(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: (A) A resident landowner or lessee, as defined in this Code, may hunt, trap, or fish as prescribed in Chapters 6, 7, and 8 without permit (except landowner deer and turkey hunting permits, Migratory Bird Hunting Permit, and Conservation Order Permit as prescribed), but only on land s/he owns or, in the case of the lessee, upon which s/he resides, and may transport and possess wildlife so taken; (B) Any resident of Missouri sixty-five (65) years of age or older 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 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; (C) Any resident of Missouri sixty-five (65) years of age or older may take wildlife as provided in Chapter 7 without permit (except all special 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; (D) Any person fifteen (15) years of age or younger 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); except that fish may be taken only by gig, bow, crossbow, snagging, snaring, grabbing, and by pole and line; (E) Any person fifteen (15) years of age or younger may take wildlife (except deer and turkey) 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. 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)); (F) Any person at least six (6) but not older than fifteen (15) years of age may purchase Deer and Turkey Hunting Permits 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 has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card or was born before January 1, 1967; (G) Any resident of Missouri fifteen (15) years of age or younger may take wildlife as provided in Chapter 8 without permit, except for cable restraint device requirements in rule 3 CSR 10-8.510 subsection (4)(B); (H) 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 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; (I) 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 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. 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; (J) Any hospital patient may fish without permit on the grounds of the hospital where under treatment; (K) 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; (L) 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; (M) 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; (N) 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; (O) Any resident of Missouri with cerebral palsy or a 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; (P) 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 deer 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; (Q) 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 corporateowned land; (R) 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 (S) A customer or guest of a licensed trout fishing area may fish for trout without permit (see 3 CSR 10-9.645).
Citation: 3 Mo. Code of State Regulations 10-5.205