What Does Having a Felony Prevent You From Doing in Missouri?

A felony conviction creates serious obstacles that can persist for years, or even decades, after completing the sentence. These consequences extend far beyond immediate penalties like fines, probation, or incarceration. It’s important to remember that being charged with a felony does not mean conviction is inevitable.

Many cases result in favorable outcomes through dismissal at preliminary hearing, amended charges to lesser offenses, diversion programs, deferred prosecution agreements, or acquittal at trial. Even when cases proceed to sentencing, outcomes vary – from probation and treatment court programs to fines or jail sentences rather than prison time. Because the prosecution must prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, working with an experienced criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in protecting a person’s future.

Felony Convictions in Missouri

Missouri classifies felonies into five categories based on severity:

• Class A Felonies: 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment
• Class B Felonies: 5 to 15 years in prison
• Class C Felonies: 3 to 10 years in prison
• Class D Felonies: Up to 7 years in prison
• Class E Felonies: Up to 4 years in prison

Most felonies in Missouri are eligible for probation. While the immediate penalties – jail or prison time, fines, and probation – are serious, the collateral consequences that follow a person afterward can be even more burdensome. These consequences affect employment, housing, education, civil rights, and virtually every aspect of life.

Employment Obstacles After a Felony Conviction

Finding and keeping employment becomes significantly harder with a felony conviction on record.

Background Checks Reveal Felony Convictions

Many employers conduct background checks on job applicants. A felony conviction will appear on these checks, and many employers have policies against hiring individuals with felony records. This is particularly true for positions involving:

• Financial responsibility
• Working with vulnerable populations
• Access to sensitive information
• Positions requiring professional licenses

Even employers without blanket policies against hiring felons often view felony convictions negatively, making it much harder to compete with applicants who have clean records.

Union Membership

Most unions conduct criminal background checks and may deny admission or membership for certain offenses. This can create additional barriers to employment in unionized industries and trades, limiting career opportunities in construction, manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors where union membership is often required or provides significant advantages.

Professional Licenses Can Be Denied or Revoked

Missouri law allows licensing boards to deny or revoke professional licenses based on felony convictions. This affects careers, including:

• Nursing and healthcare professions
• Real estate
• Teaching
• Legal professions
• Accounting
• Cosmetology and barbering

If already licensed, a felony conviction can result in disciplinary proceedings that may suspend or permanently revoke the license, ending that career.

Self-Employment and Business Opportunities

Even when starting a business, felony convictions create obstacles:

• Difficulty obtaining business loans
• Challenges securing professional liability insurance
• Barriers to obtaining required business licenses
• Problems qualifying for government contracts

Housing Restrictions and Difficulties

A felony conviction makes securing housing significantly more challenging.

Private Landlords Often Reject Applicants With Felony Records

Most landlords conduct background checks, and many refuse to rent to individuals with felony convictions. Even landlords willing to consider applicants with criminal records may:

• Require higher security deposits
• Charge higher rent
• Impose stricter lease terms
• Require additional references or co-signers

Finding quality, affordable housing in safe neighborhoods becomes extremely difficult.

Public Housing Restrictions

Federal and state public housing authorities can deny applications based on criminal history. Certain felony convictions, particularly drug-related offenses, can result in lifetime bans from federally subsidized housing.

Sex Offender Residency Restrictions

If a felony conviction requires sex offender registration, Missouri law imposes strict residency restrictions. Under RSMo § 566.147, registered sex offenders cannot reside within 1,000 feet of schools, childcare facilities, parks, and certain other locations. These restrictions severely limit where someone can live, particularly in urban areas.

Loss of Civil Rights

Felony convictions in Missouri result in automatic loss of important civil rights.

Loss of Voting Rights While Incarcerated or on Supervision

Under Missouri law, voting rights are lost while incarcerated for a felony conviction and while on probation or parole. However, voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of the sentence, including probation and parole. This is governed by RSMo § 115.133, which specifies that individuals cannot vote while confined under a sentence of imprisonment or while on probation or parole after conviction of a felony.

Loss of Gun Rights

Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), convicted felons face up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a gun.

