Plumber License Requirements in Florida
- Training hours
- 8000 hrs
- Upfront cost
- $675
- Exam
- Business and Finance Examination, Plumbing Trade Knowledge Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB)
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Pass a criminal background check. No minimum age requirement for Certified Plumbing Contractor applicants was found in the CILB application materials reviewed; left null rather than assumed. Electronic fingerprinting is mandatory (Chapter 455, Fla. Stat.) for all Construction Initial License, Initial Business, Additional Business, Transfer, and Endorsement applications, submitted to FDLE and the FBI. Applicants must also submit a personal credit report with a FICO-derived credit score and a public-records check; a score below 660 requires completing a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course, and a credit report is separately required for the business being qualified. [1]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete 8000 hours of training. Florida does not license individual journeyman plumbers at the state level — it licenses plumbing CONTRACTING businesses/individuals through the CILB's Certified Plumbing Contractor category (statewide practice) or the more limited Registered Plumbing Contractor category (county/local jurisdiction only, not used for this record). This record uses the Certified (statewide) pathway. The base requirement is 4 years of experience (1 year of experience equals 2,000 hours, so 8,000 hours total), including at least 1 year as a foreman/supervisor; DBPR also accepts several worker/foreman/college-credit combinations (e.g. 2 years as a worker + 1 year as foreman + 1 year of accredited college-level credits) and a reduced military-service path for veterans. [1]
- 3
Business and Finance Examination
Pass the Business and Finance Examination (fee: $215). Computer-based testing (CBT), 120 questions, 6 hours 30 minutes allowed; minimum passing score 70%. Required of all CILB Division I categories, including Plumbing. $215 total when paid by credit card to PTI (covers exam development, application, and administration); if paying by check, $135 to PTI plus a separate $80 to Pearson VUE at scheduling. This fee/format was confirmed on DBPR's own CILB examination FAQ but the source PDF appears to date to an earlier administration; verify current pricing with PTI/Pearson VUE before relying on the exact dollar figure. [2]
- 4
Plumbing Trade Knowledge Examination
Pass the Plumbing Trade Knowledge Examination (fee: $215). Paper-and-pencil, offered multiple times per year; 110 multiple-choice questions (1 point each) plus 5 Isometric Drawing problems (10 points each) for 160 total possible points; minimum passing score 70% (112/160). Isometric drawings are independently scored by teams of 3 licensed plumbing-contractor examiners against 8 criteria (legibility, orientation, flow, angles, piping, labeling, vents, fixtures). Same $215 credit-card / $135+$80 check fee structure as the Business and Finance exam. A candidate must pass all exam parts within 4 years of the first attempt (per Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.009, only failed/no-show parts must be retaken, not all parts). [2]
- 5
Submit your application
Submit your application to Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) with the $245 application fee. [1]
- 6
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) issues your Certified Plumbing Contractor License for Florida.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [1] | $245 |
| License fee [1] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [1] | $105 |
| Business and Finance Examination [2] | $215 |
| Plumbing Trade Knowledge Examination [2] | $215 |
| Initial application, Sep 1 (odd yr) - Apr 30 (even yr) window [1] | $145 |
| Renewal, qualified business (vs. individual) [1] | $155 |
| Business qualification fee (added to renewal for entities) [1] | $50 |
Florida's Certified Plumbing Contractor application fee is set on a 2-year cycle: $245 if applying May 1 of an even year through August 31 of an odd year, or $145 if applying September 1 of an odd year through April 30 of an even year (the CILB fee schedule prorates by how much of the biennium remains). No separate license-issuance fee beyond this application fee was found. Renewal is $105 for an individual license or $155 for a license qualifying a business entity (plus a $50 business-qualification fee for entities).
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years. 14 continuing education hours required per cycle.
Certified contractors renew on August 31 of every even-numbered year. 14 hours of continuing education are required biennially, including mandatory instruction in workplace safety, workers' compensation, business practices, advanced building code, and laws/rules, plus general electives.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
No interstate compact covers plumbing contracting. Florida's formal reciprocal licensing agreements (with Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi) cover only General, Building, and Residential contractor licenses — plumbing contractors are NOT included in those agreements, per CILB's own reciprocity list. A separate 'Certification by Endorsement' path (CILB Form 10) exists for out-of-state plumbing contractors who can demonstrate their prior exam was substantially equivalent to Florida's, but DBPR describes endorsement approvals as stringent and infrequent. Holders of a NASCLA-issued exam credential (2009 forward) can also apply for reciprocity if their transcript is released to CILB, though NASCLA's accepted exams are for Division I trades (GC/BC/RC), not confirmed for plumbing specifically.
13 state-approved training providers in Florida — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $245
- $215
- $215
Frequently asked questions
Does Florida license individual journeyman plumbers?
No. Florida licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS through the CILB's Certified Plumbing Contractor category (statewide) or the more limited Registered Plumbing Contractor category (local jurisdiction only), not individual journeymen.
How much experience does Florida require for a Certified Plumbing Contractor license?
4 years of experience (8,000 hours, since 1 year equals 2,000 hours), including at least 1 year as a foreman/supervisor. Several worker/foreman/college-credit combinations are also accepted, plus a reduced path for military veterans.
What exams does the Certified Plumbing Contractor license require?
A Business and Finance exam (computer-based via Pearson VUE) and a Plumbing Trade Knowledge exam (paper-based, including 5 scored isometric drawings), both requiring a 70% passing score, administered through Professional Testing Inc. (PTI).
What does it cost to apply for a Certified Plumbing Contractor license in Florida?
The application fee depends on where you are in the 2-year licensing cycle: $245 (May-August of odd-numbered renewal years) or $145 (September-April), not including the separate PTI/Pearson VUE exam fees.
Can I transfer my out-of-state plumbing contractor license to Florida?
Florida's state reciprocity agreements (with Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi) do not cover plumbing contractors — only General, Building, and Residential contractors. Plumbing contractors from other states must apply through the harder-to-obtain Certification by Endorsement path or sit Florida's exams like any other applicant.
Sources
- [1] www2.myfloridalicense.com/pro/cilb/documents/CILB6M_Certified_Contractor_Qualifying_Business_Plumbing.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
- [2] www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/cilb_faq.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
- [3] www2.myfloridalicense.com/construction-industry/faqs/ — accessed 2026-07-12
- [4] www2.myfloridalicense.com/pro/cilb/documents/Reciprocity-06.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12