(a) Pleading Private Statute or Right—Judicial Notice. In pleading a private statute or a right derived therefrom, it shall be sufficient to refer to such statute by its title and the place where found in the session acts or in the Revised Statutes, and the court shall thereupon take judicial notice thereof.
Rule 55.21.Pleading a Private Statute or Right Derived Therefrom, and Judicial Notice of Law of Other States.
Part I · Rule 55: Pleadings, Motions and Hearing · Last amended September 1, 1973 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 55.21 lets a party plead a private statute by citing its title and location in the session acts or Revised Statutes, and requires Missouri courts to judicially notice another state’s public statutes and decisions when a pleading relies on that state’s law.
Full Text of Rule 55.21
(b) Judicial Notice—Law of Other States. In every action or proceeding wherein the pleading states that the law of another state is relied upon or contains allegations which show that the law of another state must be applied, the courts of this state shall take judicial notice of the public statutes and judicial decisions of said state. The court may inform itself of such laws in such manner as it may deem proper, and may call upon counsel to aid it in obtaining such information.
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973.
Official Comment
This is the same as prior Rule 55.23.
Plain-English Summary
Pleading a private statute — one that applies to particular persons or entities instead of the public generally — is simplified: citing the statute’s title and its location in the session acts or Revised Statutes is enough, and the court then takes judicial notice of it instead of requiring the statute to be proved as a fact.
The rule’s second part addresses another state’s law. Whenever a pleading states that another state’s law is being relied on, or contains allegations showing that another state’s law must apply, Missouri courts take judicial notice of that state’s public statutes and judicial decisions. The court can look into those laws in whatever manner it finds proper, including calling on the parties’ counsel to help gather the information.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I plead a private statute in Missouri?
By referring to its title and its location in the session acts or Revised Statutes; the court then takes judicial notice of it.
Does the court automatically take judicial notice of another state’s law?
Yes, whenever the pleading states that another state’s law is relied on or shows that it must apply.
What must my pleading say to trigger judicial notice of another state’s law?
Either a statement that the other state’s law is relied upon, or allegations showing that state’s law must be applied.
Can the court ask attorneys to help research another state’s law?
Yes, Rule 55.21(b) allows the court to call upon counsel to aid in obtaining information about the other state’s law.
What is a private statute?
A statute that applies to specific persons or a specific right, as opposed to a general public law, and is pleaded by title and citation instead of by proving its terms as fact.
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: pleading a private statutejudicial notice of other state lawforeign state law judicial noticesession acts statute pleading