Missouri has no state drone license. Recreational pilots need the free FAA TRUST certificate and commercial pilots need a Part 107 certificate, plus FAA registration for drones of 250 g or more. Missouri law bans flying within 400 ft over prisons and over large open-air venues such as Arrowhead Stadium, and drones on Missouri Department of Conservation areas need a special use permit.
Do you need a drone license in Missouri?
Not from the state. FAA rules apply:
- Recreational: pass the free TRUST test. Register with the FAA ($5, 3 years) if your drone weighs 250 g or more.
- Commercial: a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate for real estate, ag, inspections and paid content.
- Airspace: St. Louis and Kansas City sit in Class B airspace, and Springfield is Class C. Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood add military airspace. Use LAANC and stay at or below 400 ft.
Missouri state drone laws
Two laws from 2020 (House Bill 1963) target drones directly:
- Correctional centers (RSMo 217.850): you can't fly within 400 ft over a prison or jail's secure perimeter, or let a drone touch the facility. The base violation is an infraction, but delivering weapons, drugs or helping an escape are felonies.
- Open-air facilities (RSMo 577.800): you can't fly within 400 ft of the ground inside the property line of a roofless sports, music or entertainment venue that holds 5,000 or more people. Penalties also rise to felonies for delivering weapons or drugs.
Other laws:
- Privacy (RSMo 565.252): photographing or filming someone in a state of nudity where they expect privacy, without consent, is a crime, by drone or any camera.
- Wildlife: the Wildlife Code bans using drones to pursue, take, drive or harass wildlife.
Where you can fly in Missouri
- Conservation areas: you need a special use permit from MDC to launch, land or operate a drone on any of its conservation areas. Using a drone to recover a wounded deer, turkey, bear or elk requires prior authorization from a conservation agent.
- State parks: professional or commercial filming needs approval from the Division of State Parks. Ask the park about recreational flights.
- National park units: banned at the Gateway Arch, Ozark National Scenic Riverways and other NPS sites.
- National forest: Mark Twain National Forest generally allows drones outside wilderness areas and TFRs.
- City and county parks: Jackson County limits drones to designated areas with a permit, and St. Louis restricts them to designated parks.
Before you fly in Missouri
- Check airspace and TFRs in B4UFLY or Aloft. Chiefs, Royals and Cardinals games bring stadium restrictions.
- Stay away from prisons and large outdoor venues.
- Get an MDC permit before flying on conservation land.
- Carry your TRUST certificate or Part 107 card.
A sub-250 g drone like the DJI Mini 4 Pro or Mini 5 Pro needs no recreational registration. Read the statutes on the Missouri Revisor site, and compare neighbors in drone laws by state.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
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