Local communities soon may be unable to limit concealed carry of firearms. Under Missouri law, local governments are only allowed to regulate firearm possession in regard to concealed carry. Senate Bill 908, proposed by Sen. Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair), would end the exception. Supporters said the bill would create consistent concealed carry rules across the entire state.
“We're dealing with a constitutional right here, and we want to make sure we have uniformity throughout the state,” Hudson said. “We're also dealing with existing state law. It has been in law for decades. We're adding teeth to that, and then with the concealed carry portion, consistency across the board.”
Hudson represents a rural district. Opposition to the bill primarily came from residents of urban areas.
Laura Burke Hartman is a St. Louis County resident and member of gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She said communities should be able to decide their own gun laws because safety concerns differ.
“Rural, suburban, urban areas face distinct challenges,” Hartman said. “The Senate bill 908 preemption prevents local leaders from addressing these issues through targeted policies.”
The bill would also allow a gun owner who is regulated by a local concealed carry ordinance to take their local government to court. If the government is found in contempt, it would have to pay the gun owner $50,000.
Missouri Firearm Coalition policy advisor Aaron Dor said his group believes local laws are infringing on the right to bear arms, and the government should pay the price.
“If a jurisdiction is going to put a gun owner down and arrest him and then prosecute him for an illegal ordinance, that gun owner has certainly earned the right to have a penalty rewarded back to him,” Dor said.
Similar legislation was proposed in 2025 but was never called for a full Senate vote. A new addition to this year’s version of the legislation would also lower the age to get a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18.
