Pennsylvania · plumber licensing · verified July 2026
Pennsylvania plumber license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Pennsylvania has no statewide plumber license; plumbing licensing is handled by municipalities, with Philadelphia (Department of Licenses and Inspections) and the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County area as the largest licensing jurisdictions. In Philadelphia, a journeyman plumber needs 4 years as a registered Philadelphia apprentice plus an ICC-administered exam, and a master plumber needs at least 1 year as a Philadelphia journeyman plus the ICC-administered master exam and insurance. At the state level, home-improvement contractors register (not license) with the Attorney General under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA).
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has no statewide license for plumbers. Cities and counties license the trade, so the requirement depends on where you work.
Municipal-only licensing: major licensing jurisdictions include the City of Philadelphia and the Pittsburgh area (Allegheny County Health Department plumbing program); requirements vary by municipality. The only statewide requirement is registration (not licensure) as a Home Improvement Contractor with the PA Office of Attorney General under HICPA for contractors doing home-improvement work; the AG's official Home Improvement page (read via an archived copy of attorneygeneral.gov, which blocked direct fetching) confirms the registration program and complaint/verification system. Philadelphia late renewal adds 1.5% of the license fee per month after 60 days.
What licenses does Pennsylvania issue?
No credential for this trade is issued at state level in Pennsylvania; the classes below are issued by cities or counties, and the exact set depends on which one you work in.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Journeyman Plumber (municipal example) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Philadelphia Master Plumber (municipal example) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: the governing statute (attorneygeneral.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does Pennsylvania require?
Philadelphia Journeyman Plumber Examination. Administered by International Code Council (ICC), for the City of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Master Plumber Examination. Administered by International Code Council (ICC), for the City of Philadelphia.
Source: examination page (attorneygeneral.gov). Verified July 2026.
How much does a Pennsylvania plumber license cost?
Pennsylvania 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
- Initial license feeset per license class
- Renewal fee (recurring)set per license class
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No state apprenticeship requirement. In Philadelphia, four years as a city-registered apprentice plumber is the prerequisite for the journeyman exam; other authorization of equal or greater rigor may be accepted at L&I's discretion.
Which states does Pennsylvania have license reciprocity with?
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | not published | City or county |
| Delaware | not published | Statewide |
| Maryland | 7,500 | Statewide |
| New Jersey | not published | Statewide |
| Ohio | not published | Contractor level only |
| West Virginia | not published | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- City of Philadelphia - Get a Journeyman Plumber License
- City of Philadelphia - Get a Master Plumber's License
- PA Office of Attorney General - Home Improvement (HICPA contractor registration)
Last verified July 2026, independently re-verified before publication. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota.
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 your city or county building department before making decisions. Not legal advice.