Permits Needed for Camps/ Parks Businesses

If you would like to place a cache in a Missouri State Park, you will need to apply for a Geocaching and Letterboxing Permit and follow specific steps and guidelines provided by Missouri State Parks. For more information, please visit the Missouri State Parks' Geocaching and Letterboxing Permit webpage.

If your business is a no-discharge, private or domestic wastewater treatment facility with design flows of less than 50,000 gallons per day and land apply the wastewater, design flows of less than 50,000 gallons per day and plan to land apply the wastewater, you must obtain a Land Application of Domestic Wastewater MOG823000 master general permit.

If you or your business is capable of producing 100,000 gallons per day, or approximately 70 gallons per minute, including all wells or surface intakes, you are required to register with the department as a Major Water User. This registration is not for permitting purposes or to regulate water usage. Major water users are required by law to report the volume of water they used by March 31 of the year following the usage. Registration is required in order to submit reports.

The Major Water Users Program is established to simply gather water use data. Missouri collects water use data to better understand and manage the state’s water inventory. For more information, or to complete the online registration, please visit the Major Water Users webpage.

There are 11 state parks that allow metal detecting in designated beach areas. If you would like to use a metal detector to seek for hidden treasures in Missouri State Parks, registration is required. For more information, please visit the Missouri State Parks' Metal Detecting Registration Form webpage.

Off-road enthusiasts have two state parks to explore Missouri’s outdoors from a different angle. If you would like to purchase your off-road vehicle or ORV permit for St. Joe State Park or Finger Lakes State Park, remember, you must purchase your permit before arriving at the parks. For more information, please visit the Missouri State Parks' ORV permit webpage.

Open burning is the burning of any materials in which air contaminants are emitted directly into the air without first passing through a stack or chimney. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources does not issue permits for open burning. Prior to conducting any open burning, businesses and citizens should contact the city or county of jurisdiction for any local restrictions.

The department's Facts on Open Burning Under Missouri Regulations - PUB2047 fact sheet summarizes allowable and prohibited open burning under Missouri regulations. It does not include open burning restrictions that city or county governments may impose in addition to Missouri’s state regulations. 

If your business plans to construct a public water system that will supply drinking water to the public, you must obtain a Public Drinking Water Construction Permit. You must obtain this permit if you also plan to complete the following construction projects to the water system: waterline extensions, waterline replacements, drilling water supply well, construction a storage tank, adding a disinfection system, treatment changes, building a pump station or other improvements or modifications. A public water system has at least 15 service connections or serves at least 25 people at least 60 days out of the year. If your business plans to connect to a permitted public water system, then you are not required to obtain this permit.

Rock climbing is allowed at four state parks and rappelling is allowed at five. If you would like to rock climb or rappel in Missouri State Parks, you must obtain a Rock Climbing/ Rappelling Permit. Bouldering, which does not require a permit, is allowed only at Elephant Rocks State Park. For more information, please visit the Missouri State Parks' Rock Climbing/ Rappelling Permit webpage.

If your business plans to construct a gravity sewer extension, force main and lift station, you may need a site-specific Sewer Extension Construction Permit. You may also need this permit if you plan to construct a non-earthen flow equalization storage basin at a lift station and an inline storage.

If you are interested in hosting a special event or fund raiser in Missouri State Parks, or use a state park or historic site to film a video, you must apply for a Special Event Permit. Contact the Missouri State Parks office to apply for a Special Event Permit.

If your business plans to discharge filter backwash and pool drainage from swimming pools and lined ponds that use chlorine as a sanitizer, you must obtain a Swimming Pools Discharge MOG760000 master general permit.

Missouri State Parks offers three parks to fish for trout. The streams at Bennett Spring, Montauk and Roaring River state parks are stocked every night. You may purchase your Trout Fishing Permit at the park store. For more information, please visit the Missouri State Parks' Trout Fishing Permit webpage.