St. Charles County, MO Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Opt-out status
- Not opted out; 3% local tax
- Location requirement
- Permanent address only
- Drive-through
- Prohibited
- Dispensary hours
- 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Approval needed
- Zoning Confirmation + County license
- Violation penalty
- Up to $1,000/day, misdemeanor
Summary
St. Charles County has not opted out of hosting marijuana facilities: it taxes adult-use sales at 3% under § 140.100 and instead zones them through a permit process. Every Facility must sit at a fixed, permanent address and pass a Zoning Confirmation before opening, per §§ 405.5072(A) and 405.5073, on top of the 1,000-foot buffer from schools, churches and homes.
A. Except as provided by Section 277.510, each Facility shall be operated from a permanent location, and no Facility shall be permitted to deliver or operate from a movable, mobile, or transitory location. ... Section 405.5073. Compliance Required For Zoning Confirmation. Any proposed location for a Facility must be in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 405 OSCCMo., including but not limited to Section 405.5071 of this Article, before a Zoning Confirmation may be issued in accordance with Chapter 277 OSCCMo.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863880; v61 updated 2026-05-11; through 05-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
Missouri's Amendment 3 (2022) let local governments regulate but not ban licensed marijuana businesses outright, and St. Charles County chose to zone rather than exclude them. 510, which separately bans drive-through lanes and windows at any Facility. , seven days a week. 5072, before the County will issue a Zoning Confirmation under Chapter 277's separate business-licensing track. In effect, a marijuana business needs two approvals: a Chapter 277 County license and a Chapter 405 zoning sign-off, and it cannot get the license without the zoning sign-off first.
St. Charles County's approach is a location filter, not a ban: the County Council also imposed a 3% local sales tax specifically on 'retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in St. 100, confirming the County did not opt out of allowing recreational sales.
Violations & Fines
Selling or operating from an unconfirmed location, running a drive-through, or exceeding dispensary hours is a misdemeanor under § 405.5075(A), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 per day, with each day of the violation a separate offense and the judge setting the specific penalty. The Director of Community Development enforces Article X, with the County Counselor's office handling prosecution and any injunctive action under § 405.5076.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has St. Charles County banned marijuana dispensaries?
Can a dispensary offer drive-through pickup?
What hours can a dispensary be open?
What is a Zoning Confirmation and who needs one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Charles County
Compare St. Charles County to another location·View the Missouri cannabis regulations overview
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