This amendment establishes a permit requirement for use of unstaffed firearms shooting ranges and identifies staffed and unstaffed firearms shooting ranges.
Acknowledgements
Title 3 – Department of Conservation
Division 10 – Conservation Commission
Chapter 11—Wildlife Code: Special Regulations for Department Areas
Proposed Amendment
Proposed Amendment
(1) Target shooting is permitted on designated public shooting ranges or by special use permit on department areas.
(2) Range use fees and permit requirements—
(A) Range use fees may apply for all shooting activities on the following staffed shooting ranges:
1. Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center;
2. Apple Creek Conservation Area (trap and skeet range);
3. August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center;
4. Jay Henges Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center; and
5. Lake City Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center.
6. Parma Woods Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center
(B) Any person using an unstaffed firearms shooting range must first obtain the prescribed small game hunting permit or be exempted as provided in Chapter 5. Unstaffed firearms shooting ranges are located on the following department areas:
1. Angeline Conservation Area;
2. Apple Creek Conservation Area (rifle/pistol and shotgun patterning only);
3. Atlanta Conservation Area;
4. Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area;
5. Caney Mountain Conservation Area;
6. Castor River Conservation Area;
7. Current River Conservation Area;
8. Deer Ridge Conservation Area;
9. Elam Bend Conservation Area;
10. Flag Spring Conservation Area;
11. Flatwoods Conservation Area;
12. Fort Crowder Conservation Area;
13. Fox Valley Lake Conservation Area;
14. Frank, Emma Elizabeth and Edna Reifsnider State Forest;
15. Gallatin Conservation Area;
16. Gist Ranch Conservation Area;
17. Truman Reservoir Management Lands – Grand River Bottoms;
18. Huzzah Conservation Area;
19. Indian Trail Conservation Area;
20. Lead Mine Conservation Area;
21. Little Indian Creek Conservation Area;
22. Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area;
23. Marshall Junction Conservation Area;
24. Peck Ranch Conservation Area;
25. Pleasant Hope Conservation Area;
26. Poosey Conservation Area;
27. Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial Conservation Area;
28. Ranacker Conservation Area;
29. Riverbreaks Conservation Area;
30. Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area;
31. Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area;
32. Scrivner Road Conservation Area;
33. Sugar Creek Conservation Area;
34. Wellsville Lake Conservation Area;
35. Whetstone Creek Conservation Area;
36. White Ranch Conservation Area; and
37. William R. Logan Conservation Area.
(C) Users of unstaffed archery ranges are exempt from a permit requirement.
(3) Range Use Requirements—
(A) Shooting hours on unstaffed shooting ranges are one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to one-half (1/2) hour after sunset except as otherwise authorized by posting;
(B) Range use shall be in accordance with posted range rules or as directed by the range officer listed on the special use permit, and is contingent upon the right to inspect permits, firearms, and ammunition by an agent of the department or certified law enforcement officer[.];
(C) Only paper targets attached to provided target holders may be used on unstaffed target shooting ranges, except that on portions of shooting ranges restricted to shotguns with shotshells, only clay targets may be used[.];
(D) Use of incendiary, including tracer ammunition, armor piercing, or explosive ammunition is prohibited. Fully automatic firearms are permitted only with a special use permit[.]; [Range use fees are required at some areas.]
(E) Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all ranges and associated parking lots[.]; and
(F) Groups of more than ten (10) people must obtain a special use permit prior to use of a range.
AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const. This rule was previously filed as 3 CSR 10-5.270. This version of rule filed July 22, 1974, effective Dec. 31, 1974.For intervening history, please consult the Code of State Regulations. Amended: Filed June 10, 2026.
PUBLIC ENTITY COST: This proposed amendment will not cost state agencies or political subdivisions more than five hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate.
PRIVATE COST: This proposed amendment will cost private entities an estimated one million six hundred twenty thousand four hundred and sixty-six dollars ($1,620,466) annually.
NOTICE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: Anyone may file a statement in support of or in opposition to this proposed amendment with Regulations Committee Chairman, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or via the department’s website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z49. To be considered, comments must be received within thirty (30) days after publication of this notice in the Missouri Register. No public hearing is scheduled.
FISCAL NOTE
PRIVATE COST
Department title: Title 3—Department of Conservation
Division title: 10—Conservation Commission
Chapter title: 11—Wildlife Code: Special Regulations for Department Areas
| Rule number/name: | 3 CSR 10-11.150 Target Shooting and Shooting Ranges |
| Type of rulemaking: | Proposed Amendment
|
II. SUMMARY OF FISCAL IMPACT
| Estimate of the number of entities by class that would likely be affected by adoption of the rule: | Classification by type(s) of the business entities that would likely be affected by adoption of the rule: | Estimate in the aggregate as to the cost of compliance with the rule by the affected entities: |
| Approximately 120,380 residents and 7,378 non-residents. | Individual unstaffed firearm shooting range users who are not exempt and who do not currently purchase small game hunting permits. | $1,620,466 annually |
III. WORKSHEET
In 2015, MDC and 4-H partnered on an unstaffed shooting range research project that included face-to-face surveys of over 9,500 visitors. The data collected was extrapolated to determine reliable estimates of numbers of visitors, visits per year, residency, age, distance traveled, and other factors. The calculations below are based on data derived from that research project.
Approximately 200,000 unique individuals visit MDC’s unstaffed firearm shooting ranges annually at a rate of 1.5 visits per person per year. Of those individuals, it is estimated that 95% (190,000) are residents. It is estimated that 21% of those residents (39,900) are either under the age of 16 or over the age of 65 and are exempt from this requirement. Furthermore, it is estimated that 29,720 of the residents already hold small game hunting privileges. This amounts to 120,380 residents who do not purchase small game hunting permits who will need to do so in order to use MDC’s unstaffed firearm shooting ranges. The most economical option for these individuals is an annual small game hunting permit at $11.50. The estimated fiscal impact for residents amounts to $1,384,370 per year.
Non-residents make up 5% (10,000) of the unique unstaffed firearm shooting range users. Of those, 8% (800) are under the age of 16 and are exempt from this requirement. Of the 9,200 remaining, it is estimated that 1,822 already hold small game privileges. This amounts to 7,378 non-residents who do not purchase small game hunting permits who will need to do so in order to use MDC’s unstaffed firearm shooting ranges. The most economical option for these individuals is to purchase two (2) daily small game hunting permits at $16 each – a total of $32. The estimated fiscal impact for non-residents amounts to $236,096 per year.
Estimated total private fiscal impact = $1,620,466
IV. ASSUMPTIONS
MDC has preliminary data from an upcoming report entitled, “Estimating the Economic Contributions of Missouri Conservation Areas” from DJ Case & Associations and Southwick Associates. When comparing these preliminary results with the 2015 research project data, we estimate an increase in unstaffed shooting range usage of approximately 19% since 2015.