Missouri

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State Clearinghouse on Missing Children

Reason to Contact:
A state clearinghouse is usually run by law enforcement. It provides help in cases of parental child abduction. For abductions from another country to the United States, they can help locate a child. For abductions from the United States to another country, they can help parents in filing missing person reports.

Missouri State Highway Patrol 
Missing Persons Unit 
P.O. Box 568 
Jefferson City, MO 65102 
Phone: 573-526-6178 or 1-800-877-3452  
http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/

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Law Enforcement

Reason to contact:
Contact your local police to file a missing person's report and request that your child's name be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer database. 

FBI Field Offices
FBI Kansas City
1300 Summit
Kansas City, MO 64105-1362
Phone: 816-512-8200
kansascity.fbi.gov

FBI St. Louis
2222 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103-2516
Phone: 314-589-2500
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/stlouis/about

State Patrol
Phone: 1-800-525-5555 or 573-751-3313
http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/Root/index.html

Department of Public Safety
https://dps.mo.gov/

Department of Transportation
https://www.modot.org/

Port Authorities
Missouri Port Authority
http://www.missouriports.org

Nationwide Resources: 
Taking a child from the United States, or attempting to, is a federal crime. So is keeping a child outside of the United States to block parental rights. These acts are crimes under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (18 U.S.C. 1204). The FBI has jurisdictional authority to investigate federal crimes. If you have questions or believe someone has abducted your child outside of the United States or is planning to do so, contact a FBI field office in the United States. To find the FBI field office nearest to you, use this link: http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field

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Prevention

Reason to Contact:
If you know your child is being taken to the airport as part of possible abduction, contact the airport for help. You should have copies of all custody and legal documents ready to send by email or fax, if needed. You can contact the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues to assist you with this process. You can reach them at PreventAbduction@state.gov or by calling 888-407-4747. 

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Legal Assistance

Reason to Contact:
If you are involved in an international parental child abduction case in the United States or abroad, a legal aid group may be able to help you with your legal representation. Legal aid organizations provide free legal help or help at a low cost to eligible individuals. Eligibility is mainly based on income and resource limits. There are also rules on the types of cases they will take. 

For information about legal aid and other legal referral resources, visit

Follow the prompts for the particular state in which you are seeking legal services.

Missouri General Assembly
https://www.mo.gov/government/legislative-branch/

Missouri Judicial Branch
http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=23

Supreme Court
Phone: 573-751-4144
http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=27

The Missouri Bar
Phone: 573-635-4128
http://www.mobar.org/

Missouri Attorney General
http://ago.mo.gov/

Locator Service
Child Support Enforcement
615 Howerton Court
P.O. Box 2320
Jefferson City, MO 65102-2320
Phone: 573-751-4301 or 800-859-7999
https://dss.mo.gov/child-support/

Compensation Program for Crime Victims
Department of Public Safety
Crime Victims' Compensation
P.O. Box 1589
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1589
Phone: 573-526-6006
http://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/

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Resources for State Statutes

Reason to Contact:
The resource below may help you determine your state custody laws and if your state has laws on abduction prevention. You may also want to consult the Attorney General’s Office website of your state or contact an attorney licensed to practice law in your state. Please note: the resource below may not be current and may change at any time. This resource is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. 

Non-Profit Organization

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 125
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-224-2150
www.missingkids.org  

Last Updated: April 16, 2024