Form MO 500 at a glance
What it is: Form MO 500-1483 (10-05) is the Application for Missouri Certificate of High School Equivalence (GED) of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Who signs: Sign here on the Signature of Applicant line (do not print).
A non-high school graduate who is a resident of Missouri may qualify for a certificate of high school equivalence by passing the General Educational Development (GED) Tests.
To be eligible, a person must be a resident of Missouri (with a Missouri mailing address), and meet one (1) of the following requirements: be eighteen (18) years of age or older; be seventeen (17) years of age and withdrawn from school for at least six (6) months from the last day of school attendance; or be currently enrolled in school and qualify as a participant in an approved GED Option Program for at-risk youth.
Or be sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age, withdrawn from school and: have the written permission of the superintendent or principal of the school last attended; have the written permission of the parent or legal guardian, if home-schooled; or be incarcerated or have the written permission of the juvenile judge if under the court's jurisdiction.
A filled-in Form MO 500 example: a 17-year-old applies for the GED certificate
How to fill out Form MO 500, box by box
Name, Social Security number and date of birth
Enter the Social Security Number, the Maiden Name, if married, the Name (Last) (First) (Middle), the Date of Birth (Mo. Day Yr.) and the Age.
Mailing address, home address and telephone
Enter the Mailing Address, City, State and Zip Code.
Enter the Home Address, City, State and Zip Code if different.
Enter the Telephone Number, Home and Work.
Last school and highest grade completed
Enter the name and location of last elementary or high school attended and the date of withdrawal from school (month/day/year).
Check one for the highest grade completed.
School permission
Applicants 16 years of age; or applicants 17 years of age who have not been out of school at least six months, must have written permission of an authorized school official (head principal or superintendent) of last school attended on school stationery and submitted with the application.
Home schooled applicants 16 or 17 years of age must have a letter of permission from parents or guardians.
More rules for Form MO 500
The application is good for 2 years from the date of receipt.
Special accommodations to take the test based on physical or special learning disabilities are available; contact the State Office or any GED testing center for information.
Upon application and submission of the required fee, the candidate will receive authorization and an official list of Missouri testing centers from the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Once you receive your authorization: go to an Adult Education and Literacy Center near you (first time testers only).
Complete the GED Demographic Form.
View the video to familiarize yourself with the calculator and alternate format gridding.
Take a GED practice test to familiarize yourself with the test format and content.
Contact a GED testing site to make an appointment to take the test. You will need the Missouri GED Testing Authorization Form, a completed GED Demographic Form and a Missouri driver's license or Missouri non-driver's license photo ID. You will need a twenty dollar ($20) test administration fee (cash or money order only). (checked November 11, 2026)
The candidate is responsible to make an appointment to take the test at the center of his choice; to be admitted to the testing session, the examinee must provide a Missouri driver's license, Missouri photo ID or current U.S. passport.
If you are not successful, there is a sixty-day waiting period before you are eligible for retesting; you may take the test three times in a calendar year.
A minimum standard score of 2250, which is an average of 450 on the five tests, with no score under 410, is necessary to qualify for the certificate; scores are valid for two years from test date.
Re-examination: application and fee required each time tests are taken.
Applicant must retake those tests on which (s)he received a standard score less than 450.
Duplicate certificates are issued upon payment of a $15.00 fee (money order or cashier's check only) made payable to Treasurer, State of Missouri; one official transcript is included. (checked November 11, 2026)
Fee expires after two years.
Common questions about Form MO 500
Who signs it?
Sign here on the Signature of Applicant line (do not print).
Where do I file it?
Complete the application; print in ink. Mail to the GED Office, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102; personal checks are not accepted.
Are there fees?
Enclose a $20.00 money order or cashier's check made payable to Treasurer, State of Missouri; the fee is non-refundable and non-transferable; personal checks are not accepted (checked November 11, 2026).
Sources
[1] Form MO 500-1483 (10-05), Application for Missouri Certificate of High School Equivalence (GED), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Official source link on this page).