No. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.3, effective January 1, 2017, allows any person 19 or older (18 or older if active military or honorably discharged)...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
No. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.3, effective January 1, 2017, allows any person 19 or older (18 or older if active military or honorably discharged) who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This is known as constitutional carry or permitless carry.
A Missouri CCP under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.101 provides several practical advantages even though the state does not require it:
Apply to the sheriff of your county of residence (or the chief of police of the City of St. Louis). Complete an eight-hour Missouri CCP training course under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.111. Submit the application, fingerprints, training certificate, and fee. The sheriff has up to 45 days to act on a completed application under Section 571.101.3.
Sheriff fees are capped at $100 (standard), $200 (senior, age 65+), or $500 (lifetime). Renewal of a standard CCP is capped at $50. Training typically costs $75-$200. Total first-time cost ranges from $170 to $400 depending on county and instructor.
19 for constitutional carry or a CCP, or 18 if active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or honorably discharged.
Anywhere in Missouri except the seventeen prohibited locations enumerated at Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107. These include law enforcement offices, polling places, jails, courthouses, government meetings, secure airport areas, higher-education campuses, schools, child care facilities, riverboat casinos, gated amusement parks, churches without consent, bars deriving 51%+ from liquor, posted private property, sports arenas with 5,000+ seating capacity, and hospitals. Federal locations (post offices, federal courthouses, military installations) are independently prohibited.
Yes, unless the property has been posted as off-limits to firearms under Section 571.107.1(13). The owner is not required to use specific sign wording; any reasonable posting suffices. Carry on posted property is enforced through trespass after notice, not as a criminal carry charge.
Yes. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.6 specifically protects vehicle carry for any qualifying constitutional carrier or CCP holder. The firearm may be loaded or unloaded, on the person or in any compartment, in any vehicle the carrier is operating or is a passenger in.
Yes, if the firearm is unloaded and the vehicle is locked. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.7 specifically permits this. A loaded firearm in a school parking lot is not protected.
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.6 protects employees from being discharged or disciplined for the lawful possession of a firearm in the employee's personal vehicle in the employer's parking lot. The protection does not extend to bringing the firearm into the workplace itself.
Yes, automatically. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.5 recognizes any valid concealed carry permit issued by any other state or political subdivision. Missouri does not maintain a published reciprocity table; the recognition is categorical and unilateral.
Many but not all. Approximately 35 states recognize the Missouri CCP. Verify with the destination state's attorney general or state police before traveling. States that historically have NOT recognized include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
No. Missouri has no statutory duty to inform. You must answer truthfully if asked, and you must produce your CCP on demand if carrying. Many Missouri instructors recommend voluntary disclosure during traffic stops as a courtesy and safety practice.
No. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.1(5) prohibits carrying a concealed firearm while intoxicated. The threshold is generally 0.08 percent blood alcohol content (the DWI standard). Violation is a class A misdemeanor.
Yes, if the restaurant derives less than 51 percent of gross receipts from the sale of liquor by the drink. A "true bar" deriving 51 percent or more from liquor is prohibited under Section 571.107.1(15) regardless of whether you consume alcohol.
Yes. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 563.031.3, codified by SB 656 (2016), eliminates any duty to retreat anywhere the defender is lawfully present. Combined with the castle-doctrine presumption at Section 563.031.2(1), Missouri has among the strongest self-defense frameworks in the country.
A rebuttable presumption that the defender's use of deadly force was reasonable when used against a person who unlawfully enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle lawfully occupied by the defender. Section 563.031.2(1). The presumption was extended in 2016 to owned or leased private property under Section 563.031.2(2).
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 563.074 provides both criminal and civil immunity for justified force. A defender who is sued civilly and prevails on the immunity question is entitled to mandatory attorney fees, court costs, lost income, and reasonable expenses.
No. Several bills have been introduced in recent sessions but none has passed.
Generally yes at the state level. Open carry is not enumerated as an offense in Section 571.030. However, Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 21.750.3 allows cities to prohibit open carry by non-CCP holders. Cities including St. Louis and Kansas City have adopted such ordinances. A CCP holder is exempt from these local open-carry restrictions.
Yes, if federally registered under the National Firearms Act. Missouri specifically exempts federally registered NFA items from the state restriction in Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.020.2. The federal process (Form 1 or Form 4, $200 tax stamp) takes 4 to 12 months.
No. Missouri does not register handguns or long guns. Federal NFA items are federally registered with the ATF.
No.
No. Training is required only to obtain a CCP under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.111. For constitutional-carry status, no training is required.
The Second Amendment Preservation Act, codified at Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 1.410 et seq., was a 2021 law (HB 85) that attempted to bar Missouri law enforcement from cooperating with federal firearms enforcement. It was declared facially unconstitutional in March 2024 by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (United States v. Missouri) and affirmed by the Eighth Circuit. The substantive carry law was not affected; only the SAPA mechanism was struck down.
The Missouri Attorney General's office investigates and litigates local ordinances that violate Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 21.750. You may also file a private action for declaratory and injunctive relief and attorney fees under Section 21.750.4.
You may appeal to circuit court under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.114. The sheriff must provide written reasons for the denial. Consult counsel.
Notify the issuing sheriff and the Department of Revenue within 30 days under Section 571.107.5. You may continue to use the existing CCP. At renewal, the renewal is filed with the sheriff of the new county.
The CCP becomes invalid. Apply for a permit in the new state. You may carry in Missouri on a permit from your new state under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.5.
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 160.665 authorizes school districts to designate employees who hold a valid CCP and complete additional Department of Public Safety training to carry concealed firearms on school property. The designation requires school district approval and additional training beyond the standard CCP.
| Statute | Subject |
|---|---|
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030 | Unlawful use of weapons, constitutional carry |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.3 | Constitutional carry eligibility |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.5 | Reciprocity recognition |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.6 | Vehicle carry |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.7 | School parking lot unloaded storage |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.1(5) | Intoxication |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.101 | CCP issuance |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107 | Prohibited locations |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.111 | Training |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.114 | Suspension/revocation |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.121 | Driver's license notation, reciprocity |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 21.750 | State preemption |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 160.665 | School Protection Officer |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 563.031 | Use of force, Stand Your Ground, castle doctrine |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 563.074 | Civil and criminal immunity |
| 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g) | Federal prohibited persons |
| 18 U.S.C. Section 922(q) | Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act |
This section reflects Missouri law as of May 2026.
This page covers one part of our Missouri concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Missouri guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.