CCW - Frequently Asked Questions
Answered by: State Representative Larry Crawford

1. Where can I apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon?

In most counties and in St. Louis, you should apply at the sheriff's office. In St. Louis County, apply at the St. Louis County Police Department.

2. What type of gun safety course do I have to take?

You must pass a minimum eight-hour course taught by an instructor who is certified as a police firearms safety instructor, by a state, federal or local agency, or by the National Rifle Association. The course also includes live firing exercises, gun safety classes, the new License-to-Carry law and laws related to the lawful use of force, and will be a minimum of eight hours. Time and market conditions will set the price.

3. What are the qualifications to get a permit?

You must be at least 21 years old and have lived in the state at least six months or be a member of the armed forces or a soldier's spouse. You must pass a background check and a gun safety course. [Note, the six-month minimum was dropped from the residency requirement with passage of new law in August 2007.]

4. How much does a permit cost?

$95.00. After three years, there will be a $50 renewal fee. Training costs will be separate and in addition to the permit fees. Training course fees will be set by private instructors or governmental agencies that offer the course.

5. How is the background check conducted?

You will be fingerprinted, and the prints will be sent to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The patrol will run the prints through its criminal records database and forward them electronically to the FBI.

6. What type of criminal record will disqualify me?

You cannot have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony. Within the last five years, you also cannot have had two or more DWI or drug possession convictions or a record of misdemeanors that includes unspecified "crimes of violence."

7. Any other disqualifiers?

Yes. You cannot have been committed to a mental health facility in the last five years or have a full order of protection issued against you. You also cannot have "engaged in a pattern of behavior, documented in public records, that causes the sheriff to have a reasonable belief that the applicant presents a danger to himself or others."

8. How long does the sheriff have to make a decision on my application?

The sheriff has 45 days. If the background check is not done by then, the sheriff must issue the permit. It can be revoked later if a disqualifying factor is found.

9. What will the permit look like?

The sheriff will give you a certificate of qualification which you must then take to the Missouri Department of Revenue within seven days. The Department of Revenue issues new drivers licenses and/or non-drivers licenses that include endorsements for those certified to carry concealed weapons.

10. What if the sheriff denies the permit?

You can appeal to small claims court. If you lose, you can request a trial in circuit court.

11. If I get a permit, can I carry my concealed gun everywhere?

No. You cannot carry it into a police station, polling place, prison, jail, courtroom, airport, hospital, or sports stadium that seats at least 5,000 people. You also can't take a gun into meetings of the governing body of a city or county or the state Legislature. Those public bodies can restrict guns in their buildings by posting signs. Guns cannot be taken into bars, casinos, amusement parks, child-care facilities, schools, colleges or places representing those organizations. Your training course will provide information on where you can and cannot carry.

12. Are there special provisions for elected officials?

Yes. Permit-holding members of city and county governing bodies and the Legislature can carry hidden guns into their own meetings, unless the governing bodies enact rules prohibiting carry.

13. What about private property?

Owners of private property can post their premises as being off limits to concealed guns. Signs must be at least 11 by 14 inches with lettering at least one inch tall.

14. Is it a crime to carry a concealed weapon into prohibited places?

No. But you can be removed from the premises. If you refuse to leave, you can be fined up to $100. For the second offense within six months, you can be fined $200 and lose your permit for a year.

15. What can I do if I know that an ineligible person has a permit?

You can file a petition with the small claims court to revoke that person's permit. However, if the court decides you acted "without justification" or to harass the permit holder, you can be ordered to pay court costs, including at least $150 an hour for attorneys' fees.

16. Can I check public records to determine if my neighbor has a concealed weapons permit?

No. The records are closed.