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Virginia to Missouri: master electrician license reciprocity

Endorsement· Board reviewVerified September 15, 2026· 13 sources

Missouri has no reciprocity agreement with Virginia. A Virginia master electrician applies by endorsement.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Statewide electrical contractor license for out-of-state master electricians (all states)

The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.

Missouri has no reciprocity agreements with any state, so every out-of-state master electrician or electrical contractor applies to OSEC through the standard process in RSMo 324.920. The applicant must document 12,000 verifiable practical hours installing electrical wiring and equipment (alternatives: 10,000 hours plus a U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship certificate, 8,000 hours plus a state-accredited electrical associate's degree, or 4,000 supervisory hours plus a four-year electrical engineering degree); the statute does not require the hours to be earned in Missouri. The examination requirement is usually already satisfied: OSEC's Approved Examinations list accepts, as evidence of meeting the requirement, a previously passed electrical contractor, master electrician or journeyman electrician exam from ICC, NASCLA, Prometric, Prov or PSI taken for another state board, whatever the code year, plus legacy Block, Experior, NAI Block, SBCCI and Thompson Prometric scores; an applicant whose home-state exam is not on the list may ask OSEC to review it, and one who never passed an approved exam must sit an ICC (F49/G16/F16), Prov or NASCLA exam. The applicant also carries $500,000 of liability insurance, posts any bond required by the political subdivisions where they will pull permits, and pays the $200 nonrefundable application fee through the MOPRO system. Licenses renew every three years ($100 on the OSEC fee page). Once issued, the license must be accepted by every Missouri city and county in place of a local electrical contractor license and no local exam may be imposed.

OSEC says states meeting reciprocity requirements will be posted on its website and invites licensees to email [email protected] to have their state considered; as of verification no state is listed. The grandfather clause in RSMo 324.920 (exam plus six of the prior eight years licensed) applies only to Missouri political-subdivision licenses, not to out-of-state licenses. OSEC does not publish exam fees; Springfield quotes about $125 for an ICC exam through Pearson VUE. The renewal fee is $100 on the OSEC fee page but $200 in the 2019 text of 20 CSR 2117-1.070; the page is used here.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Verifiable practical hours installing electrical equipment and wiring (RSMo 324.920.1(3)); reduced to 10,000 with a DOL apprenticeship certificate, 8,000 with an electrical associate's degree, or 4,000 supervisory hours with a four-year electrical engineering degree. Out-of-state hours are not excluded.
  • You must have passed a licensing exam in Virginia that the destination considers comparable.OSEC Approved Examinations list, revised 2022-02-01.

What you'll do to get licensed in Missouri

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($200). Statewide electrical contractor license application fee, nonrefundable (OSEC fee page; 20 CSR 2117-1.070).
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). ICC Electrical Contractor (F49) or Master Electrician (G16/F16), Prov Electrical Contractor/Master, or NASCLA Electrical Contractors exam via PSI - only if the applicant has not already passed an approved exam for another state board.
  3. 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 (RSMo 324.920.1(1)).
  4. 4Surety bond. Post a surety bond. Bond posted with each political subdivision that requires one; proof of local bonds accompanies the state application (RSMo 324.920.1(1); OSEC FAQ).
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Triennial renewal fee (OSEC fee page); inactive renewal $200, reactivation $100, reinstatement $250.

Published fees on this path total $300, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Trade exam · if applicable

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance · $500,000

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond

How Missouri licenses master electricians

Missouri master electrician · “Statewide Electrical Contractor License (voluntary; master-level qualifier)”

State license plus local requirements

Verified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

Issued by Missouri Division of Professional Registration, Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC)

