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How to Verify a Professional's License in Independence?

If you want to embark on a project in Independence, hiring a licensed professional is a good way to protect yourself against shoddy workmanship. Several professionals in Independence, including interior designers, electrical contractors, engineers, and architects, are regulated and licensed under one of the 41 licensing boards of the Missouri Division of Professional Registration. You can verify the license of a professional you want to hire through the DPR's Licensee Search portal. However, some professionals, such as construction and home-improvement contractors, are licensed at the city level by the Independence Community Development Department. To find out if a professional you want to hire has been properly licensed by the city, you can call the city's Community Development Department at (816) 325-7109.

After making sure that the professional you have hired is licensed, you should also lookout for any local regulations that may apply to your intended project and make sure that you comply with them. In Independence, if you want to embark on a project that involves electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or other construction-related work on a residential, industrial or commercial building, you will need to obtain a permit from the Independence Building Inspections Division. Permits can be obtained through the building permits portal maintained by the Building Inspections Division. Permit-related queries can also be directed to the Division by calling (816) 325-7401.

Do Independence Neighborhood Councils
Issue Permits?

No, Independence neighborhood associations do not issue permits. Independence has many neighborhood associations and community-based volunteer organizations whose main priority is to assist the city's government and officials to foster initiatives and programs that will be beneficial to their neighborhoods and the general city at large. On August 16, 2021, the city council voted down a proposed new mandate that would have required city residents to wear masks at large community events, whether held indoors or outdoors. The session was attended by several city residents that had come to express themselves in support of or against the mandate. Later on in October, the city council considered two different proposals for the application of Covid-19 relief funds towards the purchase of equipment for the city's police department. While one of the resolutions for the purchase of body cameras was outrightly voted down, the second resolution for a gunfire detector was postponed for two weeks.

How to File an Unfair Business
Complaint in Independence?

If you have been a victim of unfair business practices or fraud in Independence you can file a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General through its Consumer Protection Section. You can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Section by calling (800) 392-8222. Alternatively, you can complete and submit an online consumer complaint form, along with any supporting documents you might have. If you do not find any of these methods convenient, you can also file a complaint by completing a pdf complaint form and mailing it to the Attorney General at

• Missouri Attorney General's Office
• Consumer Protection Unit
• P.O. Box 899
• Jefferson City, MO 65102

The Attorney General's Office has the authority to investigate deceptive and unfair business practices, and it can institute civil and criminal cases against businesses on behalf of the state. After you file your complaint, the Office initiates an informal mediation process by sending your complaint to the business in question, inviting a response. It should be noted that the Attorney General's Office cannot compel a business to take a particular action, nor can it institute legal action on your behalf. If you feel dissatisfied after the complaint process is completed with this office, you can proceed to an Oakland County Courthouse to file a small claims suit. However, it is important that the small claims court can only hear claims with a monetary limit of $6,500.