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14 states · each from the state source · checked 2026-10-20

Plumber license requirements by state

Who issues the plumbing credential, the levels, the hours and years, the exam, the fees and the reciprocity partners, read from each state's licensing board page or statute. The shortest stated path to the top credential here is Maine at 3 years; the longest is Texas at 6 years.

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  1. 1States covered 14
  2. 2Shortest stated path Maine, 3 years
  3. 3Longest stated path Texas, 6 years
  4. 4Name partner states 0 of 14

All 14 states compared

StateTop credentialTime to topClassroomExamPartners
ConnecticutP-1 Unlimited Plumbing Contractor2 years after the prior level—Yesreview
MassachusettsM Master Plumber5 years550 hYesreview
New HampshireM Master Plumber4.5 years600 hYesreview
MaineM Master Plumber3 years—Yes—
VermontM Master Plumber1 year after the prior level—Yesreview
Rhode IslandM Master Plumber5 years576 hYesreview
CaliforniaC-36 C-36 Plumbing Contractor4 years—Yes—
TexasM Master Plumber6 years48 hYesreview
FloridaCFC Certified Plumbing Contractor4 years—Yes—
IllinoisPL Licensed Plumber4 years—Yesreview
OhioPC Plumbing Contractor (commercial)5 years—Yes—
GeorgiaMP2 Master Plumber Class II (Non-restricted)5 years—Yesreview
North CarolinaP-I Plumbing Contractor, Class Iup to 2 years—Yes—
MichiganPC Plumbing Contractor5 years—Yes—
Maine3 yearsCalifornia4 yearsFlorida4 yearsIllinois4 yearsNew Hampshire4.5 yearsMassachusetts5 yearsRhode Island5 yearsOhio5 yearsGeorgia5 yearsMichigan5 yearsTexas6 years
Minimum years to the top plumber credential in each state that states one. Bars are to scale; states whose source gives no floor are not drawn.

What the numbers show

11 of the 14 states state a minimum time to their top plumber credential. Maine is shortest at 3 years and Texas longest at 6 years. The most common hour count written into the sources is 8,000 hours, which appears 3 times. 14 of 14 require an exam for at least one level.

No state here names reciprocity partners for this trade on the pages read; some review out-of-state licenses case by case.

New England on this page: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island. Large states: California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan.

Published fees

Only some sources print dollar amounts. Where they do, the chart sums the application, exam and license fees listed for the highest level that shows any.

Georgia$40 (MP2)Ohio$50 (PC)Rhode Island$75 (M)Vermont$120 (M)Texas$228.50 (M)California$650 (C-36)
Published fees for the highest level that prints them, summed (application, exam and license where listed). Bars are to scale; states whose source prints no fee are not drawn.

How to read a state page

Each state page lists the levels in order, the experience each one needs (as hours or years, and whether the time counts from the start of the trade or from the previous license), classroom hours, the exam, the fees the source prints, and reciprocity. Where a source gives hours, the page converts them to full-time years at 2,000 hours a year, the convention Georgia's licensing board prints on its form. Nothing is filled in from other sites: if a board page does not print a fee, the state page says so.

Guides: how long each state takes · how the exams work · reciprocity. Other trades: Electrician · HVAC · General contractor.

General information from the state sources on 2026-10-20, not legal advice. The board is the authority; confirm before applying.