FreedomRankings

Ranked #7 of 50 states

Constitutional carryRecreational marijuana legal2A Preservation Act

Across the hybrid multi-source index, Missouri is above average in overall freedom, ranking #7 of 50 states with a score of 66.2/100. Its strongest areas are drug policy, 4th amendment, religious liberty, while it scores lowest in economic freedom, education choice, criminal justice.

best
9.5
average
6.6
worst
3.1
66.2
Grade B-
0255075100
FDCBA
Missouri’s overall score on the national 0–100 scale.
Strongest categories
Drug Policy9.5
4th Amendment8.5
Religious Liberty7.5
Weakest categories
Criminal Justice3.1
Education Choice5.7
Economic Freedom5.7

Score by category

How Missouri performs in each freedom category, ranked best to worst.

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Category breakdown

Each score is drawn from the publisher listed on the tile. Hover the source chip for edition and methodology detail.

1st Amendment

6.5B-
Press shield lawsAnti-SLAPP protectionsPublic forum protectionsCampus speech policies+2 more

2nd Amendment

6.3C+

Guns & Ammo 2023 — rank 19/50

Constitutional/permitless carryConcealed carry shall-issue vs may-issueAssault weapon restrictionsMagazine capacity limits+3 more

4th Amendment

8.5A

IJ Policing for Profit 2025 — forfeiture grade B+

Civil asset forfeiture protectionsWarrant requirements for digital dataSurveillance camera/drone restrictionsLicense plate reader policies+2 more

Economic Freedom

5.7C

Fraser EFNA 2024 (Overall subn score 6.81 for 2023) — rank 22/50

State income tax ratesSales tax ratesProperty tax burdenBusiness tax climate+3 more

Criminal Justice

3.1F

Vera People in Prison 2024 — rank 35/50 (385/100k)

Incarceration rate per capitaPolice accountability measuresBail reformMandatory minimum sentencing+3 more

Drug Policy

9.5A+

Cannabis status 2025 — Fully Legal (recreational use legal, retail sales operating)

Recreational marijuana legalityMedical marijuana programDecriminalization of possessionDrug court availability+2 more

Property Rights

6.5B-

IJ Eminent Domain 2025 — post-Kelo protections C

Eminent domain protectionsZoning flexibilityRent control restrictionsBuilding code burden+2 more

Religious Liberty

7.5B+
State RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act)Conscience protections for professionalsReligious organization exemptionsReligious land use protections+2 more

Education Choice

5.7C

EdChoice ABCs 2025 — non-universal, 1 program — top program covers 83% of students

School voucher programsEducation savings accounts (ESAs)Charter school availabilityHomeschool regulation level+2 more

Regulatory Burden

6.9B-

Mercatus RegData 2024 — rank 16/48 (94,260 restrictions)

Occupational licensing requirementsBusiness licensing burdenRegulatory code volumePermit processing times+2 more

Provenance

Sources & methodology

Full methodology →

  • 1st Amendment

    FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for 1st Amendment speech protections)

    6.5

  • 2nd Amendment

    Guns & Ammo "Best States for Gun Owners"

    6.3

  • 4th Amendment

    Institute for Justice -- "Policing for Profit" (asset forfeiture grades)

    8.5

  • Economic Freedom

    Fraser Institute -- Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA)

    5.7

  • Criminal Justice

    Vera Institute -- "People in Prison" (annual incarceration data)

    3.1

  • Drug Policy

    Per-state cannabis legality status (composite: NORML state pages, DISA legality map, NCSL medical cannabis tracker)

    9.5

  • Property Rights

    Institute for Justice -- Eminent Domain / Castle Coalition

    6.5

  • Religious Liberty

    FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for religious liberty rankings)

    7.5

  • Education Choice

    EdChoice -- "ABCs of School Choice"

    5.7

  • Regulatory Burden

    Mercatus Center -- RegData state regulatory restrictions

    6.9

Frequently Asked

Missouri Freedom — Common Questions

Answers are generated from Missouri's actual category scores and rank. Toggle the source to recompute against a different dataset.

How does Missouri rank among US states for freedom?

Missouri ranks #7 of 50 US states with a freedom score of 66.2/100. The score is a weighted average of 10 categories — constitutional rights, economic freedom, criminal justice, drug policy, education choice, and more — drawn from the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index (Fraser Institute, EdChoice, Institute for Justice, Vera Institute, NORML, Mercatus RegData, Guns & Ammo).

What are Missouri's strongest freedoms?

Missouri scores highest in Drug Policy (9.5/10), 4th Amendment (8.5/10), and Religious Liberty (7.5/10). These are the categories where Missouri is most protective of individual liberty relative to other US states.

What are Missouri's biggest freedom restrictions?

Missouri scores lowest in Criminal Justice (3.1/10), Education Choice (5.7/10), and Economic Freedom (5.7/10). These are the categories where Missouri is most restrictive relative to other US states.

Is Missouri a gun-friendly state?

Missouri scores 6.3/10 on Second Amendment / gun rights, which places it above average for gun owners. This score reflects carry laws, permit requirements, magazine and assault-weapon restrictions, red flag laws, and castle doctrine / stand-your-ground protections.

How does Missouri score on economic freedom and taxes?

Missouri scores 5.7/10 on economic freedom, placing it roughly average for economic freedom. The score reflects state income-tax rates, sales and property taxes, business tax climate, right-to-work status, and the overall regulatory burden on economic activity.

What is Missouri's drug policy score?

Missouri scores 9.5/10 on drug policy, which makes it among the most permissive drug-policy regimes in the country. The score incorporates recreational and medical marijuana legality, decriminalization of possession, harm-reduction programs, and sentencing for drug offenses.

How does Missouri rank for school choice and education freedom?

Missouri scores 5.7/10 on education choice, placing it roughly average for education freedom. The score reflects voucher programs, education savings accounts, charter-school access, homeschool regulations, and tax-credit scholarships.

How is Missouri's freedom score calculated?

Each of Missouri's 10 category scores (0–10) is a weighted average, then multiplied by 10 to produce the overall 0–100 freedom score. Categories are weighted equally by default, but visitors can adjust the weights on the rankings page to produce a personalised ranking. The default source is the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index; the Cato Institute 2023 edition and an editorial assessment are also available as toggles. See the methodology page for per-category source attribution.

Elected Officials

Click any official to view their full profile, donors, and financial info.

Governor

MKR

Mike Kehoe

Governor(Republican)

4/4 from public record

Approval: 50%(est.)

A+

100%