Missouri Firearm Storage

No General Storage Mandate

Missouri does not impose a general legal requirement for how firearms must be stored in a private home. There is no statute analogous to the Massachusetts or California safe-storage laws that prescribe locked cabinets, trigger locks, or specific storage conditions for all home firearms.

The closest Missouri statute is Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.060, which addresses unlawful transfer of weapons, and Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.063, which addresses fraudulent purchases. Neither requires home storage in a specific manner.

Child Access Prevention (CAP)

Missouri has no statewide Child Access Prevention (CAP) law. Many states have enacted CAP laws that criminalize negligent storage of firearms in a manner that allows a minor to access and discharge a firearm causing injury. Missouri has not.

However, Missouri does have a general criminal liability framework that may attach to an adult who knowingly or recklessly permits a minor to access a firearm:

• Endangering the welfare of a child (Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 568.045 and Section 568.050). A person commits the offense if they knowingly act in a manner that creates a substantial risk to a child's life, body, or health. Storing a loaded firearm where a child can access it has been the basis for endangerment charges in Missouri cases.

• Involuntary manslaughter (Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 565.024). If a minor accesses an unsecured firearm and causes a death, the adult who provided access may be charged with involuntary manslaughter under the reckless-conduct theory.

• Negligent storage has been the subject of civil suits in Missouri (parental liability for a child's discharge of a parent's firearm), but no statewide criminal statute imposes a specific storage standard.

Storage on School Property

Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.7 permits storage of an UNLOADED firearm in a locked vehicle on school property. This is the narrow but important exception to the broader Section 571.107.1(10) school prohibition.

The requirements:

• The firearm must be unloaded. A loaded firearm in a school parking lot is not protected by this provision.
• The vehicle must be locked.
• The storage must be temporary (e.g., during the visit or during the school day for a CCP-holder employee).

Section 571.107.1(10) otherwise prohibits any firearm on school property. The combined effect of these provisions is that the only lawful firearm presence on Missouri school property by a non-employee is an unloaded firearm in a locked vehicle.

Workplace Parking Lots

Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.107.6 (sometimes referenced as Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.030.8 in older compilations) protects employees who store firearms in their personal vehicles in employer parking lots. The statute prohibits an employer from discharging or disciplining an employee solely for the lawful possession of a firearm in the employee's personal vehicle. The protection applies to:

• Any employer in Missouri (with limited exceptions for businesses dealing with explosives or other dangerous materials, and certain federally regulated facilities).
• The employee's personal vehicle in the employer's parking lot.
• A firearm that the employee may lawfully possess.

The protection does not extend to:

• The interior of the workplace (the employee may not bring the firearm inside).
• Vehicles owned or controlled by the employer.
• Property where firearms are prohibited by federal law.

An employee who is fired in violation of this statute has a civil cause of action against the employer. Several Missouri cases have addressed the statute since its enactment.

Storage at Home: Best Practices

Although Missouri does not mandate specific storage, every major firearms safety organization recommends:

• Store firearms in a locked container (safe, lockbox, or strongbox) when not in use.
• Store ammunition separately from the firearm.
• Keep firearms unloaded for long-term storage; loaded for defensive readiness during the day at the carrier's discretion.
• Use trigger locks, cable locks, or chamber blocks as supplementary measures.
• Ensure that any firearm in a home with children is inaccessible to the children, either by storage location or by combination/biometric lock.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation's Project ChildSafe program distributes free gun locks through participating Missouri law enforcement agencies.

Storage During Hospital or Court Visits

A CCP holder approaching a Section 571.107 prohibited location (hospital, courthouse, government meeting, etc.) typically has several options:

1. Leave the firearm at home and travel unarmed.
2. Carry to the location, then return to the vehicle to lock the firearm before entering. The locked vehicle is generally acceptable storage.
3. Use a courthouse-provided lockbox (some courthouses have provisions for visitors).
4. For hospitals, contact security; some hospitals will hold the firearm during the visit (rare in Missouri).

Best practice is option 2: lock the firearm in the vehicle's console or trunk, in a secondary lockbox if available.

Storage by Federally Licensed Dealers

Federally licensed dealers (FFLs) in Missouri are subject to ATF storage and recordkeeping rules under 27 C.F.R. Part 478. The rules require:

• A bound book of all firearm transactions (acquisitions and dispositions).
• Storage of inventory in a manner that prevents theft (typically in a locked safe or secure room).
• Compliance with state and local building security requirements.

These are federal-law requirements, separate from Missouri state law.

Theft of Firearms

Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.063 (fraudulent purchase) and the general theft statutes (Mo. Rev. Stat. Chapter 570) apply to stolen firearms. A firearm theft is a felony if the firearm is valued above the felony theft threshold (currently $750), regardless of the manner of storage. The carrier should:

• Report stolen firearms immediately to the local police.
• Report stolen firearms to the National Crime Information Center via the local police.
• Notify the issuing sheriff if the stolen firearm was the CCP holder's.

A CCP that is stolen should be reported to the issuing sheriff so a replacement can be issued (Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 571.111.4).

Statutory Authorities

Where to Look Next

• The National Shooting Sports Foundation's Project ChildSafe program: projectchildsafe.org.
• The ATF's storage and recordkeeping rules for FFLs: atf.gov.
• The Missouri Department of Public Safety's firearms safety guidance: dps.mo.gov.

This section reflects Missouri law as of May 2026. The absence of statewide safe-storage and CAP laws is a stable feature of Missouri law; however, civil liability and the general criminal endangerment framework remain relevant.