Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1 enumerates seventeen categories of locations where concealed carry is prohibited regardless of whether the carrier...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1 enumerates seventeen categories of locations where concealed carry is prohibited regardless of whether the carrier holds a Missouri CCP or carries on permitless constitutional-carry authority. The list is exclusive: the statute provides that no other state-law restriction on the location of concealed carry by a CCP holder is enforceable. The constitutional-carry statute at Section 571.030.3 incorporates this same list by reference.
Federal-law restrictions (post offices, federal courthouses, secure airport areas, military installations, the 1,000-foot federal Gun-Free School Zone for non-CCP holders) are separate and independent.
The following list follows the order and numbering of the statute. The categories are stated in the statute as the locations where the CCP "shall not authorize" carry; in practice they operate as criminal prohibitions on carrying concealed in those locations.
Carry is prohibited in any police, sheriff, or highway patrol office or station without the consent of the chief law enforcement officer. The exception covers situations where the carrier has been invited (e.g., to report a crime or to attend a meeting) and the chief officer has authorized the carry.
Carry is prohibited within twenty-five feet of any polling place on any election day. The 25-foot perimeter is the same buffer used for the "no electioneering" zone under Chapter 115 (the elections code).
Carry is prohibited inside any adult or juvenile detention or correctional institution, prison, or jail. This includes facilities operated by the state Department of Corrections, county jails, juvenile detention centers, and pretrial detention facilities. The exception is for personnel acting in an official capacity.
Carry is prohibited in any courthouse solely occupied by the circuit, appellate, or supreme court, or any courtrooms. Mixed-use courthouses (courthouses that also house non-judicial county functions) trigger this prohibition only inside the courtroom and the immediate court area, not the entire building. Each court's local rules typically clarify the scope.
Carry is prohibited inside any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government, the General Assembly, or a committee thereof, except as permitted by the body. The exception is significant: a county commission or city council that wishes to allow carry at its meetings may do so by resolution.
Carry is prohibited in any area of an airport to which access is controlled by inspection of persons and property. This is the post-security zone. The public ticket counters, restaurants, and parking areas of an airport are not the secure area; the area beyond the TSA checkpoint is. Federal law (49 U.S.C. Section 46505) reaches the same area.
Carry is prohibited in any place where the carrying of a firearm is prohibited by federal law. This is a catch-all that picks up federal post offices, federal courthouses, federal correctional facilities, federal military installations, federally controlled nuclear facilities, and any other location subject to a federal firearms prohibition.
Carry is prohibited on any higher education institution's premises unless the governing body has consented. The governing-body consent route is rarely exercised; the practical effect is a no-carry rule across all of Missouri's public universities and most of its private colleges. The exception under Section 571.107.4 is for storage of an unloaded firearm in a privately owned vehicle, which is generally permitted on campus parking lots.
Carry is prohibited inside any establishment licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises that derives more than 51 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of liquor by the drink. The 51-percent threshold is taken from the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control's classification, and the establishment is expected to know whether it crosses the line. A restaurant that primarily serves food and where alcohol is incidental is not a Section 571.107.1(15) location even though it serves alcohol; a true bar where liquor sales dominate is.
There is no carve-out for the carrier who does not consume alcohol. The prohibition is on the location, not on the carrier's conduct in the location.
Carry is prohibited in any public elementary or secondary school facility or school bus, with limited carve-outs:
The school-zone exception under Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.7 also permits the storage of an unloaded firearm in a locked vehicle on school property.
Federal law (the Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 922(q)) prohibits possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of school grounds, with a state-issued CCP exemption. Constitutional carriers do not receive the federal exemption.
Carry is prohibited in any portion of a building used as a child care facility without the consent of the manager. The statute targets the building portion in active child-care use, not the entire building if only part is so used.
Carry is prohibited on any riverboat gambling operation accessible by the public. Missouri's regulated gambling occurs principally on riverboats and "boats in moats" on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The Missouri Gaming Commission enforces the no-firearms rule.
Carry is prohibited on any private property whose owner has posted notice that firearms are not permitted. The statute does not prescribe sign size, color, or specific wording. Enforcement is through trespass after notice (Chapter 569) rather than through a criminal carry charge. A carrier who is asked to leave and refuses commits trespass; a carrier who simply enters posted property is in technical violation but is typically asked to leave first.
Carry is prohibited in any gated area of an amusement park. The statute's "gated area" formulation excludes the parking lots and ungated approaches.
See category (9) above; the statute presents both the bar restriction and an additional restaurant carve-out in adjacent subsections.
Carry is prohibited in any church or other place of religious worship without the consent of the minister or person representing the religious organization. Violation is a class B misdemeanor with the option for the carrier to be removed and denied future entry. A congregation that wishes to allow carry may do so by formal authorization. SB 656 (2016) clarified that the consent of a single authorized person on behalf of the congregation is sufficient.
Carry is prohibited in any sports arena or stadium with a seating capacity of five thousand or more. Smaller venues are not covered by this category but may post under category (13).
Carry is prohibited in any hospital accessible by the public. Hospitals routinely post this notice at their entrances. Some hospitals authorize their security personnel to carry, which is consistent with the statute because security is operating under hospital policy.
The default penalty for a first offense under Section 571.107.1 is a class B misdemeanor, except for the religious-worship category (a class B misdemeanor with the additional remedy of removal and denial of future entry). A second offense is a class A misdemeanor; a third offense involving a felony category becomes a class E felony.
The statute also permits, in many categories, the carrier to be asked to remove the firearm rather than be prosecuted. A carrier who complies with the request is typically not charged.
The Section 571.107.1 list is exclusive at the state level. Locations that are not on the list, and that are not federally prohibited, are open to carry by a CCP holder or qualifying constitutional carrier. Examples:
Federal law adds independent prohibitions:
A useful mental model for Missouri carriers:
| Category | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Law enforcement office | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(1) | Consent of chief officer = exempt |
| Polling place (25 feet) | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(2) | Election day only |
| Detention or correctional facility | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(3) | All adult and juvenile facilities |
| Courthouse/courtroom | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(4) | Solely judicial buildings; courtrooms in mixed use |
| Government meeting | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(5) | Consent of body = exempt |
| Secure airport area | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(6) | Post-TSA checkpoint |
| Federally prohibited | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(7) | Catch-all for federal-law locations |
| Higher education | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(8) | Consent of governing body = exempt |
| Bars over 51% liquor | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(15) | Restaurants under threshold are not prohibited |
| Schools | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(10) | School Protection Officer under Section 160.665 is exempt |
| Child care | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(11) | Consent of manager = exempt |
| Riverboat gambling | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(12) | Public-accessible gaming areas |
| Posted private property | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(13) | Trespass after notice |
| Gated amusement park | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(14) | Gated areas only |
| Religious worship | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(16) | Consent of minister/representative = exempt |
| Sports arena/stadium (5,000+) | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(17) | Capacity threshold |
| Hospital | Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.1(18) | Public-accessible hospitals |
This section reflects Missouri law as of May 2026. Specific signage rules and venue policies change. When in doubt, the carrier should ask, or should remove the firearm before entering.
This page covers one part of our Missouri concealed carry guide.
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