National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
Missouri leaves the NEC to cities and counties
Missouri leaves the NEC to cities and counties. Adopted by Local governments (cities, counties). The legal citation is RSMo 67.280 (local incorporation of technical codes by reference).
Record of adoption
Edition in force
Local adoption
Partial
- Legal citation
- RSMo 67.280 (local incorporation of technical codes by reference)
- Adopted by
- Local governments (cities, counties)
- Second reading
- Applies
- Local option
No state agency or statute adopting the NEC was found; NFPA’s table agrees (‘Local incorporation by reference only’). The DNR page says codes are adopted by jurisdictions, but names no state electrical code.
Exceptions
- Public Service Commission rule 20 CSR 4240-18.010 adopts the 2023 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) for utilities, not the NEC
- State-owned building projects follow the Office of Administration design guidelines, which list the NEC and require the latest edition without naming a year
How Missouri adopts the NEC
Each city or county adopts or updates the NEC by ordinance under RSMo 67.280, so editions vary by jurisdiction. No state body updates the NEC for the general public. Bills to create a statewide Missouri Building Codes Act were introduced in 2025 and 2026.
Cycle. irregular; set by each local jurisdiction
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- LegislationSB 743, Missouri Building Codes Act2025 regular session, Sen. Brown
Would create state building, electrical, energy, fire and other codes from ICC and other model codes, require existing local codes to conform, and require commission approval of local amendments.
Pending (introduced Feb 24, 2025, per a secondary tracker)
senate.mo.gov (opens in a new tab) - UndatedLegislationSB 1431, Missouri Building Codes2026 regular session, Sen. Henderson
Would establish Missouri Building Codes based on ICC and other model codes, with commission approval of local amendments and implementation by Aug 28, 2028.
Pending (introduced)
senate.mo.gov (opens in a new tab) - UndatedLegislationHB 3466, Missouri Building Codes Act2026 regular session, Rep. Hruza
Would require jurisdictions with an existing building code to adopt the state codes by rule, allow local amendments, and let local bodies adopt by reference.
Pending (introduced)
documents.house.mo.gov (opens in a new tab)
How it was checked
Partial
Researched in the state’s own record. The seal stays broken until the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from four source pages.
Evidence 4 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
Codes by jurisdictionMissouri Department of Natural Resourcesdnr.mo.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved About an exception
“the latest edition of codes and standards”
Design Guidelines (revisions through 06/17)Missouri Office of Administration, Facilities Managementoa.mo.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved About an exception
20 CSR 4240-18.010 Electrical Safety StandardsJustia (mirror of Missouri Code of State Regulations)regulations.justia.com (opens in a new tab)Administrative code, secondaryRetrieved About how the state adopts codes
RSMo 67.280 Communities may incorporate by reference certain technical codesMissouri Revisor of Statutesrevisor.mo.gov (opens in a new tab)StatuteRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Missouri’s own record.
NFPA’s enforcement mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
Missouri: Local incorporation by reference only (NEC enforcement table, as of Aug 3, 2026)
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