Lit channel letters
Built in Washington and California
Kansas City exempts copy changes on painted or printed signs from permits, but not on electric signs, so changing lit letters or faces there needs a permit.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
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Missouri businesses can price custom LED channel letters online, have them built in Washington and California, and receive them ready for a licensed local installer. Banners and window graphics are printed in Renton, WA.
Last reviewed against the official sources linked on this page.
What we ship
Missouri’s statewide electrical contractor license is optional, but it carries weight: under § 324.925 RSMo, every city and county must accept it in place of its own contractor license, without a local exam. Cities still license contractors who don’t hold it, and they still issue permits and inspect.
Kansas City requires sign contractors to have a Sign Supervisor Certificate of Qualification, and Jefferson City counts window advertising toward a business’s sign allowance and prohibits banners outright.
Built in Washington and California
Kansas City exempts copy changes on painted or printed signs from permits, but not on electric signs, so changing lit letters or faces there needs a permit.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
Made in Renton, WA
Jefferson City’s sign rules prohibit portable and temporary signs, banners included, as well as advertising flags and inflatables.
Starting at $1.58 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Kansas City needs no permit for lettering applied directly to windows or doors that names the business or its products, while Jefferson City counts window advertising toward the sign-area limit.
Starting at $1.98 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $16 per item
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $269.50 per item
Popular choices
Lit letters for Kansas City and St. Louis area shopping centers and main streets.
Lit letters for suburban shopping centers in Missouri.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
A soft glow for historic brick storefronts.
Starting at $12.17 per inch
Grand opening and sale banners where your city allows them.
Starting at $1.58 per ft2
Who can install it
The Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors has accepted applications for the optional statewide license since July 1, 2019. The license covers electrical contracting regardless of voltage, and under § 324.925.1 RSMo every political subdivision must recognize it in lieu of a local license for contracting and permits; a city or county can’t make a statewide license holder pass a local exam, and one that doesn’t comply can have local sales tax withheld. Cities may still license contractors who don’t hold the statewide license, require a business license, issue permits, inspect and adopt an NEC-based code.
Kansas City licenses contractors under Article XII of its Building and Rehabilitation Code in three steps: a business license from the Finance Department, a Certificate of Qualification for the company’s qualified individual through CompassKC, and then the contractor license itself. A sign contractor needs a Sign Supervisor certificate, and electrical work is qualified by Electrical Supervisor, Master or Master (Limited) Electrician certificates.
| State license | Optional; Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors |
|---|---|
| Local acceptance | Required statewide in lieu of a local license |
| Kansas City sign contractor | Sign Supervisor Certificate of Qualification |
| Kansas City electrical | Electrical Supervisor, Master or Master (Limited) Electrician |
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Permits
Missouri cities and counties issue sign permits under their own codes, whichever electrical license your installer holds.
In Kansas City, permits are filed through CompassKC. The city’s list of permit-exempt work leaves out signs inside a building and copy changes on painted or printed signs, but electric signs aren’t included in that exemption, except theater marquees. Lettering painted or applied directly on a wall, window or door that names the occupant or its products doesn’t need a sign permit.
In Jefferson City, the capital, a permit is required before any new sign goes up, under Chapter 3 of the City Code. Building signs may cover up to 10 percent of the front facade in the C-1 and C-2 districts, 7.5 percent in C-O and 5 percent in M-1 and M-2, measuring the facade as its length times its height up to 20 feet; side and rear walls get 5 percent. Wall signs can’t sit more than 32 feet above grade, and flashing signs and roof signs outside the building’s silhouette are prohibited.
| Sign permit | Your city or county |
|---|---|
| Kansas City | Permits through CompassKC; electric signs aren’t permit-exempt |
| Jefferson City wall signs | 10% of the front facade (C-1/C-2), 7.5% (C-O), 5% (M-1/M-2) |
| Jefferson City height | No wall sign more than 32 ft above grade |
New to sign permits? Read how sign permits work and what your electrician needs.
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Banners and temporary displays
Jefferson City’s sign rules are stricter than most about promotions. They prohibit portable or temporary signs, including banners, along with advertising flags, inflatables, and any sign on the right-of-way or a sidewalk. Window advertising isn’t a way around the limit either: it counts toward the building’s total sign area. For a Jefferson City opening, put the budget into permanent letters sized within the facade allowance.
Weather
Missouri storefronts get a little of everything: humid summers, spring hail and tornado-season winds, and winter ice storms that can coat letters and raceways. Ask your installer to anchor for gusts and seal wall penetrations so ice melt doesn’t get behind the letters.
How it works
Use the channel letter builder or send your logo.
Check it with your landlord and installer.
Letters in WA or CA; the rest in Renton, WA.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit; 3-day, 2-day and overnight shipping are available at checkout. Shipping options.
With our wiring diagram and install pattern (overview). Permit checklist.
On every channel letter style (details).
We build and ship; a local pro installs. A licensed sign installer or electrician in Missouri mounts and connects your sign. We don’t have an office or installation crew in Missouri, and orders can’t be picked up.
Questions
We ship custom channel letters anywhere in Missouri, built in Washington and California and tested before they ship. We don’t install, so you’ll hire an electrical or sign contractor licensed for your city or county to mount and connect them.
Yes. The license is optional, but § 324.925 RSMo makes every city and county accept it in place of a local contractor license, without a local exam. Local permits, inspections and business licenses still apply, and cities can still license contractors who don’t hold it.
A Kansas City contractor license backed by a Sign Supervisor Certificate of Qualification, after a city business license. Electrical work is qualified by an Electrical Supervisor, Master or Master (Limited) Electrician certificate. Certificates and permits are handled through the city’s CompassKC portal.
No. Jefferson City prohibits portable and temporary signs, banners included, plus advertising flags and inflatables. Window advertising counts toward your total sign area, so plan permanent letters within the facade percentage for your district. Signs on the right-of-way or a sidewalk are prohibited too.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit, with 3-day, 2-day and overnight options. Checkout shows the estimated date for each, including production.
Keep reading
Send a storefront photo, your logo and the size and lighting limits confirmed by your landlord or installer. We can suggest options and give you a price before you order.