Missouri law also restricts firearm possession for convicted felons under RSMo § 571.070. A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm if they knowingly have any firearm in their possession and have been convicted of a felony under Missouri law or any crime under the laws of any state or of the United States which, if committed within Missouri, would be a felony. Unlawful possession of a firearm is a Class C felony, or a Class B felony if the person has been convicted of a dangerous felony or has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.

In Missouri, felons can only regain firearm rights through expungement of the conviction under RSMo § 610.140 or by obtaining a gubernatorial pardon. Successfully expunging an eligible conviction removes the collateral consequences, including the firearm prohibition, though federal restrictions may still apply and require additional steps to address.

Jury Service

Convicted felons in Missouri cannot serve on juries. This civic duty and right is permanently lost unless the conviction is expunged or pardoned.

Educational Consequences

Felony convictions create barriers to educational opportunities.

Federal Student Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) asks about drug-related convictions. Certain drug felonies make individuals ineligible for federal student grants, loans, and work-study programs during periods of ineligibility. This can prevent the pursuit of higher education or force payment out of pocket.

College Admissions

Many colleges and universities ask about criminal history on applications. While some institutions practice “ban the box” policies that delay criminal history questions until after initial admission decisions, felony convictions can still result in:

• Denial of admission
• Revocation of conditional admission
• Restrictions on campus housing
• Limitations on participation in certain programs

Professional School Admissions

Law schools, medical schools, and other professional programs conduct thorough background checks. Felony convictions create significant obstacles to admission, even if otherwise qualified.

How Felony Convictions Affect Child Custody and Adoption in Missouri

Felony convictions can devastate family relationships.

Child Custody and Visitation

Missouri law imposes strict restrictions on custody and visitation for parents with certain criminal convictions, particularly sex offenses against children.

Under RSMo § 452.375(3), courts are prohibited from awarding custody or unsupervised visitation to a parent if that parent (or anyone residing with them) has been convicted of specific serious offenses when a child was the victim. These offenses include:

• Rape in the First or Second Degree (RSMo §§ 566.030, 566.031)
• Statutory Rape in the First Degree (RSMo § 566.032)
• Sodomy in the First or Second Degree (RSMo §§ 566.060, 566.061)
• Child Molestation (RSMo §§ 566.067, 566.068)
• Sexual Abuse (RSMo §§ 566.100, 566.101)
• Child Kidnapping (RSMo § 568.020)
• Child Abuse or Neglect (RSMo § 568.065)
• Use of a Child in Sexual Performance (RSMo § 573.200)
• Other serious sex crimes listed in RSMo Chapter 566

For these convictions, the court has no discretion—custody and unsupervised visitation are automatically denied.

For other sex offenses or child endangerment crimes under Missouri Chapters 566 and 568 where a child was the victim, courts have discretion to deny custody or visitation, but are not required to do so.

Missouri courts also consider any pattern of domestic violence when determining custody. Under RSMo § 452.375(6), if the court finds a pattern of domestic violence has occurred, custody and visitation must be ordered in a manner that protects the child and the victim from further harm. Other felony convictions, particularly violent crimes, domestic assault, or drug crimes, could result in:

• Loss of custody
• Restricted or supervised visitation only
• Requirements to complete treatment or classes before visitation
• Denial of overnight visits

Adoption and Foster Parenting

Felony convictions can disqualify individuals from adopting children or serving as foster parents. The specific impact depends on the nature of the conviction, with crimes against children, violent offenses, and sex crimes typically resulting in permanent disqualification under both state and federal regulations governing child welfare.

Immigration Consequences for Non-Citizens

For individuals who are not U.S. citizens, felony convictions can be catastrophic.

Deportation

A felony conviction can lead to permanent removal from the United States for non-citizens. Many misdemeanor convictions, particularly crimes of moral turpitude, drug offenses, and domestic violence, also make non-citizens deportable. Even lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who have lived in the United States for decades can be deported based on felony and misdemeanor convictions.

Inadmissibility

Criminal convictions can make non-citizens inadmissible to the United States, preventing them from:

• Returning after traveling abroad
• Adjusting status to permanent residence
• Obtaining citizenship

Certain convictions create permanent bars to naturalization. Under federal immigration law, individuals convicted of murder or an aggravated felony on or after November 29, 1990, are permanently barred from establishing good moral character for naturalization purposes. This means they can never become U.S. citizens.

