3 CSR 10- 5.205: Permits Required; Exceptions

(1) Any person who chases, pursues, takes, transports, ships, buys, sells, possesses, or uses wildlife in any manner must first obtain the prescribed hunting, fishing, trapping, or other permit, or be exempted under 3 CSR 10-9.110, with the following exceptions:

(I) Any person with disabilities as defined in 3 CSR 10-20.805 sixteen (16) years of age or older with a hunter education certificate card or born before January 1, 1967 and a valid black bear or elk hunting permit may hunt in the immediate presence of an adult who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or was born before January 1, 1967, provided, while hunting, such person with disabilities carries a certified statement of eligibility from a licensed physician, ophthalmologist, or optometrist qualified to evaluate and treat the condition that qualifies them as a person with disabilities. Any adult meeting the age and hunter education requirements prescribed in this subsection may accompany black bear or elk hunters with disabilities without a permit;  

[(I)](J) Any resident of Missouri fifteen (15) years of age or younger may take wildlife as provided in Chapter 8 without permit; 

[(J)](K) Any person born on or after January 1, 1967, and at least sixteen (16) years of age and who does not possess a valid hunter education certificate card may purchase an Apprentice Hunter Authorization for no more than two (2) permit years (March 1 through the last day of February). The Apprentice Hunter Authorization allows the holder to purchase any firearms hunting permit (except black bear and elk hunting permits) as provided in this chapter without display of a hunter education certificate card. Such person must hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and who has in his/ her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or was born before January 1, 1967; 

[(K)](L) Any resident of Missouri with a developmental disability as defined in section 630.005, RSMo, born on or after January 1, 1967, and at least sixteen (16) years of age and who has taken the Hunter Education Certification Course may purchase any firearms hunting permit as provided in this chapter without display of a valid hunter education certificate card, provided s/ he carries a physician’s statement provided by the department and signed by a licensed physician qualified to evaluate and treat the condition described and certifies the person has this disability. Such person must hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and who has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or was born before January 1, 1967, except any adult meeting these requirements may accompany without a permit such person with a developmental disability who is hunting on a valid black bear or elk hunting permit during the prescribed black bear or elk hunting seasons. Printed copies of the physician’s statement form can be obtained from the Missouri Department of Conservation, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 and online at www.missouriconservation.org; 

[(L)](M) Any hospital patient may fish without permit on the grounds of the hospital where under treatment; 

[(M)](N) The director may issue special fishing permits for specified dates without cost to supervised groups involved in rehabilitation programs or groups of hospital patients or persons with disabilities under therapy; 

[(N)](O) The director may issue special fishing permits authorizing persons assigned as trainees to a training or rehabilitation unit performing organized conservation or agricultural work under governmental supervision on federal, state, county, or municipal lands to take fish by gig and pole and line methods and to take frogs by fishing methods on the public lands where such conservation or agricultural work is being performed, under regulations applicable to the area. Any person while exercising such privileges shall carry identification, issued by the training agency, showing current assignment to the training or rehabilitation unit; 

[(O)](P) For educational purposes, the director may waive fishing permit or tag requirements for specified periods at specified sites and may authorize fishing in restricted waters; 

[(P)](Q) Any resident of Missouri having a visual acuity not exceeding twenty/two hundred (20/200) in the better eye with maximum correction, or having twenty degrees (20°) or less field of visual concentric contraction, and any resident who is so severely and permanently disabled as to be unable to move freely without the aid of a wheelchair, may take fish, live bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs as provided in Chapter 6 without permit (except trout permit or daily tag in areas where prescribed); provided, while fishing, s/he carries a certified statement of eligibility from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist or from a licensed physician; 

[(Q)](R) Any resident of Missouri with cerebral palsy or mental disorder or a mental illness as defined in section 630.005, RSMo, and who is so severely disabled that s/he cannot fish alone, may take fish, live bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs as provided in Chapter 6 without permit (except trout permit or daily tag in areas where prescribed); provided, while fishing, s/he is accompanied by a licensed adult fisherman and possesses a certified statement of eligibility from a licensed physician qualified to evaluate and treat the developmentally disabled; 

[(R)](S) Any honorably discharged military veteran having a service-related disability of sixty percent (60%) or greater, or who was a prisoner of war during military service, or any member of the U.S. military currently assigned as a patient to a Warrior Transition Brigade, Warrior Transition Unit, or a military medical center, may take fish, live bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs as provided in Chapter 6 without permit (except trout permit or daily tag in areas where prescribed), and may take wildlife as provided in Chapter 7 without permit (except black bear, deer, elk, and turkey hunting permits, Migratory Bird Hunting Permit, and Conservation Order Permit as prescribed); provided, while hunting or fishing, s/he carries a certified statement of eligibility from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or orders showing assignment to a Warrior Transition Unit or admissions verification to a military medical center; 

[(S)](T) Any Missouri resident who is the owner of land that wholly encloses a body of water, or any member of his/her immediate household, may fish without permit in those waters. In the case of corporate ownership, this privilege shall apply to those corporate owners whose domicile is on such corporate-owned land; 

[(T)](U) Any person may fish without permit, trout permit, and prescribed area daily tag during free fishing days. Free fishing days are the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June; and 

[(U)](V) A customer or guest of a licensed trout fishing area may fish for trout without permit (see 3 CSR 10-9.645).

AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const. and section 252.040, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed July 22, 1974, effective Dec. 31, 1974. For intervening history, please consult the Code of State Regulations. Amended: Filed February 7, 2025. 

PUBLIC COST: This proposed amendment will not cost state agencies or political subdivisions more than five hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate. 

PRIVAT COST: This proposed amendment will not cost private entities more than five hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate.

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.