Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
Permits to Carry A Concealed Firearm
Permits to Purchase A Firearm
Land Tax Sales
Q: Where are the courthouses located?
A: Visit our court information page for maps and directions.
Q: What time is the Sheriff's Department open?
A: We are open Monday through Friday 8:30am until 5:00pm except for state holidays.
Q: How can I contact the Sheriff with a question, concern, or compliment?
A: Call 314-622-4131 or send an email.
Q: Where can I find a telephone directory for the 22nd Judicial Circuit?
A: A telephone directory is available on the Circuit Clerk's web site.
Permits to Carry A Concealed Firearm
Q: What are the requirements for a concealed carry endorsement?
A: According to RSMo 571.101, “A certificate of qualification for a concealed carry endorsement… shall be issued by the sheriff or his or her designee of the county or city in which the applicant resides, if the applicant:
(1) Is at least twenty-three years of age, is a citizen of the United States and either:
(a) Has resided in this state for at least six months; or
(b) Is a member of the armed forces stationed in Missouri , or the spouse of such member of the military;
(2) Has 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) Has 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) Is not 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) Has not been discharged under dishonorable conditions from the United States armed forces;
(6) Has 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) Is not 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;
(10) Is not the respondent of a valid full order of protection which is still in effect.”
In addition, the applicant must complete an 8-hour concealed carry safety training course and submit an affidavit attesting to such completion.Q: What is the fee for a concealed carry endorsement?
A: $100.00 for each application. $50 for each renewal. Cash, money order, or check are accepted. (RSMo 571.101)Q: Where can I complete the required safety training?
A: Please consult your local phonebook or directory for such information.Q: What is taught in the required safety training course?
A: According to RSMo 571.111, the course must include:
(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.Q: How long after applying will I receive the concealed carry endorsement?
A: “The sheriff shall issue the certificate within forty-five calendar days.” (RSMo 571.101) You will be notified when your application has been approved.Q: What if my application to carry a concealed weapon is denied?
A: “In any case when the sheriff refuses to issue a certificate of qualification or to act on an application for such certificate, the denied applicant shall have the right to appeal the denial within thirty days of receiving written notice of the denial. Such appeals shall be heard in small claims court as defined in section 482.300, RSMo, and the provisions of sections 482.300, 482.310 and 482.335, RSMo, shall apply to such appeals.
A denial of or refusal to act on an application for a certificate of qualification may be appealed by filing with the clerk of the small claims court a copy of the sheriff's written refusal and a form substantially similar to the appeal form provided in this." (RSMo 571.114)Q: If I pled guilty to a felony and received a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS), do I still qualify for a permit?
A: No. Felony convictions, including a suspended imposition of sentence, will result in refusal of a permit.Q: I have several parking tickets. Will that disqualify me?
A: No. Parking tickets will not disqualify you, but if a warrant or wanted is issued concerning them, this will cause a delay in the permit being issued.Q: If I have a traffic ticket and my license was taken, will that be accepted in lieu of my license?
A: No. You must either have a Missouri state I.D. or current driver's license in order to apply for a permit.Q: I moved here from another state. Will that driver's license or state ID be accepted?
A: No. Only a Missouri state ID or Missouri driver's license will be accepted.Q: Do I need to update my driver's license if I obtain a concealed carry endorsement?
A: Yes. After receiving the concealed carry certificate from the Sheriff's office, “the certificate holder shall apply for a driver's license or nondriver's licence with the director of revenue in order to obtain a concealed carry endorsement.” (RSMo 571.101)
Please check the Department of Revenue's web site for more information.Q: Do I need a permit to carry a weapon in my car?
A: According to RSMo 571.030, any individual, with or without a valid concealed carry endorsement, over the age of twenty-one may transport a concealable firearm that is otherwise lawfully possessed in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
Additionally, “any person who has been issued a concealed carry endorsement and such endorsement or driver's license has not been suspended, revoked, canceled, or denied may carry concealed firearms on or about his or her person or within a vehicle.” (RSMo 571.101)Q: Does the weapon need to be unloaded if I am carrying it in my car?
A: No.Q: Does the weapon have to be concealed at all times?
A: When carrying on or about your person, the weapon MUST be fully concealed at all times.Q: What is a concealable firearm?
A: “‘Concealable firearm' means any firearm with a barrel less than sixteen inches in length, measured from the face of the bolt or standing breech.” (RSMo 571.010)Q: When does the concealed carry endorsement expire?
A: Once acquired, the endorsement is valid for three years from the date of issuance or renewal. (RSMo 571.101)Q: What if my concealed carry endorsement is lost or destroyed?
A: “Any person issued a driver's license or nondriver's license containing a concealed carry endorsement pursuant to this section shall notify the sheriff or his or her designee of the endorsement holder's county or city of residence within seven days after actual knowledge of the loss or destruction of his or her driver's license or nondriver's license containing a concealed carry endorsement. The endorsement holder shall furnish a statement to the sheriff that the driver's license or nondriver's license containing the concealed carry endorsement has been lost or destroyed. After notification of the loss or destruction of a driver's license or nondriver's license containing a concealed carry endorsement, the sheriff shall reissue a new certificate of qualification within three working days of being notified by the concealed carry endorsement holder of its loss or destruction.” (RSMo 571.104)Q: What if I have a valid concealed carry endorsement and move?
