On October 11, 2003, a new concealed carry law will go into effect in Missouri. This law authorizes individuals who have obtained a concealed carry endorsement to carry a concealed weapon on their person or in their vehicle. To qualify for an endorsement, the individual must meet several qualifications outlined in the statute, and must also meet certain training requirements.
The law allows the owners of private property (such as employers) to prohibit concealed weapons on their property. The owner of the property must display signs in a conspicuous place stating the premises is off limits to concealed firearms. The signs must be “of a minimum size of eleven inches by fourteen inches with the writing thereon in letters of not less than one inch.”
Missouri employers should consider steps to ensure that concealed firearms are not brought on to their property. It is important for employers to review the weapons policies in their employee handbooks, and update them if necessary.
An employer should also consider sending a notice to employees reminding them that such policies are in effect and that violation of the policies will result in discipline up to and including discharge.
In addition, employers wishing to prohibit concealed weapons must post the required signs in the workplace, informing employees that concealed weapons are not allowed on the premises.
The law does not specifically allow an employer to prohibit an employee with a conceal carry permit from keeping a concealed weapon in the employee’s car, and therefore a question exists as to whether an employer may prohibit an employee from carrying a concealed weapon in an employee-owned vehicle parked in the employer’s parking lot.
To be safe, an employer should post notices on the lot stating that no concealed weapons are allowed on the property, including the parking lot. Although the employee may not be subject to criminal penalties for carrying a concealed weapon in his or her car, and the police will not evict them from the premises, employers may still wish to prohibit such conduct, enforcing such a rule with disciplinary measures.
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