A motor vehicle door latch device comprising: - a latch mechanism that engages with a striker to hold a door closed; and - door-opening means that disengages the latch mechanism from the striker, the latch mechanism comprising: ∘ a latch that is pivotally mounted via a first shaft and engages with the striker; ∘ a pawl that is pivotally mounted via a second shaft, rotates to an engagement position where the pawl engages with a full-latch engagement portion or a half-latch engagement portion of the latch to hold the latch, and rotates in a releasing direction to enable the latch to rotate from a held state; and ∘ a memory lever that is pivotally mounted via a third shaft not to overlap with the latch and the pawl axially, the memory lever enabling the pawl to be held in a release position where the pawl cannot engage with the full-latch engagement portion or the half-latch engagement portion when the latch is in the held state and when the pawl rotates in the releasing direction based on an action of the door-opening means; characterized in that the device further comprises a positioning lever which is pivotally mounted via the second shaft, engages with the pawl and comes in contact with the latch, when the latch rotates from the open position to the half-latch position, thereby stopping the pawl at a non-contact position where the pawl engages with the half-latch engagement portion but does not contact its bottom. - a latch mechanism that engages with a striker to hold a door closed; and - door-opening means that disengages the latch mechanism from the striker, the latch mechanism comprising: ∘ a latch that is pivotally mounted via a first shaft and engages with the striker; ∘ a pawl that is pivotally mounted via a second shaft, rotates to an engagement position where the pawl engages with a full-latch engagement portion or a half-latch engagement portion of the latch to hold the latch, and rotates in a releasing direction to enable the latch to rotate from a held state; and ∘ a memory lever that is pivotally mounted via a third shaft not to overlap with the latch and the pawl axially, the memory lever enabling the pawl to be held in a release position where the pawl cannot engage with the full-latch engagement portion or the half-latch engagement portion when the latch is in the held state and when the pawl rotates in the releasing direction based on an action of the door-opening means; ∘ a latch that is pivotally mounted via a first shaft and engages with the striker; ∘ a pawl that is pivotally mounted via a second shaft, rotates to an engagement position where the pawl engages with a full-latch engagement portion or a half-latch engagement portion of the latch to hold the latch, and rotates in a releasing direction to enable the latch to rotate from a held state; and ∘ a memory lever that is pivotally mounted via a third shaft not to overlap with the latch and the pawl axially, the memory lever enabling the pawl to be held in a release position where the pawl cannot engage with the full-latch engagement portion or the half-latch engagement portion when the latch is in the held state and when the pawl rotates in the releasing direction based on an action of the door-opening means;