A: “Any person issued a concealed carry endorsement pursuant to this section shall notify the department of revenue and the sheriffs of both the old and new jurisdictions of the endorsement holder's change of residence within thirty days after the changing of a permanent residence. The endorsement holder shall furnish proof to the department of revenue and the sheriff in the new jurisdiction that the endorsement holder has changed his or her residence…A concealed carry endorsement shall be automatically invalid after thirty days if the endorsement holder has changed his or her name or changed his or her residence and not notified the department of revenue and sheriff of a change of name or residence.” (RSMo 571.104)Q: What should I do if I have a concealed carry endorsement and change my name?
A: “The endorsement holder shall furnish proof of the name change to the department of revenue and the sheriff within thirty days of changing his or her name and display his or her current driver's license or nondriver's license containing a concealed carry endorsement. The endorsement holder shall apply for a new driver's license or nondriver's license containing his or her new name…A concealed carry endorsement shall be automatically invalid after thirty days if the endorsement holder has changed his or her name or changed his or her residence and not notified the department of revenue and sheriff of a change of name or residence.” (RSMo 571.104)Q: What if my concealed carry endorsement expires and I fail to renew on or before the expiration date?
A: An additional late fee of $10 per month for each month will be added to the renewal charge. After six months, the endorsement will be cancelled. (RSMo 571.104)Q: Are there places with a valid endorsement I cannot carry a concealed weapon?
A: YES. Such places include:
(1) Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol office or station,
(2) Within twenty-five feet of any polling place on any Election Day.
(3) A facility of any adult or juvenile detention or correctional institution, prison, or jail
(4) Any courthouse or building occupied by a court.
(5) Any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government or any meeting of the general assembly or a committee of the general assembly, excluding members.
(6) Any building owned, leased or controlled by a unit of government, except public housing, highways, rest areas, firing ranges and private dwellings.
(7) Any establishment licensed to dispense intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer for consumption on the premises, excluding any bona fide restaurant open to the general public having dining facilities for not less than fifty persons and that receives at least fifty-one percent of its gross annual income from the sale of food.
(8) Any area of an airport to which access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property.
(9) Any place where the carrying of a firearm is prohibited by federal laws
(10) Any higher education institution or elementary or secondary school facility
(11) Any portion of a building used as a child care facility
(12) Any riverboat gambling operation accessible by the public
(13) Any gated area of an amusement park
(14) Any church or other place of religious worship
(15) Any private property whose owner has posted the premises as being off limits to concealed firearms by means of one or more signs displayed in a conspicuous place of a minimum size of eleven inches by fourteen inches.
(16) Any sports arena or stadium with a seating capacity of five thousand or more.
(17) Any hospital accessible by the public.
(RSMo 571.107)Q: Does Missouri honor out of state concealed carry endorsements?
A: Yes, Missouri recognizes “any valid permit or endorsement to carry concealed firearms issued by another state or political subdivision of another state.” (RSMo 571.030)Q: Do I need a concealed carry endorsement for each concealable weapon I lawfully possess?
A: No, you only need one endorsement.Q: What if I have knowledge that another person who was issued a concealed carry endorsement never was or no longer is eligible for such endorsement?
A: “Any person who has (such) knowledge… may file a petition with the clerk of the small claims court to revoke that person's certificate of qualification for a concealed carry endorsement and such person's concealed carry endorsement. The petition shall be in a form substantially similar to the petition for revocation of concealed carry endorsement provided in this (RSMo 571.117).”Q: Do I need to register my concealable weapon purchased in another state?
A: No.Q: Once I obtain a concealed carry endorsement where am I allowed to carry a concealable weapon?
A: The concealed carry endorsement is valid throughout the state of Missouri .Q: Can I check to see if someone else has a concealed carry endorsement?
A: No. “Information regarding any holder of a certificate of qualification or a concealed carry endorsement is a closed record.” (RSMo 571.101)Q: Am I required to carry my endorsement?
A: Yes. “Any person issued a concealed carry endorsement…shall carry the concealed carry endorsement at all times the person is carrying a concealed firearm and shall display the concealed carry endorsement upon the request of any peace officer.” (RSMo 571.121)Q: Which states recognize Missouri's concealed carry endorsement?
A: Check the Missouri Attorney General's website for current information on reciprocity.
Q: Do I need a permit to purchase a firearm?
A: No, as of August 28, 2007 a permit to purchase a firearm is no longer required. Section 571.090 has been repealed.
Q: Where can I get a list of properties for the land tax sale?
A: All properties being auctioned are listed in the Classified Section (Legal Notices) of the Post-Dispatch under "Notice of Sheriff's Sale Under Judgment of Foreclosure of Liens in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri" (92.820 RsMO). These are published on Tuesdays one week and two weeks before the sale. You may also check the land tax sales page for property listings.
Q: What type of payment do you accept?
A: Cash, cashiers check, or money order only.
Q: When does a property go into the Sheriff's sale for delinquent taxes?
A: A tax suit is filed when unpaid taxes are delinquent for three years. The tax sale occurs approximately one year after the suit is filed. The bids for the sale start at the amount of taxes and legal fees that are owed in the tax suit.
Q: When are the land tax sales?
A: All scheduled tax sales can be found on the land tax sales page.
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