Getting a CCW in Missouri (2026)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a Missouri concealed carry permit · Updated October 18, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with your county sheriff and the Missouri Department of Public Safety before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-16.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-16):

• Permit type: Shall-issue — Concealed Carry Permit (CCP) endorsement under RSMo § 571.101, issued by your county sheriff.
• Constitutional carry: Yes — since January 1, 2017 (SB 656), an eligible person 19+ (18 if a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or honorably discharged) may carry concealed without a permit (RSMo § 571.030(3) — persons 19+, or 18 and a member of the Armed Forces or honorably discharged, are excepted from the subdivision (1) carrying offense). The permit remains valuable for reciprocity, NICS-exempt purchases, and buying in other states.
• Minimum age: 19 for permitless carry and permits (18 if a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or honorably discharged — R.S.Mo. § 571.101(2)(2)); federal law requires 21 to buy a handgun from an FFL.
• Duty to inform: No proactive duty. Missouri imposes no statutory display-on-demand requirement on permit holders; carrying the permit with a photo ID is recommended practice. (The carried-with-driver's-license condition applies to the provisional permit, RSMo § 571.101(5).)
• Open carry: Legal without a permit (subject to local rules and prohibited places).

Who can apply

Under RSMo § 571.101 (accessed 2026-10-16), the sheriff shall issue (or deny within 3 working days) to an applicant who:

• Is a Missouri resident 19+ (or 18 and a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or honorably discharged — § 571.101(2)(2));
• Is not disqualified under RSMo §§ 571.060–571.070 (felonies, certain misdemeanors within 5 years, unlawful use, mental-health commitments per § 571.101(2)(2)–(10));
• Provides a valid Missouri driver license or state ID (or military ID + orders);
• Provides the certificate of qualifying safety training (§ 571.111).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: county sheriff (in St. Louis city, the sheriff's office).

1. Complete the safety training (see below) and keep the signed certificate.
2. Take your ID, training certificate, and fee to the sheriff for your county.
3. Fingerprinting (ink or live scan per county).
4. The sheriff checks eligibility through law-enforcement databases and must approve or deny within 3 working days after receiving the application and fee (RSMo § 571.101(4)).
5. Receive the certificate of qualification (valid endorsement), which you carry with your MO license/ID.

Costs

From RSMo § 571.101 and county fee schedules (accessed 2026-10-16):

• New permit: up to $100 (statutory cap — § 571.101; includes fingerprinting).
• Renewal: up to $50 (statutory cap).
• Training: set by the instructor (typically $75–$150).
• Active/retired military and honorably discharged veterans: some sheriffs offer a discounted fee — check with your county.

Training requirement

Yes, for the permit — under RSMo § 571.111 (accessed 2026-10-16), you must present a certificate from an approved instructor (certified by POST, or exempt categories like law enforcement/military) showing an 8-hour course that includes:

• Safe storage, handling, and use of a firearm;
• Legal authority to carry (and prohibited places);
• Basic marksmanship fundamentals and live-fire practice (instructor must observe the applicant handle and fire the weapon).

Permitless carry (constitutional carry) requires no training — training is only for the optional permit. Approved-instructor lists are published by the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: the sheriff must approve or deny within 3 working days of receiving the complete application and fee (RSMo § 571.101(4)) — one of the fastest in the country.
• Validity: permit endorsements are valid 5 years from issuance (until 5 years from the last day of the month of issuance/renewal, RSMo § 571.101(1)). Extended-term permits (10-year, 25-year, lifetime) are also available through sheriffs at higher fees (Missouri Sheriffs' Association fee schedule: 10-yr $200, 25-yr $250, lifetime $500) — confirm options with your county sheriff.
• Renewal: apply with the sheriff before expiration with the renewal fee; the 571.111 training certificate is an initial-application requirement — confirm with your sheriff whether renewals require new documentation.

Where to apply

• Your county sheriff's office (application, fee, fingerprinting).
• Missouri DPS — approved CCW instructors: https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/ccw/
• Statute text: RSMo Chapter 571 — https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=571.101

Sources

• RSMo § 571.030 (constitutional carry exception), § 571.101 (permits: eligibility, 3-day decision, fees), § 571.111 (training), § 571.107 (prohibited locations) — Missouri Revisor of Statutes, https://revisor.mo.gov/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Missouri DPS — CCW instructor certification — https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/ccw/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Site reciprocity data — ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-16)