This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.
MissouriConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity
Missouri is a permitless (constitutional) carry state as of January 1, 2017 (SB 656). A person 19 or older — or 18 or older if an active or honorably discharged member of the U.S. Armed Forces — who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a concealed firearm in Missouri without a permit (§571.030.3). The Missouri Concealed Carry Permit (CCW) remains available and is worth holding for reciprocity, since many other states honor a Missouri CCW but not permitless carry. Missouri issues a single permit class through the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence (or a city not within a county) and requires an 8-hour firearms safety course that includes live fire (§§571.101, 571.111). Missouri has no statute imposing an affirmative duty to proactively notify an officer that you are armed. Missouri recognizes a valid permit or endorsement to carry concealed firearms issued by any other U.S. state or political subdivision of another state (§571.030.4).
Missouri Missouri Concealed Carry Permit (CCW)
- Issuing authority
- Missouri County Sheriffs
- Carry regime
- constitutional
- Minimum age
- 19
- Fee
- $100
- Training
- Required (8 hrs)
- Validity
- 5 years
Carry practicalities
Permitless carry
Allowed — minimum age 19
Missouri has permitless (constitutional) carry since January 1, 2017 (SB 656). A person 19 or older — or 18 or older and an active or honorably discharged member of the U.S. Armed Forces — who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a concealed firearm without a permit (§571.030.3). Residency is not required to carry without a permit.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Open carry
Permitless
Open carry of a firearm is lawful in Missouri without a permit for any person 19 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm. State law preempts most local firearms regulation, but a municipality may prohibit the open carrying of firearms by a person who does NOT hold a valid concealed carry permit; a person with a valid Missouri permit (or a recognized out-of-state permit) may open carry even in such a jurisdiction, provided the permit is displayed on demand of a law enforcement officer (§21.750.3(2)). Open carry remains subject to the prohibited-place restrictions of §571.107.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Duty to inform
Not required
Missouri has no statute imposing an affirmative duty to proactively notify a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a concealed firearm; §571.030 contains no such requirement. A person open-carrying under a permit in a jurisdiction that otherwise prohibits open carry must display that permit on demand of an officer (§21.750.3(2)), and a person should answer truthfully if an officer asks, but there is no proactive notification duty.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Off-limits locations
- police, sheriff, or highway patrol offices or stations
- within 25 feet of a polling place on election day
- adult or juvenile detention or correctional institutions, prisons, and jails
- courthouses solely occupied by the circuit, appellate, or supreme court
- meetings of a local government's governing body or the General Assembly (while in session)
- establishments licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor for on-premises consumption (bars)
- controlled-access (past-screening) areas of airports
- K-12 schools and higher-education institutions
- child-care facilities
- riverboat gambling operations and gated areas of amusement parks
- churches and other places of religious worship
- sports arenas or stadiums seating 5,000 or more
- hospitals accessible to the public
- government buildings and private property where carry is posted/prohibited
- places where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law
Curated key categories, not exhaustive. Prohibited places are enumerated in §571.107.1. Carrying into most of these locations by a permit holder is generally an administrative/trespass matter (removal and, on refusal, a fine) rather than a felony; a property owner or occupant may also prohibit carry on private property.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Missouri reciprocity summary
Missouri honors 49 states' permits · honored by 36 states
Where a Missouri permit is honored →Whose permits Missouri honors →
Last verified 2026-07-10 against Revised Statutes of Missouri §571.030 — Unlawful use of weapons (permitless carry + out-of-state recognition).
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Get notified when your state's reciprocity changes.
Missouri FAQ
- Does Missouri have constitutional carry?
- Yes. Missouri is a constitutional (permitless) carry state — eligible adults may carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The CCW remains available and is still worth holding for reciprocity in states that don't recognize permitless carry.
- How much does a Missouri CCW cost?
- The CCW application fee in Missouri is $100. The sheriff's application fee is set by statute at not more than $100 for a new permit and not more than $50 for a renewal (§571.101.11–.12).
- Does Missouri honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
- Missouri honors concealed-carry permits from 49 other states, subject to the qualifiers (resident-only or permit-class restrictions) noted on each reciprocity pair. See the full inbound list on the "who Missouri honors" page.
- Where is a Missouri CCW honored?
- A Missouri CCW is honored by 36 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
- How long is a Missouri CCW valid?
- A Missouri CCW is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.