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General contractor · Local (city/county) licenses

How contractor licensing works in Missouri

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

Journeyman level Licensed by cities or counties, not the state What's a journeyman?

Missouri has no state license for general or residential building contractors: the state's Division of Professional Registration has a statewide license for electrical contractors but no board for general contractors. Licensing, where it exists, is local. In Kansas City, a residential building contractor needs a business license, a qualified Residential Building Supervisor (who passes a Prometric or ICC residential construction exam) and a city contractor license. [1][2][3]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Missouri

General contractor licenses are for running a business, so most people start by learning a building trade, most often carpentry. Your first step is to get hired by a builder or to apply to a carpentry apprenticeship, such as the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council's program (training centers in St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, Springfield and Cape Girardeau) or ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Heart of America's carpentry program. Missouri has no state card to get first. [1][5][6][8]

  • High school diploma or GED

    No state rule (Missouri has no state contractor license). Programs vary: ABC Heart of America asks for a copy of your diploma, GED (General Educational Development test) certificate or transcript. The Mid-America Carpenters' St. Louis application steps (online application, contractor letter of intent, drug screen, $50 fee) don't list a diploma Confirm with the program. [1][6][8]

  • Minimum age

    ABC Heart of America: 18. [8]

  • A contractor who will sponsor you

    To join the Mid-America Carpenters' apprenticeship in St. Louis, you get a letter of intent from a signatory (union) contractor, complete a drug screen and pay a $50 permit fee. Its three-week PATTS (Pre-Apprentice Technical Training School) pre-apprenticeship program trains people so union contractors can hire them as first-term apprentices. [6]

  • Transportation and tools

    The carpenters' program says you don't need to own a car, but you must have reliable transportation to job sites and classes, and you buy basic hand tools (about $100 to $300) once you're indentured. ABC Heart of America asks for a copy of your driver's license. [7][8]

  • Pay while you learn

    Carpenter apprentices are paid from the first day they're hired An example scale starts at 40% of journeyman wages in year 1 and 50% in year 2. ABC Heart of America lists an average skilled wage of $28.51 an hour for its carpentry program's trade. [7][8]

  • Still in high school?

    Missouri's Registered Youth Apprenticeship program, overseen by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), lets high school students do paid on-the-job training and earn industry credentials and college credit while still in school In July 2026 the state counted 69 registered youth apprenticeship programs. Construction classes fall under DESE's Skilled Technical Sciences program area, which links an approved program directory and lists NCCER (the National Center for Construction Education and Research) as a resource. [10][12][13]

Where to apply in MissouriHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Missouri contractor license at a glance

State license
None for general or residential contractors The state licenses electrical contractors only [1]
Kansas City residential building contractor
Business license, Residential Building Supervisor certificate, then a city contractor license [2][3]
Kansas City supervisor exam
Prometric residential construction (10344) or ICC (International Code Council) residential building contractor (W13) $60 application [3]
Universal license recognition
Missouri's law doesn't apply to city or county licenses [9]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who licenses contractors in Missouri
  5. Kansas City's residential building contractor license
  6. Carpentry apprenticeships: the usual route in
  7. If you're licensed in another state
  8. Steps to get licensed
  9. Where to get the hours
  10. Licensed in another state?
  11. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Missouri

  1. 1

    Construction worker or carpenter apprentice

    No license. You learn the work on job sites; the Mid-America Carpenters' apprenticeship runs 8 terms (about 4.5 years) with 6,000 job site hours and 18 units of training. [1][6]

  2. 2

    Residential Building Supervisor (Kansas City)

    • Yes: residential construction (Prometric 10344) or residential building contractor (ICC W13)
    • $60 application

    The certificate held by the person who performs or supervises a Kansas City residential building contractor's work. The city's requirements list an exam and fee; no reference letters are required. [2][3]

  3. 3

    Residential building contractor (Kansas City)

    Needed to build, structurally alter or enlarge one- or two-family homes, townhouses, and detached accessory buildings over 400 square feet in Kansas City. Apply through CompassKC after the business license and supervisor certificate. [2][3]

Who licenses contractors in Missouri

Missouri's Division of Professional Registration runs the state's occupational licensing boards. Its list includes a statewide license for electrical contractors, but no board for general, residential or home improvement contractors. If you want to run a building business, check the rules of each city or county where you'll work. Our Missouri electrician page covers the statewide electrical contractor license. [1]

Kansas City's residential building contractor license

Kansas City's City Planning and Development Department administers contractor licensing inside the city limits. Its process has three steps: get a business license from the Finance Department; have your qualified individual apply for a certificate of qualification in the trade through CompassKC; then apply for the business's contractor license through CompassKC.

