Missouri Approves $165 Public-Land Deer Permit for Nonresidents Starting in 2027

Nonresident hunters planning a Missouri public-land deer trip in 2027 will need an additional $165 permit. The Missouri Conservation Commission gave final approval to the new Nonresident Public Land Deer Hunting Permit at its October 23 meeting in Cape Girardeau, the Missouri Department of Conservation announced October 26.

The permit will be required in addition to regular nonresident deer hunting permits. MDC says it will cover pursuing, taking, possessing and transporting deer on public land, including conservation areas and other state and federal public lands. The change takes effect for the 2027 deer season, not the current 2026 season.

There is an important wrinkle for bowhunters: MDC says nonresidents hunting small game on public land with a nonresident archery permit will also need the new permit. The requirement is therefore not limited to someone actively hunting deer during a public-land outing.

Hunters staying on private land will not need this additional public-land permit, according to the announcement. That exemption should not be confused with an exemption from regular hunting permits or the rules governing a particular hunt. For a trip that includes both private and public ground, the new public-land requirement belongs in the planning and budget.

MDC describes the change as a response to rising nonresident participation and resident concerns about hunting pressure, particularly on public land. The department reports that Missouri had approximately 20,000 nonresident deer hunters 20 years ago, about four percent of nearly 475,000 deer hunters statewide. By 2025, the nonresident count was about 42,000, or about nine percent of the state's deer hunters. Those are statewide participation figures, not counts of hunters using public land.

The commission initially approved the change in May, followed by a public-comment period in July and August. October's action was final approval, rather than a new proposal awaiting comments. MDC says more than 90 percent of Missouri land is privately owned; the additional permit targets nonresident hunting on the public-land portion, not all nonresident deer hunting in the state.

For next year's trip, check MDC's updated deer regulations and the rules for the specific property before buying permits or traveling. The new $165 charge is an added permit cost, not the complete price of a nonresident deer hunt, and a permit does not replace site-specific access or hunting restrictions.

Illustrative file photograph: a white-tailed buck standing in a field. Photo credit: Mishler, N. & M.J., via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service media library; listed as public domain. This photograph does not document the Missouri commission meeting or establish a Missouri location.