How to Carry Concealed
As a gun-friendly state, it is pretty easy to carry concealed in Missouri.  If you’ve already checked out our Missouri gun laws section, you’ll know that all you have to do is meet a couple requirements. To carry concealed, you must:- Be 19 or older; or
- 18 or older and a member of the US Armed Forces or honorably discharged from the US Armed Forces.
Why Even Apply for a Permit?
If you never plan on leaving the state, or only ever want to carry while in Missouri, then you don’t need a permit at all!  The only time you would want a CCW permit is when you are outside of the state, since certain states throughout the US recognize a Missouri CCW permit, and allow the permit holders to carry concealed just like they would back home.How Do You Get a Permit?
There are a couple requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for a CCW permit.  As a shall-issue state, you will get a permit as long as you meet all of them and fill out the application correctly. All applications need to be made to your local sheriff’s office, either in the county you live in or the city. To qualify for a concealed carry permit, you must:- Be 19 or older;
- Be a US citizen or permanent resident;
- Be a resident of Missouri or a US Armed Forces member stationed in Missouri (or the spouse of a member of the US Armed Forces; and
- Provide evidence of firearms training.
That’s Not All
Just like with buying and owning firearms, there are certain categories that would prohibit you from getting a CCW permit.  Some of the prohibited categories are similar to the ones for owning firearms, and some are identical.  You’ll still want to look over the list to make sure you are not prohibited from getting a CCW though, just so there aren’t any surprises down the line. A CCW permit will not be issued to anyone who is:- Charged with, convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered a plea of no contest, to a crime punishable by imprisonment for over a year or a misdemeanor offense involving violence in the last 5 years;
- Convicted of two or more misdemeanor offenses involving driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs, or possession or abuse of a controlled substance, in the last 5 years;
- A fugitive from justice;
- Dishonorably discharged from the US Armed Forces;
- Adjudicated mentally incompetent within the last 5 years;
- Committed to a mental institution;
- Subject to a protection order still in effect; or
- Engaged in a pattern of behavior documented in public or closed records that leads the sheriff to reasonably believe the applicant would be a danger to himself or others.
Getting That Permit!
Once you send in the application with all the information, including fingerprints, filing fees, etc., you will need to wait around a month, depending on how many applications the sheriff’s office has to go through. If you are denied the permit for any reason, you will receive a letter telling you exactly why you were denied, and how you can appeal the decision.  If there are no issues, you will get your brand new permit in the mail and have to make room in your wallet (or purse) for a new card! The most important thing to remember once you get your permit is to carry it everywhere you go!  The second most important is to remember to renew it every 5 years!
Where Do You Think You’re Going?
A Missouri CCW permit will let you carry concealed both in and out of your vehicle, but there are still places that are off limits even with a permit. Firearms, even with a permit, are not allowed in:- Police stations, correctional facilities, prisons, and jails;
- Courthosues and court offices;
- Any place within 25 feet of a polling place on election day;
- Government meetings and parts of buildings used by a government entity that prohibits firearms in the areas used by the government;
- Secure areas of an airport;
- Bars and lounges (unless you have permission of the owner);
- Restaurants with seating for less than 50 people, where the majority of the income for the restaurant is from the sale of non-food items (i.e. alcohol);
- Publicly accessible hospitals;
- Places of worship;
- Places of higher education, secondary schools, elementary schools, or child care facilities;
- Public areas of a riverboat gambling facility;
- Gated amusement parks;
- Sports arenas with a capacity of 5000 people or more;
- Public transportation facilities or public transportation;
- Private property with signs indicating firearms are prohibited; and
- Anywhere firearms are federally prohibited (i.e. federal courthouses, prisons, etc.).
Reciprocity
The entire reason for getting a CCW permit!  Missouri CCW permits are recognized in all but 13 states and Washington D.C.  A Missouri CCW permit is not recognized in:- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