A residential building contractor license is needed to construct, structurally alter or enlarge one- or two-family detached homes or townhouses, including detached accessory buildings over 400 square feet. The work must be performed by or under the supervision of the contractor's qualified supervisor, or by subcontractors under that supervisor. The Residential Building Supervisor certificate requires a $60 nonrefundable application fee and a passing score on Prometric's residential construction exam (10344) or ICC's standard residential building contractor exam (W13); the city may accept a comparable exam you've already passed. Contact the licensing team at (816) 513-1500 (extension 1, option 2) or cdlicensing@kcmo.org. [2][3]

Carpentry apprenticeships: the usual route in

The Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (formed in 2021 when the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council merged with Chicago's) runs carpentry apprenticeships at Missouri campuses in St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, Springfield and Cape Girardeau. In St. Louis you apply online, get a letter of intent from a signatory contractor, complete a drug screen and pay a $50 permit fee. The St. Louis campus lists the program as 8 terms, about 4.5 years, with 6,000 job site hours and 18 units of training (the program's FAQ says carpentry apprenticeships last four years), and apprentices get a raise each term.

ABC Heart of America's open-shop carpentry program, in Kansas City and Fenton, asks for age 18, a copy of your diploma, GED or transcript, and a driver's license. [4][5][6][7][8]

If you're licensed in another state

Missouri has no state contractor license to transfer, and its universal license recognition law (RSMo 324.009) doesn't apply to licenses issued by cities or counties. Kansas City may waive its exam if you've passed a comparable Prometric or ICC exam; confirm with the city. [1][3][9]

Steps to get licensed in Missouri

  1. Learn a building trade

    Get hired by a builder or join a carpentry apprenticeship such as the Mid-America Carpenters' program or ABC Heart of America. See our carpenter apprenticeship guide. [6][8]

  2. Check the city where you'll build

    Missouri has no state general contractor license, so licensing depends on the city or county. Ask its building department. [1]

  3. Kansas City: get a business license

    Get your business license from the city's Finance Department through BizCare. [2]

  4. Kansas City: qualify a supervisor and license the business

    The qualified person applies for the Residential Building Supervisor certificate ($60) through CompassKC and passes the Prometric or ICC exam; then the business applies for its contractor license. [2][3]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for Missouri, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

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MO Listed here (agreement or endorsement)

Questions people ask

Does Missouri require a general contractor license?

Not at the state level. Missouri's Division of Professional Registration has no general contractor board; cities and counties set their own rules. Kansas City, for example, licenses residential building contractors. [1][3]

How do I get a contractor license in Kansas City, Missouri?

Get a city business license, have your qualified person earn a certificate of qualification (for home building, the Residential Building Supervisor exam through Prometric or ICC), then apply for the contractor license through CompassKC. [2][3]

Sources (13)
  1. Boards (Division of Professional Registration), Missouri Division of Professional Registration. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Contractor Licensing, City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Planning and Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Residential Building Supervisor Certificate of Qualification Requirements, City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Planning and Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Carpenters Regional Council (St. Louis office home page), Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Apprentice and Training Program (campus list), Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Apprentice and Training Program. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. St. Louis, MO campus, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Apprentice and Training Program. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. FAQs, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Apprentice and Training Program. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Carpentry Program, Associated Builders and Contractors, Heart of America Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. RSMo 324.009 Licensure reciprocity (effective Aug. 28, 2026), Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Apprenticeship Missouri, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Apprenticeship Finder, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Registered Youth Apprenticeships (RYA), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Skilled Technical Sciences, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.