St. Louis County, MO Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SLCRO Ch. 628, Lead Poisoning Control Code
- Pre-1978 sale condition
- written disclosure + signed HUD notice
- Lead threshold (XRF)
- over 1.0 mg/cm2 of surface
- Abatement deadline
- 30 days, extendable to 90 days max
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 10 days jail
- Enforcing office
- Director, County Dept. of Health
Summary
St. Louis County bans applying lead-based coating to any chewable or exposed surface, but lets pre-1978 homes sell if the seller discloses known or suspected lead paint in writing and gives buyers the HUD lead notice before contract signing.
No person shall apply or cause to be applied any lead-based coating to any chewable surface or exposed surface; and no person shall sell, expose for sale, deliver, give away or possess with intent to sell, deliver or give away any chewable surface or exposed surface to which any lead-based coating has been applied, except that a structure, dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit built before 1978 may be offered for sale, whether by an individual or through a person licensed to conduct real estate transactions in the State of Missouri, so long as: a) the existence of any known or suspected lead-based coatings in, on, or about the premises is disclosed in writing to all potential buyers; and (b) the HUD Notice is given to the buyer and signed and dated by the buyer on or before the date the buyer executes the sales contract. If no such coatings exist on the premises, the seller or the seller's agent may certify the premises as "lead-free".
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
050 of the Lead Poisoning Control Code, no one may apply lead-based coating to a chewable surface (windowsills, door frames, stair rails, porch railings) or an exposed surface, and none may be sold, delivered or given away once coated, with one carve-out: a structure, dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit built before 1978 can still be sold, by an owner or a Missouri-licensed real estate agent, provided the existence of any known or suspected lead-based coatings is disclosed in writing to every potential buyer and the HUD Lead-Based Paint Notice (the 8/92 version or its current update) is given to and signed and dated by the buyer on or before the date the sales contract is signed.
If no such coatings are on the premises, the seller or the seller's agent may certify it as "lead-free" instead of issuing the disclosure. 5 percent by weight in the dried film already on a surface. 100. 090 lets the Director order the owner, operator or occupant to eliminate a confirmed hazard within 30 days, extendable on written request to a 90-day outside limit, and a vacated unit under a corrective notice cannot be re-let until the notice is satisfied. 020 applies the whole chapter countywide, in both incorporated and unincorporated St. Louis County.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 628, including selling a pre-1978 property without the required written disclosure and signed HUD notice, is a misdemeanor punishable on conviction by up to a $1,000 fine, up to 10 days in the County Jail, or both. Each act is a separate offense, and once the Director issues a written abatement order under Section 628.090, every day the hazard continues past the deadline counts as a separate offense under Section 628.110. Failure to correct a confirmed hazard within the Director's deadline also triggers legal action against the owner, and if the owner does not abate, the Director may order the work done and place the cost as a lien against the property under Section 628.100(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to disclose lead paint when selling an older home in St. Louis County?
Can I certify my pre-1978 St. Louis County home as lead-free instead of disclosing?
What happens if the County Health Director finds lead hazards during an inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
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