Southaven, MS Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License gate
- City master license before any electrical permit issues
- Experience
- Four years for master, two years for journeyman
- Apprentice license
- $20, no more than three per journeyman
- Adopted code
- 2023 International Electrical Code with local revisions
- Aluminum wire
- Prohibited in new structures; 250 MCM or larger on service work
- Homeowner exemption
- Own residence only, signed statement, permits still required
Summary
In the City of Southaven, Mississippi, no permit is issued and no work is performed under the electrical code until the person doing the work holds a master license from the city. Only minor repairs such as ballast and same-location fixture changes are exempt, and replacing wiring or panel boxes is not.
(a)No permits shall be issued, nor shall any work be performed which is regulated by the plumbing code, electrical code, mechanical code and the administrative ordinances adopted by the city until the person desiring to perform such work obtains a master license from the city to perform such work. This master license shall be obtained in accordance with the subsequent sections of this chapter. The work items listed below shall be exempt from the above-stated license requirements: ... (4)Electrical repairs-replacements of ballast in light fixtures, change out fixture in the same location as removed from, and any electrical repair where no additional wiring and moving of conduit or wiring are involved.(b)Not to be confused with the above exemptions are replacements of any electrical wiring, panel boxes, residential or commercial sewers, hot water heaters, condensing units, furnaces, and refrigerated cases and freezers for display and sale of merchandise.
Full Breakdown
Electrical work in the City of Southaven runs through two gates. Sec. 4-27 makes it unlawful to erect, construct, alter or enlarge any building, fence, sign, swimming pool or other structure without first applying in writing to the building official, paying all applicable fees and receiving a permit. Sec. 4-202(a) then provides that no permits shall be issued, nor work performed, under the electrical code until the person desiring to do the work obtains a master license from the city. The exempt electrical repairs are replacing ballasts in light fixtures, changing out a fixture in the same location as the one removed, and any repair where no additional wiring and moving of conduit or wiring are involved. Sec. 4-202(b) states that replacements of any electrical wiring or panel boxes are not exempt, and Sec. 4-202(c) keeps the adopted codes and any city privilege license in force even when no license or permit is required.
Sec. 4-203 requires at least four (4) years of experience for a master license and two (2) years for a journeyman license. Sec. 4-204 adds a written examination by the license commission, and denial of a license requires a two-thirds vote. Sec. 4-205 issues a city master license without examination to holders of a DeSoto County License Commission master license who transfer their license and bond documents and keep annual fees current, but a credential lapsed for one (1) year or more requires a regular license. Sec. 4-206 exempts a homeowner wiring the house he owns and will live in, on a signed statement, though permits and inspections are still required. Sec. 4-207 requires an apprentice license at $20 and allows no more than three (3) apprentices per journeyman.
The adopted standard is in Sec. 4-26(a)(7): the 2023 International Electrical Code as a reference of the 2024 International Building Code, not including Section 203.67. Sec. 4-26(b) revises it: arc fault breakers in all occupied areas of the home, ground-fault interrupters in all rooms that might have a wet condition, a dedicated single receptacle for the garage door, and at least one (1) receptacle at each island and peninsula countertop space of twenty-four (24) by twelve (12) inches or larger. Sec. 4-26.2 prohibits all sizes of aluminum wire in new residential and commercial structures, with size 250 MCM or larger accepted on service work.
Violations & Fines
A licensed or bonded contractor who knowingly and willfully violates the chapter pays the permit fee or $500, whichever is greater, for a first offense under Sec. 4-33(b), with a one-month suspension of work privileges if unpaid within two weeks. A second offense within one year costs the permit fee or $1,000 plus a six-month suspension, and a third brings a one-year suspension. An unlicensed person outside the homeowner exemption faces a misdemeanor fine not exceeding $1,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to pull an electrical permit in Southaven?
Which electrical repairs are exempt from the license rule?
Can a homeowner do his own electrical work in Southaven?
Is aluminum wire allowed in new construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southaven
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