Missouri Minimum Wage Poster: Rules, Placement, and Penalties

Every Missouri employer covered by the state minimum wage law must display the official Missouri minimum wage poster, showing the current $15.00-per-hour rate, in a spot where employees can easily read it.¹ The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) provides the poster free in English and Spanish, and you can download it any time from the agency’s website.²

Who Has to Post It

Section 290.522 of the Missouri Revised Statutes requires every employer subject to any provision of the state minimum wage law (Sections 290.500 through 290.530) to keep a state-approved summary posted where workers can see it.¹ There is no employee-count threshold. If you pay wages in Missouri under these statutes, the poster goes up.

Employers covered exclusively by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and not by the Missouri provisions may fall outside this particular requirement, though they still need the separate federal poster. If you’re unsure which category you fall into, the Division of Labor Standards answers questions at 573-751-3403.²

What the 2026 Poster Shows

The poster in effect from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, centers on the $15.00-per-hour minimum wage.² From here forward, the rate adjusts annually based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, so a new poster is issued each year.

Tipped employees get their own line. Missouri law requires employers to pay tipped workers at least 50 percent of the minimum wage, or $7.50 per hour for 2026. If tips plus that base don’t bring the worker to $15.00 per hour, the employer owes the difference.²

The summary also lists contact information for the Division of Labor Standards, including a Jefferson City mailing address and phone number, so employees who believe they’re being underpaid know where to file a complaint.²

How to Get the Poster for Free

You have two ways to get it, both free:

Download the PDF from labor.mo.gov/dls/minimum-wage. The 2026 poster is available in English and Spanish. Print it at full size so the text is readable from a normal distance.²
Request a copy by mail from the Division of Labor Standards at P.O. Box 449, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0449, or by calling 573-751-3403.³

The statute itself says employers “shall be furnished copies of the summaries and regulations by the state on request without charge.”¹ You never need to pay the government for this document.

Watch for Poster Scams

Companies send official-looking mailers every year warning Missouri businesses of large fines for outdated labor posters. These notices use phrases like “FINAL NOTICE” and quote penalties in the thousands to push a sale. Some are followed by phone calls or door-to-door reps. The posters are free from the state. Any letter demanding payment for a mandatory labor poster is a sales pitch, not an enforcement action. Download yours from DOLIR and throw the rest away.

Where to Hang It

The statute requires the summary to be posted “in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the premises” where covered employees work.¹ A break room, a hallway near the time clock, or a central bulletin board all work. The poster has to stay clean, unobstructed, and legible. A faded sheet or one hidden behind other notices doesn’t count.

Each location needs its own copy. A single posting at headquarters doesn’t cover a warehouse across town. The test: could any employee at that site walk up and read the poster during a normal shift?

Penalties for Not Posting

Missouri treats a posting violation as an infraction, with each day the poster is missing counted as a separate offense. Willful violations rise to a Class C misdemeanor, and the Department of Labor may impose fines of up to $500 for each day the violation continues. An employer who also underpays wages can face liability for the unpaid amount plus an equal sum in liquidated damages, along with the employee’s attorney fees and court costs.²

The posting requirement exists partly to prevent those underpayment claims. When employees see the current rate every day, discrepancies surface faster.

Don’t Forget the Federal FLSA Poster

The Missouri poster covers state law only. If your employees are also covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, federal law independently requires you to post a separate notice explaining the FLSA, including the federal minimum wage and overtime rules. Most Missouri employers need both. The federal poster was last revised in April 2023, and older versions no longer satisfy the requirement.⁴ The DOLIR mandatory posters page at labor.mo.gov/posters lists other notices that may apply to your business, including workers’ compensation and discrimination notices.³

Replace the Poster Every January

Because Missouri’s minimum wage now adjusts annually based on the Consumer Price Index, the poster changes every January. DOLIR typically publishes the new version before the start of each calendar year. Set a reminder each December to check the website and swap in the new sheet; the 2026 poster will be out of date once the 2027 rate takes effect.

Keep your payroll records organized alongside it. Federal law requires employers to retain basic payroll records for at least three years and supporting documents like time cards for at least two.⁵ If a wage dispute lands on your desk, the current poster and clean records are the first things you’ll reach for.

1
Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.522 – Summary of Law and Wage Rate, Employer to Post, How
2
Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage
3
Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Mandatory Posters/Notices
4
U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Minimum Wage Poster
5
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act