Moving to Missouri as a journeyman electrician: every state's rule
Missouri does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no reciprocity to speak of. Here is what that means in practice.
Missouri journeyman electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri does not issue a journeyman electrician license. The only state-level electrical credential is the voluntary statewide electrical contractor license created by RSMo 324.900-324.945 (S.B. 240, 2017), and the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC) states that it covers only the electrical contractor, not the electricians the contractor employs. RSMo 324.925.3(8) expressly leaves cities and counties free to license electricians, provided the local license is based on professional experience and passage of a nationally accredited electrical assessment examination given on a routine schedule, and jurisdictions that did not license electricians before August 28, 2017 may not start. Journeyman licensing therefore happens city by city and county by county (Springfield, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and others), each with its own experience rules, exam and fees; there is no statewide reciprocity for journeymen. A journeyman arriving from another state must apply in each jurisdiction where they will work, though the widespread use of ICC, Prometric and other national exams means a previously passed exam is often accepted in place of retesting.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. Missouri has no state electrician license and no state electrical board for individuals. RSMo 324.925.3(8) permits any political subdivision that licensed electricians before August 28, 2017 to keep doing so, as long as the license rests on professional experience plus a nationally accredited Electrical Assessment Examination administered on a routine and accessible schedule. The OSEC FAQ for political subdivisions confirms the statewide contractor license does not extend to a contractor's employees. Requirements below are those verified on the jurisdictions' own pages.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Journeyman and Master craftsmen through the Building and Trades Board, which meets the first Thursday of each month. Journeyman Electrical requires 4 years under the supervision of a master in the trade or 6 years of experience in the trade, documented on notarized Applicant Experience forms (one per employer; 1099s for the self-employed). Approved applicants test through ICC (Pearson VUE, roughly $125) and need 75%. Reciprocity from another jurisdiction: submit the same experience forms plus a copy of an exam score notification of at least 75% from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC on the identical exam Springfield requires, and the board can approve without further testing; the application also asks for any other states where the applicant is licensed and requires copies of those licenses. Fees: $25 initial journeyman certificate (covers the rest of the calendar year) and $25 annual renewal.
City of St. Louis. The Building Division's Committee of Electrical Examiners decides, through written and oral examination, whether applicants have the knowledge and experience for electrical certificates and licenses, testing practical installation competency, electrical theory and the St. Louis Electrical Code. Its page does not publish license classes, experience thresholds, fees or any reciprocity terms.
St. Louis County and Kansas City. St. Louis County's Department of Transportation and Public Works runs an electrical licensing program with journeyman applications, and Kansas City's City Planning and Development department licenses contractors and trades inside the city limits; both websites refused automated access during verification, so their journeyman requirements, exams and fees are not recorded here and should be checked directly.
Out-of-state holders. No Missouri jurisdiction found publishes a formal reciprocity agreement with another state for journeymen. The practical path is to present a passing score on a nationally accredited journeyman exam (ICC, Prometric, Prov, PSI or NASCLA) together with documented experience to each city or county; Springfield explicitly accepts identical exams from Prometric, Experior, Block and ICC in lieu of retesting.
- Springfield (Building Development Services)
- City of St. Louis (Building Division, Committee of Electrical Examiners)
- St. Louis County (Transportation and Public Works, Electrical Licensing)
- Kansas City (City Planning and Development, Contractor Licensing)