Florida · plumber licensing · verified July 2026
Florida plumber license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Florida is a hybrid state: the DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS at the state level (Certified contractors may work statewide; Registered contractors qualify through a local jurisdiction and work only there), while journeyman plumber licenses are issued by counties and municipalities, not the state. Certified plumbing contractor licensure requires four years of worker/foreman experience (or college/experience combinations), the certification examination, fingerprints, and financial responsibility. Under F.S.
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Florida?
Florida regulates this trade at the contractor level rather than licensing individual plumbers.
Journeyman/master plumber licensing is local, examples include Miami-Dade County and Hillsborough County construction trades boards. Certified applicants with a FICO-derived credit score below 660 must complete a 14-hour Board-approved financial responsibility course. Application fees come from the official DBPR CILB 5-M form (effective July 2024, Rule 61-35.010 F.A.C.).
What licenses does Florida issue?
The Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation issues the credentials below for this trade, alongside one that is issued by cities or counties rather than the state. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Plumbing Contractor (CF) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Registered Plumbing Contractor (RF) | not published | not published | No |
| Journeyman Plumber (county/municipal license) | 12,000 | not published | Yes |
Source: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation (leg.state.fl.us). Verified July 2026.
Journeyman Plumber (county/municipal license): Registered apprenticeship program completion OR at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training
How many hours do you need in Florida?
Florida requires 12,000 hours of on-the-job experience for a Journeyman Plumber (county/municipal license) license. At a 40-hour week the on-the-job portion is roughly 6 years of full-time work.
What exam does Florida require?
Certified Plumbing Contractor certification examination (computer-based parts available on demand; the Plumbing Trade Knowledge portion is the exception and is scheduled separately).
Journeyman plumber examination for county licensure with statewide reciprocity (75% minimum). Administered by Block and Associates (or other board-approved proctored exam).
How much does a Florida plumber license cost?
Florida sets its fees per license class rather than as one figure for the trade, so no single total would be true of every applicant. The published items are below exactly as the board sets them.
- Application feeset per license class
- Renewal fee (recurring)set per license class
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: Biennial, Certified contractors renew by August 31 of even-numbered years; Registered contractors renew by August 31 of odd-numbered years
Continuing education: 14 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle, including at least one hour each in Workplace Safety, Workers' Compensation, Business Practices, Advanced Module Building Code, and Laws and Rules
How does the apprenticeship route work?
Completion of a registered, state-approved apprenticeship program satisfies the training element for county journeyman licensure with statewide recognition (in lieu of 12,000 OJT hours) under F.S. 489.1455; apprenticeship/trade work years also count as 'worker' experience toward the four-year requirement for the state certified plumbing contractor license.
Which states does Florida have license reciprocity with?
Florida does not license this trade at state level, so there is no state agreement to publish. Whether an out-of-state license helps is decided by the city, county or contractor board that issues the credential where you intend to work.
How does Florida compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 12,000 | Contractor level only |
| Alabama | not published | Statewide |
| Georgia | not published | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
How does Florida compare nationally?
21 states publish an explicit hour figure for this trade, and they range from 4,000 to 12,000 hours. Florida's 12,000 hours is what 2 of them ask, making it the standard rather than an outlier; 19 states ask less and none asks more. The full comparison is on the hours by state table.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (certified vs registered definitions)
- DBPR CILB 5-M - Application for Certified Plumbing Contractor as an Individual (fees, experience paths)
- DBPR - Construction Industry FAQs (renewal dates, 14-hour CE)
- Florida Statutes s. 489.1455 - Journeyman; reciprocity; standards
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to plumbers overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation before making decisions. Not legal advice.