On November 3, 1992, Missouri voters approved by a margin of 75 percent an amendment to the state's constitution (Article III, Section 8) limiting the years a legislator may serve in the General Assembly. Prior to this provision, Missouri had no legislative term limits.

As originally adopted, the amendment limited the service of individuals elected to the General Assembly to a maximum of eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives and eight years in the Missouri Senate. The amendment also excluded from term-limit calculations any legislative service initiated from elections held prior to the original term limits effective date of December 3, 1992.

In 2002, voters amended the term limit provision (Article III, Section 8) to allow those filling seats vacated after a term's midpoint the opportunity to subsequently run for up to four complete two-year House terms and/or up to two complete four-year Senate terms. Prior to this provision, any partial service counted as a full term, effectively becoming the first of four possible two-year House terms and/or the first of two possible four-year Senate terms.

Lawmakers completing un-expired terms at the time of the partial service provision's 2002 passage must still count their partial service as full terms in term-limit calculations. Senator Victor Callahan was the first Senate member able to exclude partial service from his term limit calculation.

In the Senate, term limits rendered three members ineligible to run for Senate re-election in 2006. Four current members are ineligible to run for Senate re-election in 2008.

These numbers are subject to change as members may resign, retire or be defeated at their next election.

District	Name	Elected	Party	Ineligible to Run In	Notes
1st	Harry Kennedy	Dec., 2001	D	2008	1
2nd	Scott T. Rupp	April, 2006	R	2014	2
3rd	Kevin Engler	2004	R	2012
4th	Jeff Smith	2006	D	2014
5th	Maida Coleman	Feb., 2002	D	2008	3
6th	Carl Vogel	2002	R	2010
7th	John Loudon	2000	R	2008
8th	Matt Bartle	2002	R	2010
9th	Yvonne Wilson	2004	D	2012
10th	Jolie Justus	2006	D	2014
11th	Victor Callahan	Nov., 2003	D	2012	4
12th	Brad Lager	2006	R	2014
13th	Tim Green	2004	D	2012
14th	Rita Days	2002	D	2010
15th	Michael Gibbons	2000	R	2008
16th	Frank Barnitz	April, 2005	D	2014
17th	Luann Ridgeway	2004	R	2012
18th	Wes Shoemyer	2006	D	2014
19th	Chuck Graham	2004	D	2012
20th	Dan Clemens	2002	R	2010
21st	Bill Stouffer	2004	R	2012
22nd	Ryan McKenna	2006	D	2014
23rd	Tom Dempsey	Sept., 2007	R	2016	5
24th	Joan Bray	2002	D	2010
25th	Rob Mayer	2004	R	2012
26th	John Griesheimer	2002	R	2010
27th	Jason Crowell	2004	R	2012
28th	Delbert Scott	2002	R	2010
29th	Jack Goodman	Nov., 2005	R	2012	6
30th	Norma Champion	2002	R	2010
31st	Chris Koster	2004	D**	2012
32nd	Gary Nodler	2002	R	2010
33rd	Chuck Purgason	2004	R	2012
34th	Charlie Shields	2002	R	2010

* Entries with a month denote special elections
** Sen. Koster joined the Senate as a Republican and became a Democrat in August of 2007.

Notes:

1) Senator Harry Kennedy completed more than half of a partial term before winning re-election to a full term in 2004, when all 17 odd-numbered districts were up for election. (Even if his partial-term service were less than half of a full four-year term, the partial term exclusion still would not apply as Sen. Kennedy was in office during the provision's passage.)

2) Senator Scott T. Rupp and Senator Frank Barnitz each won special elections to complete vacated terms of less than two years. Having since won elections to full four-year terms in 2006, they can stand for re-election again in 2010.

3) Senator Maida Coleman completed more than half of a partial term before winning re-election to a full term in 2004, when all 17 odd-numbered districts were up for election. (Even if her partial-term service were less than half of a full four-year term, the partial term exclusion still would not apply as Sen. Coleman was in office during the provision's passage.)

4) Senator Victor Callahan was the first member following the 2002 passage of the partial term provision elected to a seat vacated after the term's midpoint. Having won election to a full term in 2004, Sen. Callahan could run for re-election once more in 2008.

5) Senator Chuck Gross resigned his Senate seat in May of 2007 for a post in the private sector. September 2007 special election winner Tom Dempsey could run for re-election to a full four-year term in November of 2008; and, if victorious then, could run for a second four-year term in 2012.

6) Senator Jack Goodman was first elected in a November 2005 special election held to fill the seat vacated by the July 2005 passing of Senator Larry Gene Taylor. As Sen. Goodman will be serving more than half of the late Sen. Taylor's un-expired four-year term, Sen. Goodman will only be eligible to run once (in 2008) for re-election to the Senate.

Missouri Constitution

Article III - Legislative Department

Section 8 - Term limitations for members of General Assembly.

Term limits language as originally adopted November 3, 1992

No one shall be elected or appointed to serve more than eight years total in any one house of the General Assembly nor more than sixteen years total in both houses of the General Assembly. In applying this section, service in the General Assembly resulting from an election or appointment prior to the effective date of this section shall not be counted.

No one shall be elected to serve more than eight years total in any one house of the General Assembly nor more than sixteen years total in both houses of the General Assembly. In applying this section, service in the General Assembly resulting from an election prior to December 3, 1992, or service of less than one year, in the case of a member of the house of representatives, or two years, in the case of a member of the senate, by a person elected after the effective date of this section to complete the term of another person, shall not be counted.