Does Missouri Law Require You to Shovel Snow? It’s Complicated

I wish I had a nickel for every Missouri driveway and/or sidewalk that I've shoveled in my lifetime. Spoiler Alert - I don't have any nickels. But, does Missouri law require me to shovel snow? That's a question with a lot of complicated answers depending on several factors.

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Whether or not Missouri law requires you to shovel snow off of your driveway or sidewalk is something I tried to solve by Googling, but that didn't really provide me a definitive answer. Here's what I found.

Rentec Direct says that in general Missouri cities require residents to shovel public sidewalks that cross their property "within a reasonable time after snow or ice storms are over". But then they go onto say "Property owners who exercise ordinary care in clearing sidewalks and walkways are, in general, not any more liable for injuries than those who do nothing". WHAT?

Not satisfied with that big "I don't know", I found a lawyer website (Mathis, Marifean & Richter) which mentioned Missouri's Natural Accumulation rule. They specified by saying "Property owners have no duty to remove snow or ice that accumulates naturally, and the law protects property owners who reasonably attempt to clear the accumulation." They broke that down by saying that you aren't really required to shovel driveways or sidewalks, but if you do it, do it safely. Duh.

Hold on a second before you start rejoicing at not being required to shovel because there's more to tell.

Realty Hop says that there are municipal codes in different cities which may very well require shoveling including one in Kansas City although they say it's vague about what penalties are if you don't do it.

This is the point where I'd love to draw a conclusion for you, but honestly I'm more confused than when I started this quest. My advice (which is NOT legal) is to use common sense. If you're physically able and you have a sidewalk, driveway or walkway that is used by others, I'd shovel it just to be a good neighbor. However, I'd also probably salt it to avoid ice accumulation and someone falling and hurting themselves, too.

Really concerned about this? Contact the authorities in the Missouri town/city you live in and get real legal advice.