ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.—County Council members gave final passage Wednesday to a measure that mirrors legislation on the books in Kansas City and more recently in St. Louis to require a concealed carry permit.

What You Need To Know

  • Board bill 203 makes it unlawful to sell, lendor transfer a firearm to anyone 16 or younger, except under certain circumstances

  • It also makes it illegal to openly carry or display a firearm in unincorporated St. Louis County without a valid concealed carry permit displayed or provided on demand by law enforcement

  • Violators 18 and older could face a fine of up to $500 and a year in the county jail. Violators under 18 could face the same fines or a combination of fines and community service.

  • The city of St. Louis passed a similar measure earlier this year

The bill passed on a party-line vote, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 4-2. Republican Councilman Dennis Hancock abstained, preferring to send the question to a countywide vote.

Bill number 203, sponsored by County Council Chair Shalonda Webb, would make it “unlawful for any person to sell, give, lend or otherwise transfer any firearm to any person sixteen (16) years of age or younger, except where the relationship of parent and child, guardian and ward, or adult instructor and pupil exists between such person, and the person sixteen (16) years of age or younger, or in the case of a gift or loan, where such gift or loan is made with the consent of the parent or guardian of such person sixteen (16) years of age or younger.”

The measure would also make it illegal to “knowingly openly carry or display a firearm” in unincorporated St. Louis County without a valid concealed carry permit that is displayed or provided on demand by law enforcement.

The measure carries a host of exceptions, including local state and federal law enforcement officers and other officials who have received proper training and are carrying out their official duties.

In 2014, state lawmakers passed legislation that allowed for open carry without a permit, but that state law did not explicitly limit a local jurisdiction’s ability to pass new legislation requiring those who want to carry firearms openly from requiring a permit.

Missouri law requires concealed permit holders to be at least 19 years old.

Under Webb’s bill, violators 18 and older could face a fine of up to $500 and a year in the county jail. Violators under 18 could face the same fines or a combination of fines and community service.

Critics of the county measure say it won’t stop people who intend to carry a gun and also sets up a patchwork of laws because it would not apply to incorporated cities within the county. They point to the lack of enforcement of an existing county law that prohibits people under 16 from possessing a firearm.

“I would hope that our police department would just enforce the laws that are already on the books, which are about an inch thick and we wouldn’t need this extra piece of legislation,” said Councilman Mark Harder.

Webb said she hopes the new law encourages open carry for responsible gun owners.

“We have a situation where we have underage youth carrying guns and they know the law better than us, that they know the police hands are tied, they can’t even address them, approach them,” under existing rules, Webb said.

“What we can’t wait on in my community is the instance where another kid causes violence or harm.”

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page still has to sign the measure. Webb said there would be a need for a campaign to educate the public about the change in law.