Rule 54.06.Service Outside the State on Persons, Firms or Corporations Who Do Certain Acts in This State.
Part I · Rule 54: Issuance and Service of Summons or Other Process · Last amended January 1, 2003 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceMissouri’s long-arm rule lets courts reach out-of-state parties who transacted business, made a contract, committed a tort, owned real estate, insured a risk, or had intercourse in Missouri with a child’s mother near the probable conception period, but only for claims arising from those acts.
(a)Service outside the state sufficient to authorize a general judgment in personam may be obtained upon any person, executor, administrator or other legal representative, firm or corporation, whether or not a citizen or resident of this state, who in person or through an agent does any of the acts enumerated in this Rule 54.06:
(1)Transacts any business within this state;
(2)Makes any contract within this state;
(3)Commits a tortious act within this state;
(4)Owns, uses or possesses any real estate situated in this state;
(5)Contracts to insure any person, property or risk located within this state at the time of contracting;
(6)Engages in an act of sexual intercourse within this state with the mother of a child within or near the probable period of conception of that child.
(b)Service sufficient to authorize a general judgment in personam may be obtained on any person, any person’s personal representative, or other legal representative, whether or not a citizen or resident of the state, who has lived in lawful marriage within this state, as to all civil actions for dissolution of marriage or for legal separation and all obligations arising for maintenance of a spouse, support of any child of the marriage, attorney fees, suit money or disposition of marital property, if the other party to the lawful marriage lives in this state or if a third party has provided support to the spouse or to the children of the marriage and is a resident of this state.
(c)Only causes of action arising from acts or conduct enumerated in Rule 54.06(a) or Rule 54.06(b) may be asserted against a defendant in an action in which jurisdiction is based on this Rule 54.06.
Rule 54.06 is Missouri’s long-arm provision for out-of-state defendants. It lists specific acts that, if performed in Missouri by a person, firm, or corporation — whether or not that party is a Missouri citizen or resident — will support a general in personam judgment even though the defendant was served outside the state. The listed acts are transacting business in Missouri, making a contract in Missouri, committing a tortious act in Missouri, owning, using, or possessing real estate in Missouri, contracting to insure a person, property, or risk located in Missouri, and engaging in an act of sexual intercourse in Missouri with the mother of a child within or near the probable period of conception.
A separate provision, Rule 54.06(b), reaches a person who lived in a lawful marriage in Missouri, for actions involving dissolution of marriage, legal separation, and related obligations — maintenance, child support, attorney fees, suit money, or division of marital property — as long as the other spouse lives in Missouri or a Missouri-resident third party has provided support to the spouse or children.
Rule 54.06(c) keeps the reach of this jurisdiction narrow: only causes of action that arise from the specific acts or conduct listed in subsections (a) or (b) can be asserted against a defendant when jurisdiction rests on this rule. A claim unrelated to the act that connected the defendant to Missouri cannot piggyback on that connection.
Once jurisdiction is established under Rule 54.06, service of process on the out-of-state defendant is carried out under Rule 54.14 (personal service outside the state) or Rule 54.16 (acknowledgment of service by mail).
Frequently Asked Questions
What acts allow Missouri to obtain jurisdiction over an out-of-state defendant under Rule 54.06?
Transacting business in Missouri, making a contract in Missouri, committing a tortious act in Missouri, owning, using, or possessing real estate in Missouri, contracting to insure a Missouri-based risk, or engaging in an act of sexual intercourse in Missouri with the mother of a child within or near the probable period of conception.
Does the defendant need to be a Missouri citizen or resident for this rule to apply?
No. The rule applies to any person, firm, or corporation who performed one of the listed acts in Missouri, whether or not that party is a citizen or resident of the state.
Can any type of claim be brought against a defendant served under this long-arm rule?
No. Rule 54.06(c) limits the case to causes of action arising from the specific acts or conduct listed in subsections (a) or (b) of the rule.
Does Rule 54.06 cover family law cases involving a marriage in Missouri?
Yes, subsection (b) reaches a party who lived in a lawful marriage in Missouri for actions involving dissolution, legal separation, maintenance, child support, attorney fees, suit money, or marital property division, under the conditions the rule sets out.
How is a defendant served once jurisdiction is established under this rule?
Service of process is made as provided in Rule 54.14 (personal service outside the state) or Rule 54.16 (acknowledgment of service by mail).
Does an official comment accompany the current version of Rule 54.06?
No. The official comment to this rule was repealed effective January 1, 1994.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:long-arm statute Missourijurisdiction over nonresidentsservice outside the statetransacting business jurisdictiontortious act jurisdiction