Missouri's highest person-held electrical credential is the Statewide Electrical Contractor License issued by the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC) under RSMo 324.900-324.945, in force since 2018-2019. Despite the name it is held by an individual: RSMo 324.920 requires the applicant personally to show 12,000 verifiable practical hours (or 10,000 hours plus a registered apprenticeship, 8,000 hours plus an electrical associate's degree, or 4,000 supervisory hours plus a four-year electrical engineering degree), pass a standardized nationally accredited electrical assessment examination, carry $500,000 of liability insurance and post any bonds required by the local jurisdictions where they pull permits; a company qualifies by employing at least one such licensee at a supervisory level (the 'qualifier' in 20 CSR 2117-1.010). The license is voluntary: RSMo 324.925 obliges every city and county to accept it in place of a local electrical contractor license and forbids any local exam for its holder, but jurisdictions may keep issuing their own master electrician and electrical contractor licenses to people who do not hold it (Springfield certifies Master Electrical craftsmen, and the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and Kansas City run their own programs). Missouri publishes no reciprocity agreements with other states; RSMo 324.920 lets the Division negotiate them and OSEC says approved states will be posted, but none are. An out-of-state master electrician instead applies directly: OSEC accepts previously passed ICC, NASCLA, Prometric, Prov and PSI master or electrical contractor exams taken for another state board as meeting the exam requirement, and out-of-state hours count toward the 12,000.

How local licensing works in Missouri

Relationship between the state and local licenses. RSMo 324.925.1: political subdivisions may establish their own local electrical contractor license but shall recognize a statewide license in lieu of it, and may not require a statewide licensee to pass any examination or proficiency assessment; a jurisdiction that refuses can have its local sales tax withheld. Subdivisions may still require business licenses and permits, inspect work, and license electricians and contractors who lack the statewide license based on experience plus a nationally accredited exam (324.925.3). The statewide license covers only the contractor/qualifier, not employees.

Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Master Electrical craftsmen: 4 years as a certified journeyman in the trade or 10 years of satisfactory experience, notarized employer experience forms, approval by the Building and Trades Board (first Thursday monthly), then the ICC master exam through Pearson VUE (about $125) with a 75% minimum. Reciprocity from another jurisdiction is available by submitting a score of at least 75% on the identical exam from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC plus the experience forms; copies of licenses held in other states must be attached. Initial master certificate $50 (covers the rest of the year), renewal $50 annually. A licensed master must generally be listed on electrical permits.

City of St. Louis. The Committee of Electrical Examiners examines applicants for electrical certificates and licenses by written and oral exam covering practical installations, theory and the St. Louis Electrical Code; classes, fees and reciprocity are not published on its page.

St. Louis County and Kansas City. Both operate electrical contractor and master licensing programs, but their websites blocked automated retrieval during verification; requirements are not recorded here.

Out-of-state masters. The statewide license is the practical route for a master electrician moving to Missouri who wants to contract anywhere in the state: one application to OSEC, acceptance of a previously passed national master/contractor exam, and no local exams afterwards. Someone who only needs to work in one city can instead apply to that city, which will generally accept the same national exam scores.

Moving to MissouriLeaving Missouri

Common questions

Do I have to take the Missouri master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Virginia?
No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
What does it cost to get a Missouri master electrician license from Virginia?
Published fees on this path total $300, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Virginia work hours count in Missouri?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Missouri's eligibility requirements.

