Missouri landowners own the rainwater falling on their property and can harvest it freely under state law, with no riparian or prior appropriation restrictions like in Western states.​
Rainwater Harvesting Rights
Revised Statutes of Missouri § 640.648 (effective 2018) explicitly affirms the right to install and use rainwater collection systems anywhere on private land, including city limits, for both potable and non-potable uses, without forcing connection to public water supplies. No state permit is required, though local ordinances may impose basic rules on system design, like overflow drainage; cities like Springfield offer rebates up to $300 for installations after February 2026.​
Conservation Laws
Missouri promotes harvesting via the Department of Natural Resources as low-impact development to cut stormwater runoff, with no volume caps or usage limits beyond general pollution controls. Water rights follow riparian doctrine—reasonable use of surface/groundwater on one’s land—unaffected by rainwater capture, unlike states restricting diversions.​
SOURCES
[1](https://www.ntotank.com/blog/rainwater-harvesting-laws-regulations-and-rights-by-us-state)
[2](https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-xl/chapter-640/section-640-648/)
[3](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/rainwater-collection-legal-states)
[4](https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/landscaping/rainwater-harvesting-guidelines-by-state/)
[5](https://www.facebook.com/william.doughty.785489/posts/in-missouri-collecting-rainwater-is-completely-legal-and-actually-encouragedther/3979723658963989/)
