A Class D felony in Missouri is a mid-tier felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.011 It sits in the middle of Missouri’s five felony classes and covers offenses like theft of property worth $750 or more, most drug possession, identity theft in a defined dollar range, and third-degree assault against certain protected victims. A conviction also triggers consequences that outlast any sentence, including a lifetime federal firearm ban, suspension of voting rights during supervision, and a permanent entry on background checks.
Where It Sits Among Missouri’s Felony Classes
Missouri sorts felonies into five classes, A through E, with A the most serious. Under Section 557.021, an offense is a Class D felony when the maximum authorized prison term is more than four years but less than ten.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 557.021 Section 558.011 sets that ceiling at seven years.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.011 Class D is less serious than Class C, which runs three to ten years, and more serious than Class E, which caps at four.
Whether a given act lands in Class D often turns on specifics: the dollar amount involved, who the victim was, or whether the defendant has prior convictions. A theft that would otherwise be a misdemeanor becomes a Class D felony once the property value crosses a statutory line.
Offenses That Fall Into Class D
Theft and Property Crimes
Stealing property or services worth $750 or more is a Class D felony under Section 570.030. The same classification applies regardless of value when the item is a motor vehicle, firearm, livestock, controlled substance, or another category specifically listed in the statute. Taking property directly from another person’s body is also a Class D felony even if the item is worth less than $750.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 570.030
Identity Theft
Identity theft is a Class D felony when the stolen credit, money, goods, or services are worth between $750 and $25,000.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 570.223 Below $750 it drops to a misdemeanor; above $25,000 it climbs to Class C or Class B depending on the total.
Drug Possession
Possessing any controlled substance is a Class D felony, with marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids treated separately and more leniently. More than ten grams but no more than thirty-five grams of marijuana is a Class A misdemeanor. Ten grams or less is a Class D misdemeanor, bumped up to a Class A misdemeanor if the person has a prior drug conviction.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 579.015
Third-Degree Assault of a Special Victim
Third-degree assault, knowingly causing physical injury to another person, is normally a Class E felony. It becomes a Class D felony when the victim fits the statutory “special victim” category, which includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, probation and parole officers, corrections officers, elderly individuals, people with disabilities, utility and transit workers, and highway workers in construction zones.6Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 565.054 – Assault in the Third Degree7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 565.002
Prison, Jail, and Fines
The maximum prison sentence is seven years. Unlike Classes A through C, Class D carries no statutory minimum, which gives judges wide latitude. A judge can also send a Class D offender to county jail for up to one year instead of state prison, a choice that can meaningfully change how the time is served.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.011
Fines can reach $10,000.8Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.002 Judges weigh the defendant’s ability to pay and the financial harm to victims, and may allow payment plans or substitute community service in cases of genuine hardship. Fines and court-ordered restitution are not tax-deductible; the IRS treats fines and penalties for violating any law as nondeductible, and restitution follows the same rule unless the settlement or court order specifically identifies the amount as deductible.9Internal Revenue Service. Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions
Probation Instead of Prison
Felony probation in Missouri runs one to five years. Conditions are tailored to the offense and the person, with counseling, community service, drug testing, and regular check-ins among the common requirements. A violation can extend the term by up to one additional year beyond the original maximum, but only one extension is allowed.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 559.016
Working the other direction, the court can terminate probation early and discharge the defendant at any time if conduct warrants it.11Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 559.036 Missouri also uses an earned compliance credit system that shortens supervision by 30 days for every full calendar month of compliance, a policy that has significantly reduced average probation terms since its adoption in 2012.
When Priors Make the Sentence Worse
A Class D felony sentence can grow substantially for people with prior convictions, and Missouri law uses two separate mechanisms.
First, if the court finds the defendant is a “persistent offender” or “dangerous offender,” the sentence is bumped up one full class. A Class D felony is then sentenced as if it were a Class C felony, with an authorized range of three to ten years instead of zero to seven.12Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.016
Second, prior prison commitments trigger mandatory minimum percentages of any sentence imposed. These set how much time the person must actually serve before release eligibility:
- One prior prison commitment: at least 40% of the sentence.
- Two prior prison commitments: at least 50% of the sentence.
- Three or more prior prison commitments: at least 80% of the sentence.13Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 558.019
The practical gap between a first Class D felony and one carrying priors can be enormous.
Life After the Case
The formal sentence is only part of what a Class D conviction means. Several consequences follow a person long after the case closes.
Firearms
Federal law bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing or purchasing firearms.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Title 18 – Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Section 922 Because Class D carries up to seven years, every Class D conviction triggers that ban. It applies even if the actual sentence was probation with no jail time.
Voting
Missouri suspends voting rights for anyone on felony probation or parole, or confined in an institution. After full discharge from supervision, voting rights are restored and the person can re-register at the local election authority or through the Department of Revenue.15Missouri Department of Corrections. What Voting Rights Do Clients Have, and How Are Suspended Rights Restored
Federal Jury Service
A felony conviction disqualifies a person from federal grand or petit jury service unless their civil rights have been restored.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service In practice, the disqualification lasts at least until the sentence is complete and rights are formally restored.
Employment and Housing
A Class D felony will appear on background checks indefinitely. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act limits reporting of most negative information to seven years, but criminal convictions are explicitly exempt from that time limit. Public housing authorities are authorized to screen applicants using criminal records and can deny admission on that basis, though they must notify applicants and give them a chance to dispute the information first.17eCFR. Title 24, Subtitle A, Part 5, Subpart J – Access to Criminal Records and Information
Getting the Conviction Off Your Record
Some Class D felonies can be expunged, but the statute has a long exclusion list. A petition can be filed only after at least three years have passed since completing the full sentence, including probation, parole, and any other court-ordered requirements.18Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 610.140
Offenses that cannot be expunged regardless of how much time has passed include:
- Any Class A felony
- Dangerous felonies as defined in Section 556.061
- Sex offenses requiring registration
- Felonies involving death as an element
- Assault and domestic assault felonies, and felony kidnapping
- Dozens of specifically listed statutes, including identity theft (Section 570.223), certain weapons offenses, and DWI-related crimes
So a Class D for drug possession or general theft may be eligible, while a Class D for identity theft cannot be expunged because Section 570.223 is specifically excluded.18Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 610.140 Checking the exclusion list for the specific offense is the essential first step before investing in a petition.
How Long Prosecutors Have to File Charges
Prosecutors generally have three years from the date of the offense to file Class D felony charges. Once that window closes, the state cannot bring the prosecution. Certain offenses carry longer or different limitation periods, and there is no statute of limitations for murder or other offenses specifically exempted by statute. For the typical Class D felony, three years is the deadline, though actions like fleeing the state can pause the clock.