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Non-Compete Laws in Missouri

Missouri has no general non-compete ban; courts generally enforce an employee non-compete if it is reasonable and protects trade secrets or customer contacts, and may modify an overbroad one.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Missouri at a glance

Status
Enforceable if reasonable (case law)
RSMo 431.202 covers employee non-solicitation covenants and states it does not affect non-competes; courts apply a reasonableness test.
Enforceable against employees
Yes, if reasonable
The employer must show the agreement protects trade secrets or customer contacts and is reasonable in time and area.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Missouri

Are employee non-compete agreements banned, restricted or enforceable in Missouri?

Status in Missouri: Enforceable if reasonable (case law). RSMo 431.202 covers employee non-solicitation covenants and states it does not affect non-competes; courts apply a reasonableness test.

Can an employer enforce a non-compete against an employee in Missouri?

Yes, if reasonable. Enforceable against employees in Missouri: yes, if reasonable. The employer must show the agreement protects trade secrets or customer contacts and is reasonable in time and area.

Where do the Missouri non-compete laws come from?

The rules above come from RSMo 431.202 and Whelan Security Co. v. Kennebrew, 379 S.W.3d 835 (Mo. 2012). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Under RSMo 431.202, an employee non-solicitation covenant lasting no more than one year after employment is conclusively presumed reasonable.

In Whelan Security Co. v. Kennebrew (2012), the Missouri Supreme Court modified overbroad non-compete terms to make them reasonable.

What this means in practice

Read the restriction closely before signing. Note how long it lasts, the area it covers, which activities it bars and which state's law the contract says applies. A choice-of-law clause does not always control, because some states refuse to apply another state's law to their own residents or workers.

Salary thresholds are often adjusted every year for inflation. If a state uses a threshold, check the figure for the year the agreement was signed or is being enforced, and how the statute defines earnings.

A non-compete is different from a non-solicitation or confidentiality agreement. Many states that limit non-competes still allow narrower clauses that protect trade secrets or customer lists. An employment lawyer can explain how the rules apply to a specific agreement.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.