ADU Pass
Scotland County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Scotland County, Missouri navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. We cover 3 cities and 4 ZIP codes in this county.
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Missouri state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), the state housing finance agency under the Department of Economic Development, does not operate an ADU-specific loan or grant product as of 2026-04-26. Construction or rehab of an ADU on a primary residence may be financed indirectly through MHDC's First Place Program (first-time-homebuyer mortgage with below-market rate) or Next Step Program (mortgage paired with a forgivable second of up to 4% of loan amount). Both are mortgage-purchase products and require the property to be the borrower's primary residence; an existing ADU on the property is permitted under standard agency guidelines. MHDC also administers Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, the Affordable Housing Assistance Program (AHAP) tax credit, and federal HOME funds — none of which is a homeowner-facing ADU instrument.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.