Apply for an Electrical Permit

Electrical permits are issued to licensed electrical contractors certified by the City of St. Louis, and to owners of single-family homes who fulfill certain requirements.

The instructions below are for contractors seeking permits. Learn about obtaining a permit as a homeowner.

In order to submit an Electrical Permit application, at a minimum, you will need:

• An address for the property.
• An Electrical Contractor’s license issued by the City of St. Louis Building Division
• A registered trades contractor account on the STL City Permits website.
• An acceptable form of payment:
  • For online applications, echeck, debit, or credit cards are accepted.
  • For in-person applications, cash and checks are accepted.

Walk-in permits are available in Building Division - Mechanical Section, Room 425, City Hall, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is closed on all City holidays.

Online applications can be submitted through the contractor’s dashboard once you are logged into your STL City Permits account.

1. Use the Begin Online button below to log in.
2. Once you are logged in, select the Permits button in the upper-right hand area of the page.
3. Select the Pull New Permit button to begin the application process.

Begin online

View electrical permit fees. The application fee for all electrical permits is $25.

• At the end of your application, you will be prompted to pay all the necessary fees associated with the work being performed.
• You can expect to receive an approved permit or feedback on your application via email within 10 business days of submission, though most applications are able to be approved within 1 to 3 business days.
• Once your application is approved, you can log into your STL City Permits dashboard to print your permit and schedule inspections.

• For the benefit of applicants who frequently apply for permits with the Building Division, you may set up an escrow account with the Building Division through your stlcitypermits.com account.
• A full version of the 2017 National Electrical Code, as adopted by the City of St. Louis, can be found via Ordinance #70802.

Permits for Homeowners

As a homeowner, you can receive an electrical permit under the following conditions:

• You pass a short test given by the Building Division Electrical Section to determine that you have sufficient knowledge of the Electrical Code to do the work.
• You are performing work on an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling.
• You are performing a room addition, repair, or modification to an existing system.

You may not apply for permits for service changes, rehab, or new construction. Those need to be performed by a licensed contractor.

For more information on testing and applying for an electrical permit in this fashion, contact the Building Division, Electrical Section at 314-622-3313, or visit Room 425 in City Hall.