Mississippi — electrical code & licensing
Partially verified
The code
| Edition in force | No statewide NEC edition - adoption is by county/municipality |
| Edition structure | Local adoption only |
| Effective date | no single statewide date |
| Adopted by | None at state level. Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 19-5-9(1) adopts the codes of nationally recognized code groups as minimum standard GUIDES; counties (Sec. 19-5-9) and municipalities (Sec. 21-19-25) may adopt electrical codes in their discretion |
| Adoption source | https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2024/pdf/sam/HB0331_S_Cmte_Amend_01.pdf |
| State amendments | No state amendments on record |
Licensing
| Model | State licenses contracting FIRMS, not individual electricians: the Mississippi State Board of Contractors issues a Certificate of Responsibility (the commercial contractor license) by classification - including Electrical - to the business, through an exam-qualified qualifying party. There is no state journeyman or master electrician license. Thresholds (MSBOC): commercial license required for commercial work over $50,000; residential building over $50,000; residential electrical/plumbing/HVAC work under $10,000 requires no state license (local requirements govern). |
| Authority | Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) |
| Licensing source | https://www.msboc.us/general-info/about-msboc/ |
| License classes | https://www.msboc.us/?page_id=101 |
Permits & inspections
Permits and inspections are local; MSBOC's own guidance directs contractors below the state thresholds to the city or county for local requirements. No state electrical permit/inspection system was established.
Things to watch for
- This record is partially verified. Still open: Structural negative: §19-5-9(1) was read via the Legislature's official bill-status PDF, not a codified-code page; no single official page states the whole no-statewide-adoption structure.
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Partially verified |
| Amendments | Not applicable |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Which edition applies where
| Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone, and Pearl River counties | varies
· selected by local adoption
Miss. Code §17-2-1 requires these counties to enforce the latest IBC/IRC and their referenced standards — a five-county mandate, not a statewide NEC adoption. |
Working notes
PARTIAL because the no-statewide-adoption finding is structural: Sec. 19-5-9(1) text was read as reproduced in the Legislature's official bill-status PDF (2024 HB 331 committee amendment), not on a codified-code .gov page, and no single official page states the whole structure. COASTAL EXCEPTION, recorded not flattened: Miss. Code Sec. 17-2-1 requires Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River counties to enforce the latest IBC/IRC and their referenced standards (wind/flood mitigation) - an I-Code mandate for five counties, not a statewide NEC adoption, and not converted into an NEC edition here. There are no state NEC amendments to link; amendments, where they exist, are local.
Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.