MISSOURI · electrician
Statewide Electrical Contractor
Missouri Division of Professional Registration — Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC) →Scope of Work
The Missouri Statewide Electrical Contractor license is the only statewide contractor credential for the electrical trade in Missouri. Under Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.925, every political subdivision in Missouri must recognize the statewide license, meaning a holder is not required to hold separate local electrical contractor licenses in every city or county to perform electrical contracting. A political subdivision may still require a local bond and local permits, but it cannot require a separate local occupational or contractor license for the holder of a valid statewide license. Source: Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.925 (https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=324.925).
Experience and Training
Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.920 sets three alternative experience pathways for the statewide license. (1) Standard: 12,000 verifiable practical hours installing electrical equipment and associated wiring. (2) Apprenticeship: 10,000 verifiable practical hours plus a journeyman certificate from a U.S. Department of Labor-registered electrical apprenticeship program. (3) Degree: 8,000 verifiable practical hours plus an associate's degree from a state-accredited electrical program. A grandfather provision in the 2019 enabling legislation allows contractors who held an electrical contractor or master electrician occupational license issued by a Missouri political subdivision, who have passed a standardized written electrical assessment exam based on the NEC, who can document 12,000 hours of verifiable practical experience or six of the previous eight years of active local licensure, and who were in good standing locally, to obtain the statewide license without retesting. Source: Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.920 (https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=324.920).
Exam
An applicant must pass a standardized, nationally accredited electrical assessment examination that meets current national industry standards, as recognized by OSEC. Exam content covers the NEC edition in use, electrical theory, calculations, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, services, and applicable Missouri statutes. The application fee is $200, non-refundable. Source: OSEC Contractor FAQ (https://pr.mo.gov/electricalcontractors-FAQ-Contractors.asp).
Insurance and Bonds
The statewide license application requires proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 in the form of a Certificate of Insurance issued by an insurer authorized to do business in Missouri. Applicants must also post any bond required by each political subdivision in which the licensee performs work. Source: Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.920.
Employment Requirement
Any corporation, firm, or organization engaging in electrical contracting must employ at least one statewide-licensed electrical contractor at a supervisory level. A statewide-licensed electrical contractor may represent only one firm at a time. Source: Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.920.
Military Crosswalk
Missouri accepts documented military electrical training and experience toward the practical-hour requirements, consistent with Missouri's general military-credentialing framework. Applicants submit DD-214 plus training transcripts with the OSEC application.
Renewal and Continuing Education
OSEC renewal is governed by the OSEC rules under 20 CSR 2117 and associated OSEC policies. Renewal periods, fees, and any continuing-education requirement should be verified against the OSEC FAQ and current rule before filing, because the statewide program is comparatively new (effective 2019) and program details are periodically updated.
Relationship to Local Licenses
Section 324.925 protects holders of the statewide license from having to obtain duplicate local contractor licenses, but it does not exempt them from the need to comply with local building-code permitting, bonding, and inspection. A contractor who does not hold the statewide license and works only in a single municipality with a local license is also permitted to continue operating without obtaining a statewide license (the Act is permissive, not mandatory). Source: Missouri Revised Statutes section 324.925.