Conceal Carry:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Permits to carry concealed weapons are being issued at the Sheriff’s Office.  To obtain a conceal carry permit, you must meet certain requirements.  There is a fee for the permit.  Below are some guidelines and a recommended procedure for you to follow.

 

Before you consider applying for a conceal carry permit, you must be certain that you qualify.  There are certain requirements that must be met according to Missouri Law.  Those requirements are as follows:

 

To qualify for a conceal carry permit the applicant must:

 

 

(1) Be at least twenty-three years of age, a citizen of the United States and either:

(a)    Have resided in this state for at least six months; or

(b)   be a member of the armed forces stationed in Missouri, or the spouse of such member of the military;

 

(2)   Have not pled guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere, or been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under the laws of any state or of the United States, other than a crime classified as a misdemeanor under the laws of any state and punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or less that does not involve an explosive weapon, firearm, firearm silencer or gas gun;

 

(3)   Have not been convicted of, pled guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere to one or more misdemeanor offenses involving crimes of violence within a five-year period immediately preceding application for a certificate of qualification for a concealed carry endorsement, or, if the applicant has not been convicted of two or more misdemeanor offenses involving driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs or the possession or abuse of a controlled substance within a five-year period immediately preceding application for a certificate of qualification for a concealed carry endorsement;

 

(4)   Not be a fugitive from justice or currently charged in an information or indictment with the commission of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under the laws of any state of the United States other than a crime classified as a misdemeanor under the laws of any state and punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or less that does not involve an explosive weapon, firearm, firearm silencer, or gas gun;

 

(5)   Have not been discharged under dishonorable conditions from the United States armed forces;

 

(6)   Have not 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;

 

(7)   Not be adjudged mentally incompetent at the time of application or for five years prior to application, or has not been committed to a mental health facility, as defined in section 632.005, RSMo, or a similar institution located in another state following a hearing at which the defendant was represented by counsel or a representative;

 

 

If you have not been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony described above, that would prevent you from obtaining a permit, there is still a possibility that your application could be refused.  If you have had frequent negative contact with law enforcement that is documented, a sheriff may refuse your application based on section (6) above.

 

If you meet the requirements, the first step you need to take is to enroll in a conceal carry training course.  If you do not already have a weapon, you may want to purchase one.  It is not required that you purchase a weapon.  Some training courses will furnish a weapon for you.  If you do not have a handgun, you should ask the training instructor if weapons are furnished before you sign up for the class.  For potential liability, it is recommended that you go through the course using the weapon you intend to carry. 

 

In order to purchase/acquire a handgun, you must do so according to Missouri Law.  You must first obtain a permit to acquire “before” you receive the handgun.  This is explained under the Frequently Asked Questions section, Handgun Purchase of this web page.

 

The course consists of eight hours of training to include live fire.  Issues covered in the training course are as follows:

 

(1)   Handgun safety in the classroom, at home, on the firing range and while carrying the firearm;

 

(2)   A physical demonstration performed by the applicant that demonstrated his or her ability to safely load and unload a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol and demonstrated his or her marksmanship with both;

 

(3)   The basic principles of marksmanship;

 

(4)   Care and cleaning of concealable firearms;

 

(5)   Safe storage of firearms at home;

 

(6)   The requirements of this state for obtaining a certificate of qualification for a concealed carry endorsement from the sheriff of the individual's county of residence and a concealed carry endorsement issued by the department of revenue;

 

(7)   The laws relating to firearms as prescribed in this chapter;

 

(8)     The laws relating to the justifiable use of force as prescribed in chapter 563, RSMo;

 

(9)     A live firing exercise of sufficient duration for each applicant to fire a handgun, from a standing position or its equivalent, a minimum of fifty rounds at a distance of seven yards from a B-27 silhouette target or an equivalent target;

 

(10)   A live fire test administered to the applicant while the instructor was present of twenty rounds from a standing position or its equivalent at a distance from a B-27 silhouette target, or an equivalent target, of seven yards.

 

At the end of the course you will be issued a certificate of completion.  You need to bring a copy of this certificate with you when you apply for your permit.

 

You need to come to the Sheriff’s Office to apply for your conceal carry permit.  You need to bring the following:

 

1.      a copy of your training certificate,

2.      your drivers license, state identification, or military identification.

3.      two checks or money orders, one made out to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for $38.00, the other made out to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for $30.00,

 

At the Sheriff’s Office you will be fingerprinted and photographed.  Because of the pending Hancock issue, you will be asked to sign an informational form explaining potential repercussions if Hancock were to be challenged.  This is for your benefit so you understand what could happen in the future.

 

When you fill out your personal information on the conceal carry application form, be sure to fill out your name, address and license/state identification information exactly as it appears on that identification.  If anything is different on your conceal carry application form, than what is shown on our license or I.D., the Department of Revenue will not accept your permit. Example:  if your license lists your address as Willow Ln. and you fill in Willow St. on the application, the Department of Revenue will not accept it.

 

Following the application process, you will be notified within 45 days if your permit has been approved.  Once you have been notified, you will have seven days to take your permit to your local state license office.  If you go beyond the seven-day period, the Department of Revenue will not accept your application.

 

If the Sheriff refuses to issue you a permit, you will receive notification stating why you were refused.  You can then appeal his decision through Small Claims Court.