Missouri Department of Conservation Proposes Permit Fee Hikes for 2026 to Address Rising Costs
Jefferson City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has proposed permit fee increases for hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, set to take effect in January 2026, pending final approval.
“Some of it had to do with a non resident survey that we did earlier this year where we asked both residents and non residents about Missouri’s permit prices compared to surrounding states,” Missouri Department of Conservation Deputy Director Aaron Jeffries said to KZRG. “So we’re making some pretty significant changes to non-resident permit prices.”
The proposal, which received initial approval from the Missouri Conservation Commission on May 16, aims to address rising operational costs and align nonresident permit prices with those of neighboring states.
Missouri residents and outdoor enthusiasts have until July 31, to provide public comments before the Commission makes its final decision on September 12.
The MDC, which oversees nearly 1 million acres of outdoor recreational land and issues approximately 2.6 million permits annually, cites inflation and escalating expenses as the driving forces behind the proposed adjustments.
Under the proposed changes, resident permits would see modest increases. For example, a resident fishing license would rise from $13 to $14, and a resident firearms deer hunting permit would increase from $18 to $19.50.
Nonresident permits, however, face more substantial hikes to align with regional averages. A new nonresident migratory bird permit is proposed at $60, and a nonresident trout permit at $40. Nonresident deer and turkey hunting permits would also see significant increases, reflecting public support for higher fees for out-of-state hunters, as indicated by a recent MDC survey.
“(The rate increases will help with the) Bennett Springs Hatchery renovation, Montauk Hatchery renovation, and some improvements we’re doing down to shepherd the Hills,” Jeffries said. “It also goes towards the major renovation at the Shepherd Hills Visitor center, which is the most popular visitor center in the state. It also goes to help with the maintenance and upkeep of our staffed and unstaffed shooting ranges, private land, cost share and then habitat management on our conservation areas.”
Missouri is home to over 1 million anglers, 500,000 hunters, and several thousand trappers, with nonresidents comprising a smaller but significant portion—approximately 43,000 deer hunters, 10,000 spring turkey hunters, and 165,000 anglers annually.
The additional revenue from these permit price adjustments is expected to help maintain and improve MDC’s nationally recognized programs, including nine fish hatcheries that stock over 7 million fish annually, 14 intensively managed wetlands, and conservation areas needing significant repairs. Recent projects include a $30 million wetland improvement at Schell-Osage Conservation Area and a $1.6 million pump station repair at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.
The MDC’s $240.9 million budget is primarily funded by a one-eighth of 1% conservation sales tax, generating about $160 million annually and accounting for 62% of revenue. Permit sales contribute roughly 17%, with federal reimbursements and other sources making up the remainder. Notably, the MDC receives no funding from the state’s general revenue budget or fines from citations.
“We know one out of every four tax dollars here in the state of Missouri is related to outdoor recreation and tourism,” Jeffries said. “So, we know hunting, fishing, kayaking, and outdoor recreation is big business in the state. So, it’s something we keep a pulse on almost quarterly through conservation monitoring, which basically gauges public opinion on how the department’s doing, level of trust, support. We’re able to turn that into economic data too to determine the overall economic value of hunting, fishing, outdoor recreation. We pay a lot of attention to visitorship in our conservation areas. And you know, from there we’re working to determine the economic value of conservation areas across the state, which is going to be some pretty powerful data that we can share with legislators and county commissioners on the importance of public land for the public to use and enjoy.”