Missouri gun laws: a plain-English guide for buyers

Missouri is one of the simpler states to buy and own a firearm in, but a few rules still matter: who can buy, how a sale works at the dealer, where you can carry and how to move a gun across state lines. This guide covers the rules as they stood in September 2026. Laws change, and nothing here is legal advice; when in doubt, check with your county sheriff or a Missouri attorney.

Buying a gun in Missouri

Missouri repealed its permit-to-purchase law in 2007. There is no state gun registration and no state waiting period. When you buy from a licensed dealer, you show a valid government photo ID, complete ATF Form 4473 and pass a background check through the federal NICS system. If the check comes back as proceed, the dealer can release the firearm the same day.

Federal law sets the ages: 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun from a dealer and 21 to buy a handgun. You must buy a handgun in your state of residence, which is why every handgun we sell to a Missouri customer goes to a Missouri dealer. Rifles and shotguns can be transferred by a dealer in another state if the sale is legal in both states, but most buyers simply pick a dealer near home.

Private sales between two Missouri residents do not require a background check under state law. Federal law still forbids selling to anyone you know or have reason to believe is prohibited, so many private sellers use a dealer anyway.

Ordering online

When you order a firearm from our catalog, you choose a licensed dealer near you at checkout. We ship the firearm to that dealer, the dealer logs it in and calls you, and you complete the Form 4473 and background check at the counter. The dealer charges a transfer fee, commonly $25 to $50 per gun. Ammunition, optics, holsters and most parts do not need a dealer and ship to your door. Our city pages list the sheriff, seasons and ranges for 22 Missouri cities.

Concealed and open carry

Since January 1, 2017, anyone 19 or older (18 for members of the armed forces) who can legally possess a firearm may carry a concealed handgun in Missouri without a permit. Open carry is also legal under state law, but cities and counties may regulate open carry, so a permit holder has the clearest footing. Read our Missouri concealed carry guide for the details.

The Missouri concealed carry permit still exists and is worth having for many people. It is issued by the sheriff of the county where you live, it is honored in more states than permitless carry, and it lets you carry in some places where permitless carriers cannot. The permit requires a firearms safety course of at least 8 hours, including live fire.

Where you cannot carry

Missouri law lists places where concealed carry is off limits even with a permit, including police stations, courthouses, polling places on election day, jails, bars that get most of their income from alcohol unless the manager allows it, schools and colleges unless authorized, and posted private property. Federal buildings and post offices are off limits under federal law. Businesses can post a sign; carrying past it is generally not a crime by itself, but you can be asked to leave and cited if you refuse.

Transporting firearms

Inside Missouri, you may carry a firearm in your vehicle, loaded or unloaded, if you are allowed to possess it. When you drive through other states, the federal safe passage law protects travelers whose guns are unloaded and locked out of reach, but states such as Illinois have their own rules. Check the laws of every state on your route.

Magazines and rifles

Missouri has no state limit on magazine capacity and no ban on semi-automatic rifles, so standard-capacity magazines and AR-15 style rifles ship to Missouri normally. For deer hunting, the Missouri Department of Conservation sets its own rules on firearms and magazines, which are covered in our deer rifle guide.

Who cannot buy

Federal and state law bar certain people from owning guns, including anyone convicted of a felony, anyone under a qualifying domestic violence order or conviction, unlawful drug users, and people adjudicated mentally incompetent. If you are not sure, talk to an attorney before you buy. A denied background check can be appealed through the FBI NICS appeals process.