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Plumbing License Renewal by State

Updated October 28, 2026
•The Licensing Company
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See the renewal cycle, fee, and continuing education hours for a plumbing license in every state, plus what to do if yours has already expired.

Plumbing License Renewal by State

A plumbing license does not renew through one national system. Each state board that licenses plumbers sets its own cycle, fee, and continuing education rule, and more than a quarter of states have no individual plumber license at the state level at all, licensing plumbing only through a contractor credential or leaving it to the city or county instead. The table below gives the current renewal cycle, fee, and CE hours for every state, state by state, and says where to look when a state has no statewide plumber license.

At a glance

  • Annual and two year renewal cycles are both common; a smaller group of states renew every three or four years.
  • More than a dozen states have no individual journeyman or master plumber license at the state level; plumbing there is licensed city by city, or only at the contractor level.
  • Continuing education is required to renew in most, but not all, states that license plumbers individually.
  • A late renewal almost always adds a separate penalty fee, and a license left expired long enough can require reinstatement rather than a routine renewal.

A plumbing license and a contractor license are not the same credential. The plumbing license lets a person do the work, while a contractor license lets a company bid and contract for it.

Many states require the licensed plumber on a job to also be the company's qualifying agent, the person who qualifies the company as an owner or full time W-2 employee supervising the work. Hiring and keeping that person current is a separate step from renewing an individual plumbing license. If your business needs someone to hire a qualifying agent, we can help, and if you operate in several states we offer contractor qualifier services and licensing services in all 50 states to keep every license current.

Plumbing License Renewal Rules, State by State

J means journeyman, M means master. N/A means the figure does not apply because the state has no individual plumber license.

Pick your state above to see its details, or show all 50 states.

StateRenewsFeeCE hours
AlabamaAnnual, Dec 31J $75 / M $1754 hrs/yr
AlaskaEvery 2 years$20016 hrs/2 yrs
ArizonaEvery 2 years (contractor only)C-37 $480Confirm with board
ArkansasAnnual, Dec 31J $75 / M $200None required
CaliforniaEvery 2 years (contractor only)$450 sole / $700 otherNone required
ColoradoEvery 2 years, Feb 28 odd yrsJ $120 / M $14016 hrs/2 yrs
ConnecticutAnnual, Oct 31$1203 hrs/2 yrs
DelawareEvery 2 yearsConfirm with boardConfirm with board
FloridaEvery 2 years (contractor only)$20514 hrs/cycle
GeorgiaEvery 2 years$758 hrs/24 mo
HawaiiEvery 3 years, June 30$3061 UPC update course
IdahoEvery 3 years$21.60None required
IllinoisAnnual, Apr 30$1504 hrs/yr
IndianaEvery 2 years, Dec 31 odd yrsJ $30None required
IowaEvery 3 yearsJ $180 / M $2408 hrs/3 yrs
KansasNo state license (local)N/AN/A
KentuckyAnnual, birth monthJ $60 / M $2506 hrs/yr
LouisianaAnnual, Dec 31J $40 / M $1903.5 to 5 hrs/yr
MaineEvery 2 years$200None required
MarylandEvery 2 yearsJ $43.50 / M $87.50None required
MassachusettsEvery 2 years, May 1 even yrsJ $52 / M $7812 hrs/2 yrs
MichiganJ annual / M every 3 yrsJ $40/yr / M $300/3yrConfirm with board
MinnesotaEvery 2 years, Dec 31 odd yrsJ $53 / M $9316 hrs/2 yrs
MississippiNo individual licenseContractor $100 to $400/yr2 hrs/yr (residential)
MissouriNo state license (local option)N/AN/A
MontanaAnnual, Sept 1J $160 / M $2654 hrs/yr
NebraskaNo state license (local)N/AN/A
NevadaNo individual licenseC-1 contractor $600/2 yrsNone required
New HampshireEvery 2 yearsAppr $80 / J $180 / M $3006 hrs/2 yrs
New JerseyEvery 2 years$160Up to 5 credits/2 yrs
New MexicoEvery 3 years$7516 hrs/3 yrs
New YorkNo state license (local)N/AN/A
North CarolinaNo individual licenseContractor up to $150/yr6 hrs/yr
North DakotaAnnualJ $100 / M $2002 to 4 hrs/2 yrs
OhioNo general state licenseOCILB (commercial) $60/yr8 hrs/yr (commercial)
OklahomaEvery 3 years, birth monthJ $756 hrs/3 yrs
OregonEvery 3 years, Apr 1$18024 hrs/3 yrs
PennsylvaniaNo state license (local)N/AN/A
Rhode IslandEvery 2 years, on birthdayJ $72 / M $240Up to 15 hrs
South CarolinaEvery 2 years, June 30 odd yrs$220None required
South DakotaAnnual, Dec 31$1054 hrs/yr
TennesseeNo general trade licenseLLP $50/2 yrs (jobs under $25,000)Confirm with board
TexasAnnualJ $40 / M $756 hrs/yr
UtahEvery 2 years, Nov 30 even yrs$7412 hrs/2 yrs
VermontEvery 2 yearsJ $90 / M $1208 hrs/2 yrs
VirginiaEvery 3 years$1603 hrs/3 yrs
WashingtonEvery 3 years, on birthdate$242.7024 hrs/3 yrs
West VirginiaAnnualJ/M $75None required
WisconsinEvery 4 years, Mar 31J $180 / M $50024 hrs (J and M)
WyomingNo state license (local)N/AN/A

