North Carolina · welder licensing · verified July 2026
North Carolina welder license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, North Carolina has no state occupational license for welders, anyone can work as a welder, with AWS Certified Welder and ASME Section IX credentials serving as the de facto industry requirements. The one state-run credential is the NCDOT Field Welder Certification Program (Materials and Tests Unit, Metals Section), which is mandatory for anyone welding on NCDOT projects, whether the welding is temporary or permanent.
Do you need a license to work as a welder in North Carolina?
North Carolina does not license welders. There is no state credential to obtain, and the recognized qualification is industry certification.
SMAW is currently the only process in which a contract field welder may be certified by NCDOT; tests are administered to NCDOT Standard Specifications and AASHTO/AWS D1.5 / AWS D1.1. Retest cooldowns apply after failures (90 days after a failed retest, then 180 days). NCDOT's Summary of Certification Courses lists the field welder certification length as indefinite, subject to revocation and refresher requirements. Businesses doing construction work may separately need a NC general contractor license (project-value based), but that is a contractor credential, not a welder license.
What licenses does North Carolina issue?
North Carolina issues the credentials below for this trade.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCDOT Field Welder Certification - SIP Welder (SMAW 1G) | not published | not published | Yes |
| NCDOT Field Welder Certification - Bridge Welder Limited (SMAW 3G/4G) | not published | not published | Yes |
| NCDOT Field Welder Certification - Bridge Welder (SMAW 6G pipe) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: the governing statute (connect.ncdot.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does North Carolina require?
NCDOT SIP Welder weld test (SMAW 1G). Administered by NCDOT Materials and Tests Unit, Metals Section. Exam fee $250.
NCDOT Bridge Welder Limited weld test (SMAW 3G/4G). Administered by NCDOT Materials and Tests Unit, Metals Section. Exam fee $500.
NCDOT Bridge Welder weld test (SMAW 6G pipe). Administered by NCDOT Materials and Tests Unit, Metals Section. Exam fee $500.
Source: examination page (connect.ncdot.gov). Verified July 2026.
How much does a North Carolina welder license cost?
North Carolina 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.
- Exam feeset per license class
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No state license, so no state-mandated apprenticeship hours. The normal path is a community-college welding program or registered apprenticeship followed by AWS Certified Welder testing and, for pressure work, ASME Section IX qualification through an employer. NCDOT certification is earned directly by passing the hands-on weld test, no experience hours are required.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- NCDOT Field Welder Certification Program (Materials and Tests Unit)
- NCDOT Field Welder Test Program, Revision 11 (May 6, 2025) - full test classifications, fees, and procedures
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: Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, Nevada.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to welders overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with your employer or certifying body before making decisions. Not legal advice.