From the Missouri Department of Conservation:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo — Missouri is home to more than 1 million anglers, 500,000 hunters, and several thousand trappers. MDC issues nearly 2.6 million hunting, fishing, and trapping permits each year.
To keep pace with continually rising costs of goods and services, MDC is proposing increases for 2026 to some nonresident, resident, and commercial permit prices. Changes include significant increases to nonresident deer and turkey hunting permits to bring MDC nonresident-permit prices more aligned with surrounding states, creating a new nonresident migratory bird permit at a proposed price of $60, and creating a new nonresident trout permit at a proposed price of $40.
Additional revenue from permit sales will help MDC maintain and improve its nationally recognized programs and services for hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, and others. Additional revenue from permit prices will also help MDC with rising costs of maintaining infrastructure at conservation areas, fish hatcheries, intensively managed wetlands, lake and river accesses, and shooting ranges that are many decades old and in need of significant repair or replacement.
Approximately 43,000 nonresidents hunt deer, 10,000 nonresidents hunt spring turkeys, and 165,000 nonresidents fish in Missouri annually. More than 400,000 Missourians hunt deer or turkey and more than one million fish annually.
In response to concerns raised by resident hunters, MDC surveyed both resident and non-resident hunters. While the proportion of nonresident hunters and anglers is low compared to residents, the opinion survey and public feedback showed Missourians generally supported raising nonresident hunting permits to bring them more in line with surrounding states. MDC added that other states also continue to increase nonresident permit prices.
“Across deer, turkey, and waterfowl, one potential change supported by residents is adjusting permit prices to be more in alignment with surrounding states,” said MDC Director Jason Sumners.
The Missouri Conservation Commission gave initial approval to the proposed MDC permit price adjustments at its May 16 open meeting in Jefferson City. The most common proposed permit price adjustments are listed along with current prices and comparable average prices of surrounding states, as applicable.
MDC Proposed Permits Adjustments
(R = Resident, NR = Non-Resident, SS = Surrounding States, NA = Not Applicable, CP = Conservation Partner)
Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Permits
PERMIT CURRENT $ PROPOSED $ AVG $ SS 2024
R Hunting and Fishing $20.50 $22.50 $43.72
R Fishing $13 $14 $23
NR Annual Fishing $53.50 $57 $57.50
NR Daily Fishing $9 $9 $8.31
Trout $12 $12 $12.75
Youth Trout $6 $6 $7
NR Trout NEW $40 NA
Apprentice Authorization $10.50 $12.50 NA
R Small Game Hunting $10.50 $11.50 $27.57
R Trapping $11 $12 $30.13
NR Small Game Hunting $102 $108.50 $126.84
Daily Hunting $15 $16 $66.04
NR Furbearer Hunt/Trap $208.50 $221.50 $258.69
R Migratory Bird $7.50 $8 $14.81
NR Migratory Bird NEW $60 NA
R Conservation Order $5.50 $5.50 NA
NR Conservation Order $51 $54 NA
R Spring Turkey $18 $19.50 $50.69
R Youth Spring Turkey $9 $9.75 $15.25
NR Spring Turkey $243.50 $304.50 $255.22
NR Youth Spring Turkey $9 $9.75 $38.56
R Fall Turkey $14 $15 $53.64
R Youth Fall Turkey $7 $7.50 $21.50
NR Fall Turkey $141.50 $176.50 $219.58
NR Youth Fall Turkey $7 $7.50 $56.25
R Firearm Deer $18 $19.50 $57.13
R Youth Firearm Deer $9 $9.75 $19.69
NR Firearm Deer $288 $360 $443.13
NR Youth Firearm Deer $9 $9.75 $95.46
R Managed Deer $18 $19.50 NA
NR Managed Deer $288 $360 NA
R Antlerless Deer $7.50 $7.50 $22.08
R Youth Antlerless Deer $3.75 $3.75 $14.70
NR Antlerless Deer $27 $34 $90.80
NR Youth Antlerless Deer $3.75 $3.75 $85.50
R Archer $20.50 $22 $55.38
R Youth Archer $10.25 $11 $20.25
NR Archer $288 $360 $456.88
NR Youth Archer $10.25 $11 $96.02
NR Landowner Spring Turkey $179.50 $190.50 NA
NR Landowner Fall Turkey $104.50 $111 NA
NR Landowner Archery $212 $225 NA
NR Landowner Firearm Deer $212 $225 NA
Lifetime Permits
(Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Permits are the same prices. Only fishing is listed).
PERMIT CURRENT $ PROPOSED $ AVG $ SS 2024
Lifetime Fishing Over 60 $38 $40.50 NA
Lifetime Fishing 40-59 $322 $349 NA
Lifetime Fishing 30-39 $376 $407 NA
Lifetime Fishing 16-29 $430 $465.50 NA
Lifetime Fishing Under 16 $295 $320 NA
Lifetime CP Over 60 $75 $81.50 NA
Lifetime CP 40-59 $644 $698 NA
Lifetime CP 30-39 $752 $814.50 NA
Lifetime CP 16-29 $859 $930.50 NA
Lifetime CP Under 16 $591 $640 NA
Common Commercial Permits
PERMIT CURRENT $ PROPOSED $ AVG $ SS 2024
Commercial Fishing $31 $44 NA
Wildlife Hobby $11 $13 NA
Class 1 Wildlife Breeder $54 $63 NA
Class 2 Wildlife Breeder $269 $316 NA
Class 3 Wildlife Breeder $54 $63 NA
Gamebird Hunting Preserve $132 $201 NA
Taxidermy Tanning $32 $38 NA
Dog Training Area $22 $25 NA
Field Trial/Retriever $22 $25 NA
Permit price adjustments are based on the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) related to cost-of-living increases from 2008 to 2024. CPI is a commonly used measurement of the average changes over time in prices paid by consumers for consumer goods and services. MDC is recommending a gradual price increase over 10 years at 50% of CPI growth for resident permits and an accelerated price increase for nonresident deer and nonresident turkey hunting permits to bring these permit prices more in alignment with other states.
Comment during July
MDC is seeking public comments on the proposed permit price adjustments from July 2 to July 31, 2025. Get more information and submit comments at mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/public-commenting-opportunities.
MDC will then compile comments received and share them with the Commission prior to its Sept. 12 open meeting when they will give final consideration to the proposed permit price adjustments. If approved, the changes would become effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Conservation costs continue to increase
According to MDC, the costs of conservation work continue to increase while resident permit prices remain good bargains when compared to surrounding states.
Permit sales account for about 17 percent of MDC annual revenue. Other significant revenue sources for MDC include the Conservation Sales Tax at about 62 percent and federal reimbursements at about 15 percent of total MDC revenue. Sales and rentals, interest, and other sources make up the remaining 6 percent of MDC revenue. Missourians on average pay $24 annually for conservation efforts through the Conservation Sales Tax.
MDC receives no funds through fines from tickets or citations and no funding from the state’s general revenue budget. For more information on MDC revenues and expenses and how those monies are used to help MDC take care of nature, connect people with nature, and maintain the public trust, read the MDC Annual Review for Fiscal Year 2024 in the January 2025 issue of the Missouri Conservationist online at mdc.mo.gov/magazines/missouri-conservationist/2025-01.
