State desk
Ranks 28th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Missouri stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 14 Missouri outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Missouri in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2017; optional permits remain available for reciprocity.
Missouri is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Missouri taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 4.70 percent across 7 brackets, ranking 25 of 41 among the states that tax income.
Missouri is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
Missouri charges 29.99 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 29 of 50, which is near the middle nationally. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 48.39 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 29.99 cents.
Missouri is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest17 · Among the Lowest
Retains the death penalty.
Missouri is 1 of 23 states with this rule
4 · Retains it, executions paused23 · Abolished
Not a right-to-work state; a 2017 RTW law was overturned by voters in a 2018 referendum.
Missouri is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $15.00, above the federal $7.25 floor.
Missouri is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters are asked for photo ID; those without one can still cast a counted ballot after signing a statement.
Missouri is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
MOScholars tax-credit ESA is means-tested for most, but waives income for K/1st-grade, siblings, and special-needs students.
Missouri is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Missouri among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present.
Missouri is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Mail absentee ballots require a qualifying excuse, though no-excuse early in-person voting is available.
Missouri is 1 of 13 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail29 · No-Excuse Absentee
Missouri's unemployment rate was 3.6% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 0.1 percentage points from 3.5% in August. It ranks 20th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 18th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 3.9%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Missouri is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court