Electricians in St. Charles, MO

Missouri has a statewide electrical contractor license, issued by the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors in the Division of Professional Registration, but it is optional. Under RSMo 324.920, a contractor who works only where no local license is required, or who holds the local license, does not need the state license.

Yes. RSMo 324.925 lets cities and counties keep their own electrical contractor licenses, but they must recognize a statewide license in its place for doing the work and pulling permits. They cannot make a statewide license holder pass another trade exam.

RSMo 324.920 requires $500,000 in liability insurance, a passing score on a nationally accredited electrical exam, and years of documented experience, such as 12,000 hours of work. Each company doing electrical contracting must employ at least one statewide license holder at a supervisory level.

Statewide electrical contractor licenses can be searched on the Division of Professional Registration's MOPRO license search. For a local license, ask the city or county that issued it, such as the City Planning and Development Department in Kansas City or the Department of Transportation and Public Works in St. Louis County.

There is no single statewide electrical code for private homes. Cities and counties adopt their own codes, usually an edition of the National Electrical Code with local changes, so call your local building department to find out which edition it enforces.

In Kansas City, the owner of a single-family home may get a permit for work on the house they live in if they do the work themselves. Anyone else who pulls an electrical permit must be a licensed contractor.

According to NOAA's state climate summary, Missouri gets severe thunderstorms with large hail, strong tornadoes such as the 2011 Joplin EF5, and major river floods. Storms like these can cut power, so many homeowners add whole-home surge protection or a standby generator with a transfer switch, which needs a permit.