Data-center law in Missouri
Subnational jurisdiction · as of 2026-09-06
Missouri's data-center permitting spine is thinner and more locally fragmented than a Virginia or California build: land-use authority runs through Chapter 89's municipal zoning enabling statute, but county zoning exists only where a county has adopted it under Chapter 64 (in practice concentrated in first class charter counties), so a project sited in an unzoned rural county proceeds with no zoning entitlement step at all.
There is no statewide building code; construction codes are adopted locally, city by city. Missouri has no state-level environmental-impact-review statute comparable to CEQA or NEPA that reaches a private data-center project; the closest analogues are the permit-specific reviews under the Air Conservation Law and the Clean Water Law described below.
Large generator fleets require an Air Conservation Law construction permit from the Department of Natural Resources, and land-disturbing construction activity is covered by a Clean Water Law storm-water permit from the same department. A new or expanded electric, gas, water, or sewer utility plant requires a Public Service Commission certificate of convenience and necessity.
Missouri's principal data-center incentive is the sales and use tax exemption for data storage centers, which conditions eligibility on minimum capital investment and new-job thresholds and is certified by the Department of Economic Development.
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Instruments on record
5 instruments on record, grouped by the family of approval each one governs.
Land use
Who decides whether a data center may occupy a site, and through what approval?
Zoning, powers of municipal legislative body
In force
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 89.020
Effective 2019-08-28 · Applies to both
Empowers the legislative body of a Missouri city, town, or village to regulate and restrict the height, size, and use of buildings and land for trade, industry, residence, or other purposes. A data-center rezoning or conditional-use approval within a municipality proceeds under this enabling authority.
County zoning exists only where a county has adopted zoning regulations, most commonly a first class charter county acting under Chapter 64; a data-center site in an unzoned county has no equivalent zoning-entitlement step.
Source: Full text of law
Energy and grid
What authorizations govern grid connection and onsite generation?
Certificate of convenience and necessity for utility construction
In force
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 393.170
Effective 2018-08-28 · Applies to both
No gas, electric, water, or sewer corporation may begin construction of a plant or system, other than an energy generation unit of one megawatt or less, without first obtaining a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Public Service Commission, granted after a hearing on whether the construction is necessary or convenient for the public service. Extending utility plant or grid capacity to serve a new large data-center load runs through this certification gate.
Source: Full text of law
Construction
What codes and permits govern the build itself?
Missouri Clean Water Law, water contaminant and point source permits
In force
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 644.051
Effective 2026-08-28 · Applies to both
Prohibits operating a water contaminant or point source without an operating permit from the Clean Water Commission, and separately requires a construction permit for specified point-source construction. The Department of Natural Resources issues a general permit for land disturbance requiring a storm-water permit under this section, which covers the construction-phase storm-water discharge from a data-center site.
Source: Full text of law
Air and operations
What permits govern backup generators and ongoing emissions?
Construction permits for air contaminant sources
In force
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 643.075
Effective 2015-08-28 · Applies to both
It is unlawful to commence construction of an air contaminant source subject to a permit class fixed by the Air Conservation Commission without first obtaining a construction permit from the Department of Natural Resources. The department must determine that the source meets applicable air-quality standards before issuing the permit, and a combined construction-and-operating permit process applies unless the applicant requests separate review. A data center's backup diesel or gas generator fleet permits under this section.
Source: Full text of law
Public agreements
What fiscal agreements attach a data center to its host jurisdiction?
Data storage centers, exemption from sales and use tax
In force
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 144.810
Effective 2018-08-28 · Applies to private
Exempts a new or expanding data storage center's utilities, machinery, equipment, computers, and construction materials from state and local sales and use tax.
A new facility must invest at least 25 million dollars over up to 36 months and create at least 10 new jobs paying at least 150 percent of the county average wage, for an exemption period of up to 15 years; an expanding facility must invest at least 5 million dollars in net new investment over up to 12 months and create at least 5 new jobs at the same wage threshold, for an exemption period of up to 10 years.
The Department of Economic Development conditionally approves the project plan and certifies eligibility to the Department of Revenue, and the exemption amount is capped at the project's projected net fiscal benefit to the state over a 10-year period.
Source: Full text of law
Every entry cites the instrument it describes.
None of it is legal advice: verify a citation before relying on it. Full
sourcing: read the methodology. The rest of the
record: all jurisdictions.