Missouri Gun Laws

Missouri Gun Law Details

Although there are many common elements regarding gun laws throughout the country, particular states have specific firearm restrictions which originated from their state legislatures. Typically these unique laws come into being when someone has been arrested for a charge they feel isn’t warranted and fights to create a new ordinance. The other type of gun laws are those passed down through the generations. One such Missouri gun law is the “peaceable journey and RV” law. This states that it is legal to carry a weapon in the glove compartment of your vehicle as long as the possession meets all the other legal requirements. This same law applies to the type of vehicle that is considered a “dwelling” like an RV or if someone is traveling through the state on a “peaceable journey.”

Missouri is bordered by eight states including: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. It is located in the Midwest and has the 18th largest population of the United States. Open carry is legal in Missouri with a valid license to carry.

Missouri Gun Possession Laws

You do not need any type of permit to buy a rifle, handgun or shotgun in the state of Missouri. However, it is against the law to sell or loan any firearm or ammunition to anyone who doesn’t meet the requirements for ownership or are under the age of 18 (without permission from a parent or guardian) or are intoxicated. You are not permitted to own a gun if you have been convicted or served a jail term for a dangerous felony. You’ll also be restricted from ownership if you are a fugitive on the run, have a problem with alcohol or drug abuse or someone who has been deemed mentally incompetent to own a firearm.

Missouri Gun Carry Laws

Missouri has both open carry and concealed carry permits available to gun owners who meet the qualifications. First, you need to submit a complete application form with all your identification information. You will also be required to complete a mandatory training course. A background and fingerprint check will be run on your application to make sure you meet the standards. Those standards include not being convicted of a felony including domestic violence, not having a DUI misdemeanor charge within the past five years, not having a dishonorable discharge from military service and/or not having a substance abuse problem.

When your application has been approved you’ll have to sign it in front of a Sheriff as a witness. You’ll then need to present the approved application to the Department of Revenue where they will issue you a new driver’s license with the permit included. You’ll need to have this permit with you anytime you are carrying the firearm.

Constitutional Carry

Missouri law does not plainly state that you do not need a permit to carry. The definition of “Unlawful use of a weapon” was changed to only apply when a person carries a weapon into a place that is off limits according to Missouri law. Anyone who is at least 19 years old may legally possess a firearm without a permit, openly or concealed. This is not limited to Missouri residents. Anyone who can legally possess a firearm may carry it openly or concealed, except where firearms are restricted under section 571.107.

Missouri Gun Carry Restrictions

There are certain places in Missouri where you are not allowed to carry your sidearm even with the proper license. These include any Missouri courthouses or jails, colleges or universities, elementary or secondary schools, riverboat gambling casinos, amusement parks, churches, hospitals or sports arenas that seat more than five thousand people.

Open Carry

Open Carry is legal without a permit but local authorities are able to regulate open carry if an individual does not have a valid permit/license. Places as listed in the “Criminal Provisions” above would apply to those who open carry. Remember that if you enter any property and the owner/responsible person asks you to leave, you must leave. Failure to leave can result in trespass charges. As of October 11, 2014, a valid CCW overrides local laws against open carry, state wide.

Reciprocal Carry

At present, Missouri’s concealed carry law recognizes all out-of-state licenses. Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 571.010 to 571.510. Nevertheless, not all states recognize Missouri’s license. You can apply for a Missouri carry license at age 19.

Missouri Rifle and Shotgun Restrictions

There are certain types of rifles and shotguns that are against the law in Missouri. These include a rifle that has a barrel less then sixteen inches long, a shotgun with a barrel of less then eighteen inches long or any rifle or shotgun that is less then twenty-six inches long in overall length. It’s also against the law in Missouri to use or possess exploding or metal piercing bullets.

Carrying Firearms in Vehicles

Missouri permits anyone who is legally allowed to possess a firearm to carry it without a permit as long as it is not readily accessible, or unloaded (provided the ammunition is not readily accessible).

Do “No Gun Signs” Have the Force of Law?

Yes and No, but such signs have no penalty unless You refuse to leave or repeat the offense in a set time period. Carrying into an establishment that is not prohibited in the “Criminal Provisions” but has a “no gun” sign is not a criminal act, but may subject the individual to denial to the premises or removal from the premises. If such person refuses to leave the premises and a LEO is summoned, such person may be issued a citation for up to $100 for the first offense. If a second citation is issued for a similar violation occurring within a six-month period, such person shall be fined up to $200 or his or her CCP shall be suspended for one year. If a third citation is issued within one year of the first citation, such person shall be fined up to $500 and have their CCP revoked and will not be eligible for a CCP for three years.

Self-defense Laws

Missouri has both Castle Doctrine, and SYG laws. There is no duty to retreat when attacked in any place You have a legal right to be, and You may use deadly force in self-defense if You reasonably believe it is imminently necessary to prevent death or SBI, the commission of a forcible felony, or to stop the unlawful forcible entry into Your dwelling, residence, or occupied motor vehicle.

Duty to Inform Officer

No. Any person issued a CCP or a concealed carry endorsement issued prior to August 28, 2013, must carry the CCP or endorsement at all times the person is carrying a concealed firearm and must display the CCP and a state or federal government-issued photo identification or the endorsement or permit upon request of any LEO.

Criminal Provisions

In accordance with Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107, a person may not carry a concealed weapon (including firearm) in any of the following places, some of which may involve consent:

• Any police, sheriff or Highway Patrol office or station, without consent
• Within 25 feet of any polling place or station on Election Day
• Any adult or juvenile jail or institution
• Any courthouse or facilities related to courts
• Any meeting of a government body
• Any bar, tavern, or the like, without consent
• Airports except as allowed by law, such as commercial transportation in checked baggage
• Schools
• Child care facilities, without consent
• Riverboat gambling facility
• Any gated area of an amusement park
• Public Buses
• Any church or place of worship, without consent
• Any sports arena or stadium (with seating for more than 5,000)
• Any hospital accessible by the public
• Private or public property where posted. Note that cities and localities do not have the authority to ban open carry.
• Specially trained school employees and teacher with carry permits can carry on their school’s campus

However, possession of a firearm in a vehicle on the premises of any of these locations is permitted so long as the firearm is not removed from the vehicle or brandished while in the vehicle on the premises. As a general rule, carrying a concealed firearm in these locations is not a criminal act. However, You may be denied access to these places or removed for doing so. If a police officer is summoned, there is increasingly more sanction for violation.

It is unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm while intoxicated, except in self-defense.