How Felony Convictions Affect Credit and Government Benefits in Missouri

Beyond employment difficulties, criminal convictions create various financial obstacles.

Difficulty Obtaining Credit

Banks and credit card companies may deny applications or offer less favorable terms to people with a criminal record. This affects ability to:

• Purchase a home
• Buy a car
• Start a business
• Handle financial emergencies

Ineligibility for Government Benefits

Certain felony convictions—particularly drug-related offenses—can make individuals ineligible for:

• Food assistance (SNAP)
• Cash assistance (TANF)
• Public housing
• Student financial aid

Professional Liability and Insurance

Many professions require liability insurance. Convicted felons may find such insurance unavailable or expensive, making certain careers impossible.

Financial Restrictions After a Felony Conviction in Missouri

Under federal law, felony convictions create significant barriers to military enlistment. Title 10 U.S.C. § 504(a) explicitly states:

“No person who is insane, intoxicated, or a deserter from an armed force, or who has been convicted of a felony, may be enlisted in any armed force. However, the Secretary concerned may authorize exceptions, in meritorious cases, for the enlistment of deserters and persons convicted of felonies.”

While each branch of the military has its own enlistment standards, this federal statute bars felons from enlistment unless they receive a waiver. Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the offense and other factors. Certain felonies—particularly sex offenses and domestic violence convictions under the Lautenberg Amendment—have no waiver possibility.

Can You Travel With a Felony Conviction?

Felony convictions can limit the ability to travel both domestically and internationally.

International Travel

Some countries have policies regarding the entry of individuals with criminal convictions. Canada, for example, considers certain U.S. felonies as serious criminality that makes individuals inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Other countries may also deny entry or require special documentation based on criminal history.

Probation and Parole Restrictions

While on probation or parole, individuals must obtain advance permission from their probation or parole officer before leaving the state or the area in which they live. Under 14 CSR 80-3.010 of the Missouri Code of State Regulations, this requirement is a standard condition of supervision. According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, travel outside the state may require 15–30 days of prior approval. These requirements can restrict both personal travel and employment opportunities that involve travel.

A Felony Conviction Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Future

The consequences listed above are serious and long-lasting. A felony conviction creates obstacles that can follow someone for decades. However, whether a felony “ruins your life” depends on several factors:

The Type of Felony Matters

Some felonies carry more severe collateral consequences than others. Sex offenses, crimes against children, and violent felonies create the most obstacles. Non-violent property crimes or drug offenses, while still serious, may have fewer long-term consequences.

Your Response Matters

How someone responds after conviction significantly affects their future. People who:

• Take responsibility for their actions
• Complete all court requirements
• Pursue education or vocational training
• Maintain steady employment
• Build a support network
• Stay out of further legal trouble

…can overcome many obstacles and build successful lives despite felony convictions.

Expungement Can Help

Missouri law allows expungement of certain felony convictions after waiting periods. Expungement removes the conviction from public records, significantly improving prospects. However, not all felonies are eligible for expungement, which is why avoiding conviction in the first place is so important.

Why Avoiding Felony Convictions Is So Important

Given the devastating long-term consequences of felony convictions, fighting charges with an experienced criminal defense attorney is essential.

Avoiding Conviction Is the Best Outcome

The best result in any felony case is avoiding conviction entirely through:

• Dismissal of charges at preliminary hearing
• Negotiating amended charges to lesser offenses
• Diversion programs
• Deferred prosecution agreements
• Acquittal at trial

At Rose Legal Services, we work to achieve these outcomes for our clients.

Minimizing Consequences When Conviction Can’t Be Avoided

When conviction cannot be avoided, we work to:

• Reduce charges to lesser offenses
• Negotiate for probation instead of prison
• Secure access to treatment court programs
• Obtain suspended imposition of sentence when eligible
• Present strong mitigation at sentencing

A Second Chance Starts With the Right Criminal Defense Attorney

If facing felony charges in Missouri, the decisions made now will affect the rest of one’s life. Don’t face these charges without experienced legal representation.

At Rose Legal Services, we dedicate our practice exclusively to criminal defense. We have decades of combined experience helping people who have been charged, arrested, or investigated for crimes in Missouri.

We offer confidential consultations where we’ll review charges, explain potential consequences, and discuss how we can help protect the future.

Your defense starts with a conversation.