What You Need to Know about Permit-Free Concealed Carry in Missouri and Kansas
By now, you probably know that you can legally conceal and carry without a permit in Missouri and Kansas. While this is exciting and many consider a step in the right direction for gun rights, it’s important that you completely understand the details as well as the downfalls of carrying without a permit. Here’s what you need to know.
You can legally carry without a permit within the state that you claim residency in, but other states may have restrictions on your ability to carry. On the flipside, as a Missouri/Kansas resident with a permit you can carry concealed weapons in 36/37 states.
If you are caught carrying without a permit in the 17 places listed in MRS 571.107, you will be arrested and charged with a Class B misdemeanor or a weapons offense. But with a permit, if you are caught carrying a gun in any of these places, you will be asked to leave. If you refuse, you may get a non-criminal admin fine of $100.
You are not required (but are still encouraged) to take important safety and legal training classes. This is convenient, of course, but opens the door for unsafe firearm handling.
Because of this, you are left to pick up knowledge on your own, leaving yourself open to all kinds of litigation – both criminal and civil. For example, if you use a handgun and make a mistake, you could lose everything you own and possibly face jail time. By getting a permit, you will have working knowledge of MRS 571.107 and will know when you are justified in using self-defense.
You cannot carry a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school or a school-sponsored event without a permit. If you do, you violate the Gun-Free School Zones Act. With a permit, however, you can carry in school zones to drop off, pick up, or go to sporting events or meetings inside the school as long as the gun remains locked in the car.
For the safety of yourself and others, Frontier Justice strongly encourages you to take a training class, at the very least. But if you also want fewer limitations on where you can conceal and carry and want to ensure you understand the law, getting a permit is a good choice.