Sources

  1. 20 CSR 2117-1 - Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors, General Rules (definitions, certifying entities, fees) · 20 CSR 2117-1.010, 20 CSR 2117-1.070 · Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Defines 'qualifier' as the supervisory-level licensee designated by an entity as holder of the electrical contractor license on its behalf, and 'verifiable practical hours'. Fee rule filed 2018, effective June 30, 2019: application $200, triennial renewal $200, inactive renewal $100, reactivation $100, reinstatement $250, temporary $100.
  2. OSEC - Approved Examinations (revised 2022-02-01) · Missouri Division of Professional Registration · Other · verified September 15, 2026An applicant who previously passed an approved exam at the electrical contractor, master electrician or journeyman electrician level may use it as evidence of meeting the exam requirement. Approved for new candidates: ICC Electrical Contractor F49, Master G16/F16, Journeyman G17/F17 (Pearson VUE, no sponsorship needed); Prov Electrical Contractor, Master, Master Residential, Journeyman, Journeyman Residential; NASCLA Electrical Contractors (Master/Unlimited) and Journeyman via PSI. Also accepted as non-Missouri, non-code-year-specific 'Other State Board's Licensing Examinations': ICC, NASCLA, Prometric, Prov and PSI electrical contractor / master / journeyman exams, plus legacy Block, Experior, NAI Block, SBCCI and Thompson Prometric scores.
  3. OSEC - FAQ's for Electrical Contractors · Missouri Division of Professional Registration · Faq · verified September 15, 2026States the statewide license is optional (one license recognized statewide instead of one per city or county), that only one person per company must hold it at a supervisory level, that $500,000 liability insurance is mandatory and local bonds continue, and that states meeting reciprocity requirements will be posted on the Division's website; contractors licensed elsewhere may email [email protected] to ask the Division to consider their state.
  4. OSEC - FAQ's for Political Subdivisions (as of July 1, 2019) · Missouri Division of Professional Registration · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Political subdivisions must accept the statewide license in lieu of a local electrical contractor license and may not require a holder to pass any local exam; they may still license contractors who lack a statewide license, require business licenses and permits, inspect work, and license electricians (journeymen etc.) based on experience and a nationally accredited electrical assessment exam. The statewide license covers only the electrical contractor, not employees.
  5. OSEC - Fees (effective June 30, 2019) · Missouri Division of Professional Registration · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026License application $200; triennial renewal $100; inactive triennial renewal $200; reactivation $100; reinstatement $250; temporary license $100; duplicate $10; verification $10. All fees nonrefundable. No reciprocity fee is listed. (20 CSR 2117-1.070 as published in 2019 shows the renewal at $200 and the inactive renewal at $100; the web page is treated as current.)
  6. Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC) · Missouri Division of Professional Registration · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Home page of the statewide electrical contractor program. Links the fee page, the Approved Examinations list, forms, rules/statutes, the FAQ for political subdivisions, and the MOPRO online licensing system (applications and renewals since January 14, 2025). No reciprocity states are listed anywhere on the site.
  7. RSMo 324.900 - Definitions (electrical contractor; statewide license) · RSMo 324.900 · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Defines electrical contractor as a person engaged in the business of installing, erecting or maintaining electrical wiring and equipment, and statewide license as a license issued by the Division that allows the licensee to practice in any jurisdiction regardless of local licensing requirements (L. 2017 S.B. 240).
  8. RSMo 324.920 - Application requirements; grandfather provision; employee licensing requirements · RSMo 324.920 · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Applicant must provide $500,000 liability insurance and post a bond with each political subdivision, pass a standardized nationally accredited electrical assessment examination, and show 12,000 practical hours (or 10,000 hours plus a DOL apprenticeship certificate, 8,000 hours plus an associate's degree, or 4,000 supervisory hours plus a four-year electrical engineering degree). Grandfather clause for holders of a Missouri local license issued before January 1, 2018 who passed an NEC-based exam and have 12,000 hours or six of the prior eight years licensed. Corporations must employ at least one statewide licensee at a supervisory level.
  9. RSMo 324.925 - Political subdivisions to recognize statewide licensure · RSMo 324.925 · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Political subdivisions may keep their own electrical contractor license but must recognize the statewide license in lieu of it and may not require its holder to pass any local exam; noncompliant subdivisions can lose local sales tax revenue. Subdivisions may still license electricians based on experience and a nationally accredited electrical assessment examination; jurisdictions without electrical licensing before August 28, 2017 cannot start it.
  10. RSMo 324.935 - Renewal of licensure; inactive status; transfer of employment · RSMo 324.935 · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Statewide licenses renew every three years beginning in 2020; a licensee changing employers must clear open permits and notify the Division.
  11. City of Springfield - Craft and Trade Certification Fee Schedule (January 1 - June 30, 2024) · City of Springfield, Missouri · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Initial certificate after passing the exam: master craftsman $50, journeyman craftsman $25 (includes the balance of the current year); annual renewal master $50, journeyman $25; apprentice registration $10.
  12. City of Springfield Building Development Services - Trade Certification Instructions and Application (revised 05/2026) · City of Springfield, Missouri · Form · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman electrical: 4 years under a master or 6 years of experience; master electrical: 4 years as a certified journeyman or 10 years of experience. Reciprocity from another jurisdiction: submit the experience forms plus an exam score notification of at least 75% from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC (Pearson VUE) on the identical exam Springfield requires; the application asks for other states where the applicant is licensed. Board meets the first Thursday of each month; ICC testing fees approximately $125 paid to Pearson VUE.
  13. City of St. Louis Building Division - Committee of Electrical Examiners · City of St. Louis, Missouri · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026The committee determines through written and oral examination whether applicants have the knowledge and experience required for electrical certificates and licenses, testing competency in practical installations, electrical theory and the St. Louis Electrical Code. The page gives no license classes, fees or reciprocity terms.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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