980 H.B. 1724, A.L. 1996 S.B. 884 & 841, A.L. 2022 S.B. 775, et al., A.L. 2023 H.B. 402 merged with S.B. 106)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1993–2026 · leading case: Nelson v. Crane, 187 S.W.3d 868 (Mo. 2006).
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Nelson v. Crane, 187 S.W.3d 868 (Mo. 2006). · cites it 10× “*869 David Nelson applied for a permit to acquire a concealable weapon, but his application was denied because, in September 2003, he had been involuntarily detained in a mental health facility for a period of 96 hours for evaluation and treatment, as provided in section…”
Gulley v. Werth, 61 S.W.3d 293 (Mo. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 5× “See § 632.305, set out in pertinent part, infra.”
St. John's Reg'l Health Ctr., Inc. v. Windler, 847 S.W.2d 168 (Mo. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “I perceive the legal question in this case to be whether or not counterclaimant was voluntarily confined or was confined pursuant to the provisions of § 632.305. Its resolve involves no medical issue.”
Lombardo v. Saint Louis City, 361 F. Supp. 3d 882 (E.D. Mo. 2019). · cites it 2× “2005) (discussing standard under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 632.305 authorizing detention).”
In Re Prye, 169 S.W.3d 116 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “Alexius stated that Prye had already injured several employees and asked that he be detained, evaluated, and treated immediately pursuant to section 632.305. St. Alexius also attached affidavits from ten employees who attested to his violent behavior.”
State v. Light, 407 S.W.3d 135 (Mo. Ct. App. 2013). · cites it 2× “Section 632.305. . Defendant was also given a couple of sedatives.”
Doe Hm v. City of Creve Coeur, Mo., 666 F. Supp. 2d 988 (E.D. Mo. 2009). “The facts of this case demonstrate that, in accordance with the statutory procedure, Hyland made an independent decision whether to admit Plaintiff under § 632.305 once Thomeczek brought Plaintiff to the facility.”
State of Missouri v. Samantha J. Edwards, 433 S.W.3d 494 (Mo. Ct. App. 2014). “§ 632.305. 3 .The information also charged Edwards with the class B misdemeanor of property damage in the second degree pursuant to section 569.”
State of Missouri v. Craig Neil Salcedo (Mo. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 8× “We disagree, and find the deputies’ search of Salcedo, incident to Salcedo being taken into custody pursuant to a warrant under section 632.305 for transport to a mental health facility, was reasonable.”
Burst (E.D. Mo. 2026). · cites it 6× “2005) (discussing standard under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 632.305 authorizing detention).”
Fogarty (W.D. Mo. 2025). · cites it 3× “Section 632.305 concerns when a police officer “may take a person into custody for detention for evaluation and treatment at a mental health facility[,]” and Section 632.”
Stephanie Clark v. SSM Healthcare St. Louis, d/b/a SSM Health St. Joseph Hosp., Wentzville, Dawn Holemon, M.D., Lee M. Freund, D.O., & St. Charles Emergency Grp., LLC. (Mo. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “300; Section 632.305. If the probate court finds probable cause that the person suffers from a mental disorder and presents a likelihood of serious harm to himself or others, then the court shall direct a peace officer to take that individual into custody and transport him to a…”
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