Resident permit · CA → MO
Is a California Resident Permit Valid in Missouri?
Carrying in Missouri is legal for you. Your California resident permit is recognized, and Missouri additionally allows permitless concealed carry for those who qualify.
Why
- Missouri recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Missouri allows permitless carry, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
RSMo 571.107.1 gives 'a concealed carry endorsement or permit issued by another state or political subdivision of another state' the same statewide effect as a Missouri permit; the AG confirms Missouri recognizes permits from every state that issues them. No issuing-state residency condition.
The permit (California)
- Permit
- California Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) License
- Issued by
- County sheriff or city police chief
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Missouri)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Missouri
Missouri's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.
- No proactive duty to inform. Permit holders must carry the permit plus photo ID and display them on a peace officer's request (RSMo 571.121); failure is a civil citation up to $35, not a crime.
- Missouri sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Missouri allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Any person 19+ (18 if military or honorably discharged) may carry a loaded concealable firearm in the passenger compartment of a vehicle without a permit (RSMo 571.030.3).
Off-limits places in Missouri
Missouri bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Police, sheriff or highway patrol stations
- Within 25 feet of a polling place on election day
California vs Missouri: what changes at the state line
Crossing from California into Missouri changes 4 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (Restricted → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | California | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
| Open carry | Restricted | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Missouri resident permit in California: not recognized.
Driving on from Missouri
How a California resident permit fares in the states bordering Missouri:
- Arkansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Illinois — Not recognized
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Kansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Kentucky — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Nebraska — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Oklahoma — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Missouri honor a California non-resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Missouri resident permit holder carry in California?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on California's law, not Missouri's.
- Where does Missouri publish its official reciprocity list?
- Missouri publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Missouri Attorney General — Concealed Carry Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- RSMo 571.101 — Concealed carry permits, application requirements — accessed 2026-08-08
- RSMo 571.030 — Unlawful use of weapons, exceptions — accessed 2026-08-08
- RSMo 571.107 — Permit does not authorize concealed firearms, where — accessed 2026-08-08
- RSMo 571.121 — Duty to carry and display permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- RSMo 571.111 — Firearms safety training course requirements — accessed 2026-09-27
- RSMo 21.750 — State preemption; local regulation of open carry — accessed 2026-09-27
- California DOJ — Firearms FAQs (out-of-state permits not valid; 10-round magazine limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26150 (CA Legislature) — shall-issue standard, age 21, county residency/employment — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26230 (CA Legislature) — sensitive places off-limits to CCW licensees (SB 2) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 25610 (CA Legislature) — unlicensed vehicle transport (unloaded, locked container) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26350 (CA Legislature) — crime of openly carrying an unloaded handgun — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26190 (CA Legislature) — license fees (DOJ + local) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26165 (CA Legislature) — 16-hour training course and live fire — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26220 (CA Legislature) — license term (2 years) — accessed 2026-09-27
- California Penal Code § 26150 (as amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 570, AB 1078, eff. 2026-01-01) — accessed 2026-09-27