SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                   FORM 12b-25


                           NOTIFICATION OF LATE FILING


                                              Commission File Number: 000-24293

                                                    CUSIP Number:   502079 10 6

(Check One)

|X|      Form 10-K and Form 10-KSB           |_|     Form 11-K
|_|      Form 20-F                           |_|     Form 10-Q and Form 10-QSB
|_|      Form N-SAR

         For period ended:  December 31, 2002

|_|      Transition Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-KSB
|_|      Transition Report on Form 20-F
|_|      Transition Report on Form 11-K
|_|      Transition Report on Form 10-Q and Form 10-QSB
|_|      Transition Report on Form N-SAR

         For the transition period ended
                                            ---------------------------

         Nothing in this form shall be construed to imply that the Commission
has verified any information contained herein.

         If the notification relates to a portion of the filing checked above,
         identify the item(s) to which the notification relates:______________
         _____________________________________________________________________



                                     PART I

                             REGISTRANT INFORMATION

         Full Name of Registrant:  LMI Aerospace, Inc.

         Former Name if Applicable:  N/A

         Address of Principal Executive Office (Street Number):
         3600 Mueller Road

         City, State and Zip Code:  St. Charles, Missouri 63302




                                     Part II

                             Rule 12b-25(b) and (c)

         If the subject report could not be filed without unreasonable effort or
expense  and  the  registrant  seeks  relief  pursuant  to Rule  12b-25(b),  the
following should be completed. (Check box if appropriate.)

         (a) The reasons described in reasonable detail in Part III of this form
could not be eliminated without unreasonable effort or expense |X|

         (b) The subject  annual  report on Form 10-K will be filed on or before
the 15th calendar day following the prescribed due date |X|

         (c) The  accountant's  statement  or  other  exhibit  required  by Rule
12b-25(c) has been attached |_|

                                    Part III

                                    Narrative

         The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31,
2002  ("2002  Form  10-K")  cannot be filed  within the  prescribed  time period
because  additional  time is  necessary  to prepare the  Registrant's  financial
statements.  Because of start-up costs related to certain new supply agreements,
including one new large agreement,  and additional  production costs incurred on
other  contracts,  the Registrant has not as yet completed its  determination of
the  losses  associated   therewith  and  the  effect  of  such  losses  on  its
work-in-process  inventory.  The  Registrant  is  currently  conducting  further
testing  and  analysis  to  determine  the  proper  valuation  of  its  year-end
inventory.   Until  such  further   testing  and  analysis  is  completed,   the
Registrant's  financial  statements  cannot  be  finalized.   Consequently,  the
Registrant's  2002 Form 10-K cannot be filed by its due date of March 31,  2003;
however,  the Registrant  expects to file its 2002 Form 10-K no later than April
15, 2003.



                                     Part IV

                                Other Information

         (1) Name and  telephone  number of person to  contact in regard to this
notification.

                 Lawrence E. Dickinson        (636) 946-6525

         (2) Have all other periodic  reports required under Section 13 or 15(d)
or the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30 of the Investment  Company
Act of 1940 during the  preceding 12 months or for such shorter  period that the
registrant was required to file such report(s) been filed?  If the answer is no,
identify report(s). |X| Yes |_| No

         (3) Is it  anticipated  that  any  significant  change  in  results  of
operations  from the  corresponding  period  for the last  fiscal  year  will be
reflected by the  earnings  statements  to be included in the subject  report or
portion thereof? |X| Yes |_| No

         Based on preliminary  financial  information currently available to it,
the Registrant  expects to report an operating loss for its 3-month and 12-month
periods ended December 31, 2002.  However,  because the amount of such operating
loss will be  affected  by the  inventory  valuation  currently  in process  (as
discussed in Part III,  above),  the Registrant is unable to quantify the amount
of such operating loss at this time.




         LMI Aerospace,  Inc. has caused this  notification  to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                               LMI AEROSPACE, INC.


Date: April 1, 2003            By:  /s/ Lawrence E. Dickinson
                                   -------------------------------------------
                                   Lawrence E. Dickinson
                                   Chief Financial Officer and Secretary






                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


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                      None