County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
MissouriSt. Louis County

Administrative overview · FIPS 29189

St. Louis County permit authority

The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.

Jurisdictional status

County

This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.

Responsible agency

St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works, Code Enforcement-Permits Processing

For a project in or near St. Louis County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.

Direct contact

314-615-5184 (Permit Processing Center); 314-615-4269 (Permit Application Center); 314-615-4677 (Inspections)

Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.

Permit counter

Lawrence K. Roos County Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 6th Floor, Clayton, MO 63105

Operating hours

Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:00 PM

Review expectation

N/A; the county publishes the workflow but no standard 2026 review time on the reviewed official pages.

Compliance workbench

Choose the next project decision.

Source trail

Official sources for this profile

Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.

Project questions

Frequently asked questions for St. Louis County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works, Code Enforcement-Permits Processing is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.

How should I begin an application?

Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 314-615-5184 (Permit Processing Center); 314-615-4269 (Permit Application Center); 314-615-4677 (Inspections).

How long might review take?

N/A; the county publishes the workflow but no standard 2026 review time on the reviewed official pages.

How are inspections scheduled?

Submit plans and permit applications through the county permit drop box/mail-in process or the e-permits portal. For inspection questions call 314-615-4677; general permit-processing questions call 314-615-5184. Residential occupancy inspections are scheduled by county staff, with the cited occupancy form stating contact within 48 hours.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

2015 International Building Code (Chapter 1115), 2015 International Residential Code (Chapter 1116), 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 1110), 2014 National Electrical Code/NFPA 70 (Chapter 1102), 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code (Chapter 1103), plus county land-disturbance and applicable zoning codes and amendments. County enforcement applies in unincorporated areas and municipalities contracting with the county for plan review/inspection. N/A; the county publishes project-specific residential/commercial guides, but the reviewed official permit pages did not provide one consolidated 2026 list of minor or cosmetic exemptions.

Before contacting the permit counter

Have the project facts ready.

A productive call starts with a clear description of the property and proposed work. Keep the site address, parcel or assessor number, project valuation, existing occupancy, approximate square footage, structural scope, contractor information, and desired start date in front of you. Those facts help the Authority Having Jurisdiction route the question to building, planning, fire, environmental health, or another reviewing discipline.

Questions worth asking

  • • Is the parcel inside an incorporated city or county service area?
  • • Does this scope require building, trade, zoning, fire, or site permits?
  • • What plans and supporting documents make the submittal complete?
  • • How much lead time is needed for each inspection?