Missouri · Missouri penalties for work without a permit
How to check a contractor's license in Missouri
Quick answer
Missouri does not license general, residential or home improvement contractors at the state level, and it has no state plumbing, HVAC, mechanical or roofing contractor license. Contractor licensing is left to cities and counties: state law lets third class cities license building contractors and plumbing contractors, and lets first and second classification counties license electrical contractors. The one state credential is the statewide electrical contractor license issued by the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors in the Division of Professional Registration under RSMo 324.900 to 324.945, and the office says it is optional, not mandatory: a contractor who holds the local license where they work, or works where no local license is required, does not need it. A city or county may keep its own electrical license but must recognize the statewide license in lieu of a local license for contracting work and permits, and a political subdivision that refuses can have its local sales tax distributions withheld after a complaint. A statewide license holder must carry $500,000 in liability insurance, and a company doing electrical contracting under the statewide license must employ at least one statewide licensee at a supervisory level. The state does not issue electrical permits or inspect the work; permits and inspections stay with the local jurisdiction.
Where to look up a Missouri license
- mopro.mo.gov checks electrical licenses in Missouri.
Which Missouri trades need a state license
| Missouri trade | Licensed by | When no Missouri license is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | Missouri Division of Professional Registration, Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors, statewide electrical contractor license (optional; cities and counties may also issue local electrical licenses) (revisor.mo.gov) | No dollar threshold. The statewide license is optional: a contractor working in a political subdivision that requires no local license, or that requires a local license the contractor holds, does not need it (RSMo 324.920.4). The law does not apply to work by utility, cable and telecommunications company employees, railroads, broadcast stations, or contractors installing class two or class three power-limited, low-voltage, optical fiber or communications cabling (RSMo 324.915). |
What Missouri law says about unlicensed contracting
RSMo 324.945 makes it a class B misdemeanor to knowingly violate any provision of the statewide electrical contractor law, and the same applies to a corporate officer or agent who knowingly and personally participates in the violation; a class B misdemeanor carries up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000. Because the statewide license is optional, doing electrical work without it is not by itself a state crime where the contractor holds the required local license or no local license is required; working without a required local license is a matter for the city or county ordinance. While a complaint is forwarded to the division, a local permitting authority may suspend a contractor's work in its jurisdiction for up to thirty days, and the division may file a complaint in court for any violation.
RSMo 324.945.1 and 324.945.2; RSMo 324.945.3; RSMo 324.940.3; RSMo 324.920.4; RSMo 558.011.1(7); RSMo 558.002.1(3). Read the statute
Doing the work yourself in Missouri
Missouri does not license general contractors at the state level and has no statewide owner-builder permit statute, disclosure affidavit, or resale restriction comparable to Florida's one year rule. Whether a homeowner may pull the permit and do the work is decided by the city or county that issues the permit. Where state law does speak, it is permissive: RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a) and RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a) let an unlicensed person render architectural and engineering services for the construction, remodeling or repair of a privately owned dwelling house, provided the drawings say the person is not licensed, so plans for a house do not have to be sealed by an architect or engineer. RSMo 701.055.1 expressly preserves a property owner's right to install, modify or repair their own on-site sewage disposal system as long as the state standard is met, and RSMo 701.055.2 adds that no permit or contractor registration is required simply to clean it. RSMo 700.656.5 exempts a person who installs a manufactured home on his or her own property for his or her own occupancy from the otherwise mandatory state installer license. None of these exemptions excuses a local permit where the local jurisdiction requires one.
RSMo 701.055.1 and 701.055.2; RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a); RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a); RSMo 700.656.5. Read the statute
A license is not a permit: who issues Missouri permits
A licensed contractor still needs a permit for work the local code covers, and the permit, not the license, is what gets the work inspected. We hold verified permit rules for these 2 Missouri jurisdictions:
- Kansas City : Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall)
- St. Louis : City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety)
This page compiles what Missouri's statutes and licensing agencies publish, checked on the date above. It is not legal advice. A license search shows status on the day you search, so check it again before you sign and ask the contractor for the license number the state issued.