West Virginia · welder licensing · verified July 2026
West Virginia welder license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, West Virginia does not license welders as an occupation, the WV Division of Labor's licensing section covers contractors, HVAC technicians, plumbers, crane operators, elevator and boiler safety, but not welders. The one state-run welder credential is the WVDOH welding certification: any welder working on a WVDOH highway project or at a WVDOH maintenance facility must hold a current WVDOH welding certification card ($120 test, card valid 4 years).
Do you need a license to work as a welder in West Virginia?
West Virginia does not license welders. There is no state credential to obtain, and the recognized qualification is industry certification.
WVDOH retest rules: 30-day wait after a first failed attempt, 1-year wait after a second failure; payment by check/money order to WVDOH; one welder tested at a time.
What licenses does West Virginia issue?
The West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (occupational licensing; welding absent). Highway welder certification run by WVDOH Materials Control, Soils and Testing Division issues the credentials below for this trade. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WVDOH Field Welder Certification | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (occupational licensing; welding absent). Highway welder certification run by WVDOH Materials Control, Soils and Testing Division (transportation.wv.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does West Virginia require?
WVDOH Welding Certification Test (vertical groove and overhead groove welds, bend-tested). Administered by West Virginia Division of Highways, Materials Control, Soils and Testing Division. Exam fee $120.
Source: examination page (transportation.wv.gov). Verified July 2026.
How much does a West Virginia welder license cost?
Getting a journeyman welder license in West Virginia costs $120 in board fees, before any training. That is the exam fee charged once. No board publishes this total, so it is added up here from the schedule it does publish.
- Exam fee$120
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: 4 years (WVDOH certification card validity)
Source: renewal requirements (transportation.wv.gov). Verified July 2026.
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No state welder license exists for apprenticeship hours to count toward. Welder apprenticeships in West Virginia run through USDOL Registered Apprenticeship programs, and the working credential path is industry certification (AWS Certified Welder, ASME Section IX performance qualification).
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- WV Division of Labor, Licensing (licensed occupations; welding absent)
- WVDOH, WV DOH Field Welder Certification
- WVDOH Welding Certification Test FAQ (fees, test welds, 4-year card validity, retest rules)
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: Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon.
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 West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (occupational licensing; welding absent). Highway welder certification run by WVDOH Materials Control, Soils and Testing Division before making decisions. Not legal advice.