Effective January 1, 2017, Missouri allows “permitless” concealed carry of firearms into most locations in the state, although it still does issue permits to individuals who wish to obtain them.¹ However, concealed carry is still prohibited in a number of locations. No person (even a concealed carry permit holder) may carry a concealed firearm:

• Into any police, sheriff, or highway patrol office or station without the consent of the chief law enforcement officer in charge of that office or station;
• Within 25 feet of any polling place on any election day;
• Within any adult or juvenile detention facility or correctional institution, prison or jail;
• In a courthouse solely occupied by the circuit, appellate or supreme court, or any courtrooms, administrative offices, libraries or other rooms of any such court, whether or not such court solely occupies the building. This includes, but is not limited to, any juvenile, family, drug, or other court offices, any room or office wherein any of these courts or offices are temporarily conducting any business within their jurisdictions, and such other locations in such manner as may be specified by supreme court rule;
• Into any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government or any meeting of the general assembly or a committee of the general assembly, except that this shall not preclude a member of the body holding a valid concealed carry endorsement from carrying a concealed firearm at a meeting of the body which he or she is a member;
• In any establishment licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to that purpose, without the consent of the owner or manager. This provision shall not apply to any bona fide restaurant open to the general public having dining facilities for not less than 50 persons and that receives at least 51% of its gross annual income from the dining facilities by the sale of food. This provision does not authorize any individual who has been issued a concealed carry endorsement to possess a firearm while intoxicated;
• In any area of an airport to which access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property;
• In any place where the carrying of a firearm is prohibited by federal law;
• In any portion of a building used as a child care facility without the consent of the manager. This provision does not prohibit the operator of a child care facility in a family home from owning or possessing a firearm or a driver’s license or non-driver’s license containing a concealed carry endorsement;
• On any riverboat gambling operation accessible by the public without the consent of the owner or manager pursuant to rules promulgated by the state gaming commission;
• In any gated area of an amusement park;
• In any church or other place of religious worship without the consent of the minister or person or persons representing the religious organization who exercise control over the place of religious worship;
• In or on any private property whose owner has posted the premises as being off-limits to concealed firearms by means of one or more signs displayed in a conspicuous place of a minimum size of 11” by 14” with the writing in letters of not less than one inch. The owner, business or commercial lessee, manager of a private business enterprise, or any other organization, entity, or person may prohibit persons holding a concealed carry endorsement from carrying concealed firearms on the premises, and may prohibit employees, not authorized by the employer, holding a concealed carry endorsement from carrying concealed firearms on the property of the employer. If the building or premises are open to the public, the employer of the business enterprise shall post signs on or about the premises noting that carrying a concealed firearm is prohibited. An employer may prohibit employees or other persons holding a concealed carry endorsement from carrying a concealed firearm in vehicles owned by the employer;
• Within any sports arena or stadium with a seating capacity of 5,000 or more persons; or
• Into any hospital accessible by the public.²

Missouri also prohibits any person other than the holder of a valid concealed carry permit or endorsement from possessing a concealed firearm “readily capable of lethal use” into any:

• Church or place where people have assembled for worship (however, another statute described above prohibits people with concealed carry permits from carrying concealed firearms in houses of worship), or into any election precinct on any election day, or into any building owned or occupied by any agency of the federal government, state government, or political subdivision thereof;³ or
• School bus, or onto the premises of any function or activity sponsored or sanctioned by school officials or the district school board.⁴

These restrictions do not apply if the firearm is: 1) not readily accessible; 2) transported in a nonfunctioning state; or 3) unloaded, and ammunition for the firearm is not readily accessible.⁵

No person may possess a firearm in or about the premises of a correctional center, city or county jail, county correctional facility, or private prison or jail.⁶

Subject to certain conditions, counties and municipalities in Missouri may prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms, including by concealed carry endorsement holders, in any building or portion of a building owned, leased or controlled by the county or municipality.⁷ Criminal penalties may not be imposed for a violation, but the local laws may deny a violator entrance to the building, order a violator to leave the building and, if an employee of the unit of government, subject a violator to disciplinary measures.⁸

In addition, the general assembly, supreme court, county or municipality may, by rule, administrative regulation or ordinance, prohibit or limit the carrying of concealable firearms by endorsement holders in that portion of a building owned, leased or controlled by that unit of government (clearly identified by signs posted at the entrance to the restricted area).⁹ The statute, rule or ordinance must exempt any building used for public housing by private persons, highways or rest areas, firing ranges, and private dwellings owned, leased or controlled by that unit of government from any restriction on the carrying or possession of a firearm. The statute, rule or ordinance must not specify any criminal penalty for a violation but may specify that persons violating the statute, rule or ordinance may be denied entrance to the building, ordered to leave the building and, if employees of the unit of government, be subjected to disciplinary measures for violation of the provisions of the statute, rule or ordinance.¹⁰

For nearly all of the location restrictions listed above under Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.107, possession of a firearm in a vehicle on the premises of the specific location is not a criminal offense so long as the firearm is not removed from the vehicle or brandished while the vehicle is on the premises.¹¹

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact

1. See 2016  Mo. S.B. 656, vetoed by the Governor on June 27, 2016, veto overriden on September 14, 2016. For more information, see our page on Concealed Weapons Permitting in Missouri.[↩]
2. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107; see also 2016 Mo. S.B. 656, amending § 571.030.1(1).[↩]
3. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.030(8).[↩]
4. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.030(10).[↩]
5. Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 571.030.3, 571.030.4.[↩]
6. Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 217.360.1, 221.111.1(4).[↩]
7. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107(6).[↩]
8. Id.[↩]
9. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107(6).[↩]
10. Id.[↩]
11. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107. For penalties for violation of these location restrictions, see Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.107.[↩]