Requires the Missouri state highway patrol to host a website where the public can determine whether a serial number of a firearm has been reported stolen

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Don Mayhew

Missouri would require a public, serial-number based search tool on the Highway Patrol website to check if a firearm is reported stolen, with no extra data released.

Referred: Emerging Issues(H)

#firearms #highwaypatrol

Purpose and intent

House Bill 3531 (HB 3531) from the Missouri General Assembly would require the Missouri State Highway Patrol to create and maintain a publicly accessible web page that includes a searchable stolen firearm database.

The searchable feature would allow users to enter a firearm’s serial number to determine whether that firearm has been reported stolen.

The bill clarifies that the patrol is not required to provide other information beyond the stolen-firearm search capability.

Key provisions and changes

Establishment of a web page: The Missouri State Highway Patrol must, subject to appropriation, maintain a public internet page with a stolen firearm search function.

Search capability: The page must allow searching by firearm serial number to check if a firearm has been reported stolen.

Limitation on data: The patrol is prohibited from being required to disclose any information other than the stolen-firearm search results.

Who/what would be affected

State: Missouri State Highway Patrol would be responsible for developing and hosting the web page and ensuring the search functionality works.

Public: Individuals and entities (e.g., firearm owners, buyers, sellers, researchers) would gain online access to a tool to verify whether a specific firearm serial number has been reported stolen.

Law enforcement and criminal justice system: Indirectly affected as a resource for information on stolen firearms; no changes to how stolen firearm data is entered or maintained beyond the new public search capability.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Bill status: Referred to Emerging Issues (H) as of May 15, 2026.

Effective date: The requirement is contingent on appropriation, indicating funding must be provided for the web page’s creation and maintenance.

Related provisions: The bill also repeals Section 43.503 and enacts new sections (43.503 and 43.665) governing broader data reporting to the central repository, but the notable public-facing provision is the 43.665 requirement for a stolen firearm search page.

Notable details

The bill text specifies that the cyber-based stolen firearm search would only reveal whether a serial number has been reported stolen; it does not require disclosure of other firearm data or case details.

The section adds a funding condition (subject to appropriation), meaning the project depends on state budget allocations.

This summary captures the bill’s central objective: to provide a public, serial-number-based search tool for stolen firearms via the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s website, while limiting the public information released beyond that search result.