How to Get a Plumbing License in Florida (2026 Guide)

Plumbing is one of the most consistently licensed trades in the country, and Florida is no exception. If you want to work as a plumber or run a plumbing business in Florida, you climb a clear path: apprentice, journeyman, then the statewide Certified Plumbing Contractor license that lets a company contract work across the state. Here is how it works in 2026.

Who Licenses Plumbers in Florida

Plumbing contractors are licensed through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), under the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). As with electrical, the statewide credential is the contractor license. Journeyman-level licensing is typically handled at the local jurisdiction level, while the statewide certified license comes from DBPR.

Step 1: Apprentice Plumber

This is the entry point, and it requires no license or certification to begin. Apprentices work under the supervision of a licensed plumber while logging experience. A Florida plumbing apprenticeship typically runs about five years, combining classroom instruction (roughly 1,800 hours over the program) with on-the-job training (around 10,000 hours). The apprenticeship is how you bank the experience the later licenses require.

Step 2: Journeyman Plumber

The journeyman license lets you work independently on plumbing systems, though still generally under the umbrella of a master or contractor. Typical requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Hold a high school diploma or GED
• Document about four years (roughly 8,000 hours) of plumbing experience; approved classroom education can offset some of the hour requirement
• Pass the journeyman exam

Journeyman licensing in Florida is generally administered at the local level, so confirm the exact hours and exam with the jurisdiction where you work.

Step 3: Certified Plumbing Contractor (the statewide business credential)

This is the license that lets a company contract plumbing work anywhere in Florida. It is issued by DBPR through the CILB. Requirements:

• At least 4 years of experience, including a minimum of 1 year in a supervisory role
• Up to 3 years of approved education can substitute for a portion of the experience
• Pass the certified plumbing contractor written exam (administered through Pearson VUE)
• Clear a background check and demonstrate financial responsibility
• Carry the required insurance, including general liability and workers' compensation

There is also a registered (local) plumbing contractor track for those who only work within a specific jurisdiction, similar to the electrical registered license. If you plan to hire employees and run a company, Florida directs you to the Certified Plumbing Contractor qualifying-business license, which carries the same core requirements plus workers' compensation coverage.

(This guide covers the licensing process, not exam preparation. For exam scheduling and the approved reference list, work directly with DBPR and Pearson VUE.)

The Bottleneck: Running a Plumbing Business Requires the Certified License

The pattern here is the same one that catches electricians and general contractors. To operate a plumbing contracting business statewide, the company must be qualified by someone holding the Certified Plumbing Contractor license, which means four years of experience, supervisory time, a passed exam, and a financial-responsibility review.

Many skilled plumbers are ready to run their own shop before they have personally cleared every one of those requirements, or they own a company where the owner is not the certified license holder. Without a certified plumbing contractor tied to the business, the company cannot legally contract plumbing work across Florida.

How a Qualifying Agent Solves It

A qualifying agent is a licensed professional, here a Certified Plumbing Contractor, brought into your company as the credential that lets the business hold its license legally. Instead of waiting years to meet the experience and exam requirements yourself, you bring on a qualifier who already holds the certification.

Done right, this is not renting a license number. The qualifier is a real, documented W-2 employee of your company with genuine responsibility, which is what keeps the arrangement compliant with Florida rules. See license lending versus structured qualifying agent engagement for the legal distinction and what is a qualifying agent for the role.

For plumbing-specific qualifier details, see plumbing contractor qualifying agent requirements and the national picture in how to get a plumbing contractor license. Florida qualifier rules are in our Florida qualifying agent guide.

Florida Plumbing Licensing at a Glance

• Apprentice: no license needed; log experience under a licensed plumber.
• Journeyman: about 4 years / 8,000 hours, exam, generally local.
• Certified Plumbing Contractor: statewide, 4 years experience (1 supervisory), DBPR exam, insurance, financial responsibility.
• To run a plumbing business statewide: the company must be qualified by a Certified Plumbing Contractor, which is where a qualifying agent comes in.

How The Licensing Company Helps

If you want to run a plumbing business in Florida but do not yet hold the Certified Plumbing Contractor license, you do not have to wait years to start. The Licensing Company places certified plumbing contractors as W-2 qualifying agents so your business can hold its license and operate legally now. We handle the matching, the documentation, and the DBPR filings.

Learn how to hire a qualifying agent or book a consultation to map out your path. Doing broader construction too? See how to get a general contractor license in Florida, or compare markets on our states overview.

Bottom Line

Florida plumbing licensing runs apprentice to journeyman to Certified Plumbing Contractor, and the statewide business license is the real gate: four years of experience, supervisory time, and a passed DBPR exam. If you are ready to run the business before you personally hold that certification, a qualifying agent is the legal, established way to open your doors now instead of years down the road.