Missouri Gun Laws

Missouri Gun Laws

If you are in Missouri and plan on carrying concealed firearms or open carry, then you’ve come to the right place to learn more about the Missouri gun laws. In this guide, you will learn all the necessary information about carrying a concealed firearm in Missouri and being a responsible gun owner in this gun-friendly state.

Overview

Missouri has been a constitutional carry state since January 2017 and that means no permit is required to openly or conceal carry a firearm. However, Missouri still gives out permits on a “Shall Issue” policy for reciprocity with other states.

There is also no need to register your firearms or get a purchase permit. Some specially trained school employees are also given permission to carry firearms on school grounds.

How Reciprocity Works in Missouri

Every CCW permit from other states is acceptable by Missouri. There are 6 states with written reciprocity agreements with Missouri, and they are Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. There are also 27 states that will still honor a Missouri CCW permit even without the written agreement.

If you are one of the Missouri residents, you are automatically permitted to carry a firearm in Oklahoma even without a CCW permit. However, you need to make sure that you have the state-issued ID on you at all times when you’re carrying a firearm in Oklahoma.

Even though Missouri honors every CCW permit, there are some states that don’t honor a Missouri permit. These states are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.

For Wisconsin, only Missouri permits that were issued after 8/23/13 are honored and Virginia only honors the CCW permit if the holder is at least 21 years old.

Missouri Concealed Carry Permit Requirements

If you want to apply for a valid concealed carry permit in Missouri, here are the requirements that you need to meet:

• Mandatory to be 19 years of age or older or at least 18 years old if is a member of the U.S. armed forces.
• Citizen or resident of the United States.
• A resident of Missouri.
• Gone through a firearms training course.
• Never been convicted or plead guilty to a felony.
• Must not be a fugitive or charged under the state or federal law with any crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.
• Must not have pleaded guilty or be convicted of misdemeanor offenses involving crimes of violence, misdemeanor offenses involving driving while under the influence, or possession of a controlled substance in the past 5 years.
• Cannot be a person judged as mentally ill or incompetent.
• Not dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.

CCW Permit Application and Renewal in Missouri 

To apply for CCW permits, you may follow these steps:

1. Get a certificate of completion from the firearms training you attended and make sure that you’ve gone through 8 hours of training.
2. Provide a Missouri state ID in any form.
3. Some counties might require you to provide proof of residency in the county.
4. The application form can be downloaded online and submitted to the county sheriffs office along with the necessary documents that were mentioned. Some counties allow an online application which makes things much easier.
5. You will need to pay in full using cash, money order, or check.
6. You are required to be fingerprinted at the sheriff’s office.
7. Once CCW permits are approved or denied, counties will usually notify you by phone within 45 days.

For the renewal of CCW permits, here’s what you need to know:

• 3 – 6 months prior to the permits expiry date, you will receive a reminder in the mail to perform a renewal.
• The renewal application can also be done 6 months before the expiration date. However, it cannot be done if it’s before the 6 months and 12 months after it expires.
• You do not need to fingerprint for renewals.

Missouri CCW Permit Fees

Not every county in Missouri has the same fee because it varies from county to county. However, the law states that it must not be more than $100 for a standard 5-year permit.

Using the fees from Boone county as a reference, it will cost you $93 for 5 years, $200 for 10 years, $250 for 25 years, and $500 for a lifetime. The fee for a renewal is $50 for every type.

However, you should take note that the extended and lifetime permits are only valid in Missouri and not other places.

Places Off-Limits for CCW

Here is a list of places in Missouri that prohibits you to carry concealed firearms:

• You are not allowed to have a CCW within twenty-five feet of any polling place on any election day.
• No CCW is allowed in law enforcement agency facilities.
• Any courthouse solely occupied by the circuit, appellate or supreme court, or any courtrooms, administrative offices, libraries, or other rooms of any such court doesn’t allow the presence of a CCW.
• A CCW cannot be present in any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government, or any meeting of the general assembly or a committee of the general assembly employed.
• An adult or juvenile detention or correctional institution, prison, or jail prohibits CCW.
• Any places licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises cannot have a CCW.
• CCW is prohibited in every higher education institution or elementary or secondary school facility.
• You are not allowed to carry a concealed weapon in any area of an airport to which access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property.
• Possessing a firearm in any portion of a building used as a child care facility is not allowed.
• You are not allowed to carry in any riverboat gambling operation accessible by the public.
• CCW is not permitted in any gated area of an amusement park.
• CCW is not allowed in any church or other place of religious worship.
• Any private property where the owner of the private property has posted the premises as being forbidden to concealed weapons.
• A CCW shall not be present in any sports arena or stadium with a seating capacity of five thousand or more.
• You should not carry a concealed weapon in any hospital accessible by the public.
• A public passenger bus or a school bus prohibits the presence of a concealed weapon.

