3 CSR 10- 5.205: Permits Required; Exceptions

PURPOSE: This rule establishes requirements for hunting, fishing, [and ]trapping, ginseng, and camping permits, and certain exceptions to those requirements.

(1) Any person who chases, pursues, takes, transports, ships, buys, sells, possesses, or uses wildlife in any manner, or who uses unstaffed firearms shooting ranges as provided in Chapter 11 must first obtain the prescribed hunting, fishing, trapping, or other permit, or be exempted under 3 CSR 10-9.110, with the following exceptions:

  (C) Any resident of Missouri sixty-five (65) years of age or older may use an unstaffed firearms shooting range and may take wildlife as provided in Chapter 7 without permit (except all black bear, deer, elk, and turkey hunting permits, Migratory Bird Hunting Permit, and Conservation Order Permit as prescribed);), provided, while hunting, s/he carries a valid Missouri driver license, notarized affidavit, or similar official document proving his/her eligibility based on residency and age, and shall submit documentation for inspection by any agent of the department on request;

  (E) Any person fifteen (15) years of age or younger may take wildlife (except black bears, deer, elk, and turkeys) as provided in Chapter 7 without permit, provided, s/he has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or s/he is in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter 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[.], and may use an unstaffed firearms shooting range as provided in Chapter 11 without permit, provided, s/he has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or s/he is in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult shooting range user 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. Persons under eleven (11) years of age may not purchase firearms deer and turkey hunting permits except as provided in subsection (1)(F) of this rule (see 3 CSR 10-5.215(4)); 

  (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[;], and must use an unstaffed firearms shooting range in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult shooting range user 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; 

 (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. Such person must use an unstaffed firearms shooting range in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult shooting range user 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. 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;

  (Q) For educational or special use purposes, the director may waive small game hunting permit requirements for specified periods at specified unstaffed firearms shooting ranges. 

  [(Q)](R) 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; 

  [(R)](S) 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; 

  [(S)](T) 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, [M]migratory [B]bird [H]hunting [P]permits, and Conservation Order Permit as prescribed), and may use unstaffed firearms shooting ranges as provided in Chapter 11, provided, while hunting, [or] fishing, or using an unstaffed firearms shooting range, 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; 

  [(T)](U) 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; 

  [(U)](V) 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 

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

(3) Any person who camps or otherwise establishes temporary overnight accommodations on a department area must first obtain the prescribed camping permit or be a member of a group of up to ten (10) people where at least one (1) member of the group has obtained the prescribed camping permit. All members of a group of campers shall be jointly liable for obtaining the prescribed permit prior to camping or establishing temporary overnight accommodations on a department area. 

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. Amended: Filed July 13, 1976, effective Oct. 11, 1976. 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 ENTITY 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.