Custodial trusts, transfer of property, how - legal title, beneficial ...
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 404.545
in effect404.545. Custodial trusts, transfer of property, how — legal title, beneficial title, held how — laws applicable to. — 1. A personal custodianship for an adult beneficiary shall be treated as a custodial trust whenever property is transferred to any adult person or financial institution followed in substance with the words "as custodial trustee for ______ (name of beneficiary or beneficiaries) under the Missouri Personal Custodian Law".
2. When property is placed in the name of a custodial trustee, legal title to the custodial property resides in the custodial trustee and beneficial ownership of the custodial property is indefeasibly vested in the custodial beneficiary, subject to the provisions of sections 404.400 to 404.650 .
3. A transfer of property to a custodial trustee under the Missouri personal custodian law incorporates in the transfer all the provisions of sections 404.400 to 404.650 and grants to the custodial trustee, beneficiary and third persons dealing with the custodial trustee, the respective powers, rights and immunities provided in sections 404.400 to 404.650 . By holding property for a beneficiary as custodial trustee under sections 404.400 to 404.650 , the custodial trustee assumes the obligation to administer the custodial property for the beneficiary as prescribed in sections 404.400 to 404.650 and the provisions of any written trust agreement between the transferor or beneficiary and the custodial trustee.
4. The provisions in sections 404.400 to 404.650 respecting court proceedings, court jurisdiction and court powers shall apply to custodial trusts under this section to the same extent as they apply to personal custodianships.
5. The law applicable to trusts and trustees, including chapter 456 , shall apply to custodial trusts under this section in addition to sections 404.400 to 404.650 , insofar as such law does not conflict with sections 404.400 to 404.650 .
6. An inter vivos or testamentary trust that is not a custodial trust under this section may incorporate any provision of sections 404.400 to 404.650 into the governing document of the trust; and the statute as incorporated shall apply with the same force of law as it applies to a custodial trust, including sections respecting court proceedings, court jurisdiction and court powers.
(L. 1989 H.B. 145)
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=404.545Fetched: 10/17/2026