Places Allowed for CCW

While it might seem like many areas in Missouri prohibit persons holding a CCW, there are actually places in Missouri that allow for CCW. For instance, state parks, state and national forests, roadside rest areas, vehicles, and other areas of the state that are not prohibited.

Other Missouri Gun Laws

There are some other state laws that you should be aware of and it can be helpful when you’re in those situations yourself.

Private Gun Sales

If you want to purchase a firearm in the state of Missouri, there will be no background checks required. However, buyers must be at least eighteen years of age and be able to provide some form of state ID to the private seller. It is also not necessary to register or have purchase permits in order to buy a handgun or long gun.

Preemption Laws

A full state preemption over every Missouri law for guns is in play. This means local authorities are still able to regulate the discharge of a firearm and openly carry it if a person doesn’t have a CCW permit. However, the regulations will not be applicable to any individual with a CCW who is open carrying.

Castle Doctrine Missouri (Stand Your Ground Law)

The castle doctrine, also known as the stand your ground law, is a common law principle that ensures private property owners can legally use deadly force to protect themselves from imminent threats posed by intruders.

This law indicates that a person is not legally allowed to use deadly force against others except in the following situations:

• The individual has a reason to believe that deadly force is required to protect himself or herself from death, serious physical injury, or any forcible felony.
• The individual implements the lethal use of a firearm against someone else who unlawfully enters, remains present after unlawfully entering, or attempts to unlawfully enter a dwelling, residence, or motor vehicle owned by the individual.
• The individual uses deadly force against another who illegally enters, remains present after illegally entering, or attempts to illegally enter the private property that is owned or leased by the individual, or is occupied by the individual who was given specific authority by the property owner to occupy the property, claiming a justification of protective force.

The castle doctrine is helpful for people to understand when they can legally use deadly force to protect themselves. However, the castle doctrine would be better explained by a criminal defense lawyer, so if you need more facts for your case, you should consult with an attorney with the relevant experience and skills.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve come to the end of our guide, we believe you will have a better understanding of Missouri concealed carry law. We’ve also covered where concealed carry is allowed and not allowed, so be sure to keep that in mind to avoid legal issues.

Do check out the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section if you wish to know more about the possession of a firearm and its use of it.

FAQs

Can I open carry in the state of Missouri?

Yes. You are allowed to openly carry without a permit in the state of Missouri. However, the authorities are still able to regulate open carry if the individual doesn’t have a valid concealed carry endorsement or permit.

If the individual has one, then he or she is allowed to carry openly anywhere as long as it’s not a restricted area and authorities are not allowed to place any restrictions on them.

What is considered an unlawful use of weapons?

A person commits the offense of using weapons unlawfully when he or she knowingly:

1. Discharges or fires a weapon into a dwelling house, a railroad train, boat, aircraft, vehicles or any building or structure used for the assembling of people.
2. Exhibits, in the presence of other persons, any weapon readily capable of deadly use in an angry or threatening manner.
3. Owns a firearm readily capable of deadly use on his or her person, while he or she is intoxicated, and handles such weapons in either a negligent or unlawful manner or discharges it unless acting in self-defense.
4. Discharges a weapon within one hundred yards of any occupied schoolhouse, courthouse, or church building.
5. Discharges or fires a weapon at a mark, at any object, or at random, on, along, or across a public highway, or firing into any outbuilding.
6. Carries a weapon that is capable of deadly use into a church or a place where people have assembled for worship, or into any election precinct on any day of the election, or into any building owned or occupied by any agency of the federal government, state government, or political subdivision thereof.
7. Fires or discharges a weapon at or from a vehicle, fires or discharges a weapon at any person, or at any other vehicle, or at any building or habitable structure, unless lawfully acting for defensive purposes.

Is there a “must inform officer” in Missouri?

No. There isn’t a state law that requires you to inform the law enforcement officer that you carry a firearm on you. However, you do need to carry your permit along with your photo ID, at all times.

Can I have a concealed handgun in restaurants that serve alcohol?

Yes. The possession of a weapon is allowed in restaurants provided that you are not intoxicated. However, if a restaurant has posted “NO GUN” signs, then you should check with the staff by which area they refer to. If it’s just the bar area, then you have the green light to have a meal at the restaurant without consuming any alcohol.