Notes on the table:

  • Arizona, California, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, and North Carolina license plumbing only at the contractor level statewide; there is no individual journeyman or master card issued by the state itself.
  • Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming leave plumbing licensing entirely to the city or county; contact the local building department for its own cycle, fee, and CE rule.
  • Ohio's only state level plumbing credential is a commercial specialty license under the Construction Industry Licensing Board; general residential plumbing is licensed locally.
  • Tennessee's state Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) covers jobs under $25,000 only; plumbing work on larger jobs needs a contractor's license with a plumbing classification instead.
  • Oklahoma's SB112, signed into law in 2026, moved plumbing license renewal from an annual cycle to a three-year cycle expiring in the licensee's birth month, and moved continuing education from an annual requirement to 6 hours every three years; the table above already reflects the new law.
  • Idaho's $21.60 figure is the statutory $7.20 annual rate charged for all three years of the cycle at once, not a separate annual payment.
  • For the full renewal walkthrough, including documents, insurance proof, and the grace period, in a state where we already have a dedicated guide, see Massachusetts, Indiana, Alabama, Washington, or Kentucky. For how a general contractor license renews, see our contractor license renewal guide.

How to Renew a Plumbing License

  1. Confirm the exact expiration date and the renewal window with your board; some states use a fixed calendar date, others use the licensee's birthday or birth month.
  2. Finish any required continuing education hours before filing. Most boards want proof of completion, not just a signed statement.
  3. Pay the renewal fee through the board's website or by mail, whichever the board accepts; a card declined or a check that bounces can push you past the deadline.
  4. Keep the new certificate or wallet card where the board tells you to keep it; some boards require it posted at the business address or carried on the job.
  5. If you worked past the expiration date, contact the board before a permit or inspection flags it. Reinstatement rules are usually stricter than a routine renewal.

What Happens If Your License Lapses

Most boards build in a short grace period before a late fee applies, then a second, larger penalty once the license has been expired for longer. Iowa, for example, allows one month past the deadline before a late penalty applies, then adds a larger penalty fee for each month after that; a license expired more than a year is no longer valid to practice on, and reinstatement needs the full renewal fee with no proration. Indiana adds a flat reinstatement fee shortly after the deadline, a much larger fee if the gap stretches past the following March, and a personal appearance before the commission if the license has been expired three years or more.

Kentucky gives a 180 day window to revive a lapsed license for a small added fee, as long as continuing education is current, after which the license cancels outright. Working on an expired license is not treated as a paperwork lapse in every state; Indiana, for one, classifies it as a misdemeanor. Check your own board's current rule before assuming any of these timelines apply to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do you have to renew a plumbing license? It depends on the state. Annual renewal and renewal every two years are both common; a handful of states, including Iowa, Virginia, Oregon, and Washington, use a three year cycle, and Wisconsin renews every four years.

What happens if my plumbing license expires? In most states a short grace period comes first, followed by a late fee, and eventually a reinstatement process if the gap goes on long enough. See the lapse section above and confirm the specifics with your own board.

Does every state require continuing education to renew a plumbing license? No. States including Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia do not require CE hours to renew an individual plumbing license as of today.

Can I renew a plumbing license online? Most boards that license plumbers individually offer an online renewal portal; a few, including some local jurisdictions, still require a mailed form. Check your specific board's renewal page for its current process.

Does a plumbing license renewal carry over if I move to a new state? No. Renewal is state by state, and so is licensure itself; moving to a new state generally means applying for that state's license under its own rules, not transferring a renewal date.

If you need help keeping a plumbing license or a contractor license current across more than one state, call 615-219-2110 or hire a qualifying agent to talk through what your company actually needs.

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Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.

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