Missouri · electrician licensing · verified July 2026

Missouri electrician license requirements

Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Missouri?

Missouri has no statewide license for electricians. Cities and counties license the trade, so the requirement depends on where you work.

The statewide license is explicitly optional (RSMo 324.920.3-.4): contractors working only where they already hold local licenses, or where no license is required, need nothing from the state; localities that refuse to honor the statewide license risk losing state sales-tax distributions (RSMo 324.925.2). The statute contains no reciprocity provision, though out-of-state exam scores and verified hours may satisfy the requirements case-by-case under 20 CSR 2117-2.010. The state does not issue permits or perform inspections, those remain local. Municipal examples: St. Louis County (own Board of Examiners, county licenses/bonds/exams, verified from official county page); Kansas City and other cities likewise license electricians locally per their codes.

What licenses does Missouri issue?

The Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (statewide license is optional; primary licensing is by political subdivisions) issues the credentials below for this trade, alongside one that is issued by cities or counties rather than the state. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.

Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.

Source: Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (statewide license is optional; primary licensing is by political subdivisions) (pr.mo.gov). Verified July 2026.

Statewide Electrical Contractor (voluntary): 12,000 hours of verifiable practical experience, or a local exam-based electrical contractor/master electrician license for 6 of the previous 8 calendar years (RSMo 324.920.2)

What exam does Missouri require?

Division-approved standardized, nationally accredited electrical examination based on the National Electrical Code (list of approved exams posted by the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors). Administered by Independent third-party testing agencies (not affiliated with the state or a political subdivision); local jurisdictions commonly use providers such as Prov (e.g., St. Louis County).

How much does a Missouri electrician license cost?

Missouri sets its fees per license class rather than as one figure for the trade, so no single total would be true of every applicant. The published items are below exactly as the board sets them.

• Application feeset per license class
• Renewal fee (recurring)set per license class

Source: fee schedule (pr.mo.gov). Verified July 2026.

How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?

Renewal period: 3 years, statewide licenses expire September 30 of every third year (first cycle ended September 30, 2020)

Continuing education: None currently required for the statewide license (the division has statutory authority under RSMo 324.910.1 to impose CE by rule but has not); local jurisdictions set their own requirements.

Source: renewal requirements (pr.mo.gov). Verified July 2026.

How does the apprenticeship route work?

No state apprentice registration exists; registered apprenticeship in Missouri runs through USDOL Office of Apprenticeship programs, and apprenticeship hours count as the 'verifiable practical experience' documented for the statewide contractor license (12,000 hours) or for municipal journeyman/master applications (e.g., St. Louis County requires a notarized Affidavit of Employment Experience verifying employment history).

Which states does Missouri have license reciprocity with?

Missouri does not license this trade at state level, so there is no state agreement to publish. Whether an out-of-state license helps is decided by the city, county or contractor board that issues the credential where you intend to work.

How does Missouri compare to neighboring states?

Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.

Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.

Sources and verification

Other states with published requirements for this trade: Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico.

Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to electricians overview.

Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (statewide license is optional; primary licensing is by political subdivisions) before making decisions. Not legal advice.