Missouri gun laws: a plain-English guide for buyers

Missouri is one of the least restrictive states in the country for firearm buyers. There is no permit to purchase, no registration, no state waiting period, no limit on magazine capacity and no state ban on semi-automatic rifles. This guide explains how buying, owning, carrying and transporting firearms works in Missouri as of September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice; when a question really matters, read the statute or ask a Missouri attorney.

Buying from a licensed dealer

Every firearm you order from us ships to a federally licensed dealer, an FFL, that you choose at checkout. At the counter you show a valid photo ID, complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check. Federal law sets the dealer minimum age at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. Missouri adds nothing on top of that: no purchase permit, no owner identification card, no registration with any state or local agency, and no waiting period. When NICS returns a proceed, the dealer can finish the transfer the same day. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship straight to your door, so only the firearm itself needs a dealer. You can browse everything in the catalog and see which cities we write local pages for on the city index.

The permit to acquire, and why it is gone

From 1921 until 2007 Missouri required a permit to acquire a concealable firearm. The sheriff of your county issued it, it was good for 30 days, and you needed one for every handgun purchase, whether the seller was a dealer or a neighbor. Senate Bills 62 and 41 of the 94th General Assembly repealed Section 571.090 RSMo in 2007. Since then a handgun purchase in Missouri looks exactly like a rifle purchase: identification, Form 4473, NICS, done.

Private sales

Missouri does not require a background check on a private sale between two residents who may each legally own a firearm. No paperwork is required by state law and no record is filed anywhere. That freedom has a hard edge to it: it remains a crime to sell or give a firearm to someone you know or reasonably should know is prohibited, including anyone under 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian, a person convicted of a felony, or someone who is intoxicated. Plenty of private buyers and sellers meet at a gun shop anyway and pay a small transfer fee so a dealer runs the check and keeps a record. That is legal, sensible and worth the money on a high-value gun.

Age rules

Federal law governs what a dealer can sell you: 18 for long guns, 21 for handguns. Missouri law on possession is looser, and an 18-year-old may generally own and possess a handgun received through a lawful private transfer. Carrying concealed without a permit is a different question and starts at 19, or 18 for members and honorably discharged veterans of the armed forces. Our Missouri concealed carry guide walks through that in detail.

Carrying a firearm

Missouri has allowed carry without a permit since January 1, 2017. Concealed carry by anyone 19 or older who is not otherwise prohibited is lawful in most public places. Open carry is also lawful under state law, with one important exception described below. The concealed carry permit still exists, is still issued by the county sheriff, and is still worth holding for reciprocity when you travel. Section 571.107 RSMo lists the places that remain off-limits: courthouses, detention facilities, police stations, polling places on election day, secure airport areas, meetings of governing bodies, schools and child care centers without consent, bars without the owner's consent, churches without permission, casinos, amusement parks, hospitals open to the public, stadiums seating 5,000 or more, and any private property posted against firearms.

Local ordinances and state preemption

Section 21.750 RSMo gives the state the entire field of firearms legislation and bars cities and counties from writing their own rules on the sale, purchase, ownership, transport or possession of firearms. There is one carve-out: a political subdivision may prohibit open carry by a person who does not hold a valid concealed carry permit. The City of St. Louis used that carve-out in Ordinance 71717, effective July 24, 2023, which makes it an offense to openly carry a firearm in the city unless you hold a permit. Kansas City and some other municipalities have similar ordinances. Nothing in any of them changes how you buy a gun; they only touch open carry. Our St. Louis buying guide covers the metro specifics.

The Second Amendment Preservation Act

In 2021 Missouri passed House Bill 85, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which declared a list of federal gun laws invalid in the state and set a $50,000 penalty for local agencies that helped enforce them. A federal district court struck the law down in 2023, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling in August 2024 on Supremacy Clause grounds, and the United States Supreme Court declined to take the case in October 2025. The practical result for a buyer is simple: federal firearms law applies in Missouri the same way it applies everywhere else, and your dealer will run NICS.

Magazines, semi-automatics and suppressors

Missouri sets no limit on magazine capacity and has no state ban on semi-automatic rifles or on any class of ordinary sporting or defensive firearm. Standard-capacity magazines ship to Missouri addresses normally. Suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns are lawful to own in Missouri when they are registered under the federal National Firearms Act and the transfer is handled by a dealer holding the right federal stamp. The only capacity rule most Missourians run into is a hunting rule, not an ownership rule: during the firearms deer portions a self-loading firearm may not hold more than 11 cartridges. That and the rest of the season structure are in our deer season guide.

Transport in a vehicle

Because permitless carry is lawful for adults 19 and older, carrying a loaded handgun in your vehicle is lawful for most drivers, concealed or otherwise. Long guns travel normally. If you are under 19, or if you fall into a prohibited category, the older rules in Section 571.030 RSMo about transporting firearms still matter, and a firearm carried unloaded and not readily accessible is the safe approach. When you cross a state line, the destination state's law applies, which is one more reason a permit is useful.

Hunting, ranges and where to shoot

Hunting seasons are set by the Missouri Department of Conservation, not the legislature, and they change a little every year. The Department also runs five staffed shooting ranges and roughly 69 free unstaffed ranges on conservation areas, which is where most Missourians sight in before November. Turkey and waterfowl rules, including the non-toxic shot requirement, are covered in our turkey and waterfowl guide.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.