Occupational Licensing in Missouri
Missouri requires a licence for 109 of the 246 occupations the Archbridge Institute tracks, against a national median of 124. It ranks 51 of 51 on their index, where 1 is the most burdensome.
- Licensed occupations
- 109
- With any entry barrier
- 123
- National rank
- #51
- In the West North Central
- #7
Moving to Missouri with a licence
Missouri recognises out-of-state licences broadly — Archbridge grades its reform gold. Universal recognition is the reform that lets someone already licensed elsewhere practise after moving, instead of repeating the training; 28 of the 51 jurisdictions have some version of it.
Licensed here, rarely elsewhere
These are the occupations Missouri licenses that few other jurisdictions do — the clearest sign of where its rules go further than the national norm.
- Animal Breederlicensed in 10 of 51
Every licensed occupation in Missouri
All 109, alphabetically. Archbridge tracks 246 occupations in total, so anything absent here is either unlicensed in Missouri or outside their list.
- Acupuncturist
- Addictions/Chemical Dependency Counselor
- Anesthesiologist Aide/Assistant
- Animal Breeder
- Architect
- Asbestos Abatement Worker
- Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor
- Asbestos Inspector
- Asbestos Management Planner
- Asbestos Project Designer
- Athlete Agent/Manager
- Athletic Trainer/Sports Trainer
- Attorney
- Audiologist
- Backflow Prevention Tester
- Barber
- Barber Apprentice
- Behavior Analyst Assistant
- Behavior Analyst/Specialist
- Body Piercing Artist
- Broker (Standard Real Estate)
- Certified Nurse Aide/Assistant
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist
- Certified Prevention Specialist, CPP, or CPPA
- Certified Public Accountant
- Certified Sewage/Septic Inspector/Evaluator
- Chiropractor
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Cosmetologist
- Cosmetologist Apprentice
- Cosmetology Teacher
- Court Interpreter
- Dental Hygienist
- Dentist
- Dietitian
- Embalmer
- Emergency Dispatcher / Public Safety Telecommunicator
- EMT
- Esthetician
- Esthetician Instructor
- Family-Marriage Therapist/Counselor
- Funeral Director/Mortician
- General Insurance Agent Manager or Exclusive
- Geologist in Training
- Geologist/Geoscientist
- Hearing Aid Dealer/Hearing Aid Dispensers/Hearing Instrument Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispenser Trainee/Apprentice
- Insurance Producer
- Investment Advisor
- Landscape Architect
- Lead Abatement Supervisor/Contractor
- Lead Inspector
- Lead Inspector Risk Assessor
- Lead Planner Project Designer
- Level Class II Wastewater Operator
- Level Class III Wastewater Operator
- Level Class IV Wastewater Operator
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Manicurist
- Massage Therapist
- MD Physician/Surgeon
- Medical Clinical Laboratory Technician
- Medication Technician/Aide /Assistant
- Mortgage Loan Originator
- Nail Technician
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Assistant
- Optometrist
- Parole /Probation Officer
- Perfusionist
- Pharmacist
- Physical Therapist
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatrist
- Preschool Teacher, except Special Education
- Private Investigator
- Professional Counselor/Professional Clinical Counselor
- Professional Engineer
- Professional Fundraising Counsel
- Professional Land Surveyor
- Provisional Psychologist
- Psychologist
- Public School Administrator
- Public School Principal
- Public School Teacher
- Pyrotechnic Operator
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Salesperson
- Registered Nurse
- Respiratory Therapist/Respiratory Care Practitioner
- Septic Tank Installer
- Sign Language Interpreter/Translator
- Social Worker
- Soil Tester/Soil Classifier
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
- Tattoo Artist
- Taxidermist
- Title Insurance Agent (Individual)
- Veterinarian
- Veterinarian Technician
- Wastewater Operator
- Well Driller
- Wildlife Rehabilitator
Where this comes from
The Archbridge Institute's State Occupational Licensing Index 2026, retrieved 2026-09-16. The index records whether an occupation needs a licence — it does not record fees or training hours, so nothing here says what a licence costs or how long it takes. The rank is Archbridge's own and is not part of the FreedomRankings score. Check the relevant Missouri board before acting on any of it.
More on Missouri: its freedom score and rank · school choice · homeschool laws
