St. Louis County, MO Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

080 adopts NEC Article 80 (Administration) with local jurisdictional substitutions: wherever the Code says "Department of Electrical Inspection" it means the St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works, and "Code Official" means that department's Director or a designee. Under 80-8(A), Permits Required, no person or business may begin installing, erecting, or altering wiring, fixtures, or other apparatus for generating, transmitting, or using electricity or communications equipment until a written application is filed with the Office of Electrical Inspection at least 24 hours before work starts and the permit is obtained; the application must show the intended start date.

In a declared emergency, work may begin on notice to the Code Official if the written application follows the next working day, but in a declared disaster no electrical work may start until the Code Official actually issues the permit. Applications must be made by the licensed installer or an authorized agent, include four or more sets of construction documents (waivable for minor scope work), and for structures over two stories, documents signed and sealed by a registered design professional showing fire-resistance and penetration details.

An application is treated as abandoned six months after filing unless diligently pursued or a permit issued, though the Code Official may grant successive 90-day extensions for reasonable cause, each carrying its own extension fee under Chapter 1100.