StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in Ohio

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$75
Exam
OCILB Commercial Plumbing Contractor Examination (trade/technical + Ohio business and law sections)
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. Applicants must be at least 18, a US citizen or documented legal alien, have not been convicted of a disqualifying offense as defined in S.B. 337, and must pass a BCI (Ohio) and FBI criminal background check after OCILB approves their application but before sitting the PSI exam. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete the required training. Ohio has no statewide journeyman/master plumber license — OCILB licenses Commercial Plumbing Contractors only (work on commercial/industrial projects); residential plumbing licensing is left to individual cities and counties (e.g. Columbus issues its own local plumbing licenses). No fixed training-hour figure is published; applicants must have worked as a tradesperson in plumbing for at least 5 years immediately before applying, documented by 5 consecutive years of tax records (W-2s or Schedule C) plus one of: a minimum of 1 permit per year for 5 years under a licensed contractor, a current Journeyman's card, a Certificate of Completion of an Ohio- or US DOL-approved apprenticeship, or proof of 40 hours of non-duplicated OCILB-approved continuing-education code courses in the trade. hours is left null because there is no single required hour count — the 5-year/permit-based standard substitutes for one. [1]

  3. 3

    OCILB Commercial Plumbing Contractor Examination (trade/technical + Ohio business and law sections)

    Pass the OCILB Commercial Plumbing Contractor Examination (trade/technical + Ohio business and law sections) (fee: $25). Computer-based test; separate trade/technical and Ohio business-and-law sections, both must be passed The examination application fee is $25 (check payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio). Applicants must be at least 18, a US citizen or legal alien, have 5+ years of trade experience, and have no disqualifying conviction under S.B. 337; once approved (approval valid 1 year), applicants must pass BCI and FBI criminal background checks before OCILB will schedule the exam through PSI. [1]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance with the $25 application fee. [2]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance issues your Commercial Plumbing Contractor License (PL) for Ohio.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] $25
License fee [2] $25
Renewal fee [2] $60
OCILB Commercial Plumbing Contractor Examination (trade/technical + Ohio business and law sections) [1] $25

The $25 application fee is paid with the exam application (recorded on the exam entry). After passing both exam sections, the license itself is issued for a separate $25 check plus proof of at least $500,000 contractor liability insurance. Renewal/reactivation fee confirmed at $60 per license on OCILB's Active Status Request form; a licensee reactivating from inactive/escrow status also pays $60 unless already in an active renewal cycle.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year. 10 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Ohio Admin. Code 4101:16-2-08 requires 10 classroom hours of OCILB-approved continuing education each year to be eligible for renewal (a plumbing-only licensee may take all 10 hours in any specialty-approved course). A license not renewed with the required CE by its expiration date is automatically suspended; reactivation within 1 year requires the $60 fee plus up to 30 cumulative make-up CE hours. Rule text verified via archive snapshot 2025-12-05 (codes.ohio.gov times out for automated/non-browser clients).

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

OCILB offers state-specific reciprocity applications rather than blanket reciprocity — confirmed forms exist for Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi (among others). For Tennessee, for example, the applicant must currently hold an active Tennessee license obtained by testing or grandfathering (not itself obtained via reciprocity), submit a Reciprocity Verification of Licensure completed by the issuing board, carry $500,000 liability insurance, and still pass Ohio's business-and-law exam; the reciprocity application fee is $25 per trade. No interstate compact covers plumbing/commercial-contractor licensing.

3 state-approved training providers in Ohio — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $25
  • $25
  • $25
Total$75

Frequently asked questions

Does Ohio have a statewide journeyman or master plumber license?

No. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) issues a Commercial Plumbing Contractor license for work on commercial/industrial projects, but there is no state journeyman/master license and no statewide residential plumbing license — residential plumbing is licensed locally by individual cities and counties.

What experience do I need to apply for an Ohio commercial plumbing contractor license?

At least 5 consecutive years working as a tradesperson in plumbing, documented with tax records (W-2s or Schedule C) plus one of: permits pulled under a licensed contractor for each of the last 5 years, a current Journeyman's card, a completed apprenticeship certificate, or 40 hours of OCILB-approved continuing-education code courses.

Who administers the Ohio OCILB plumbing exam, and what does it cost?

PSI Services LLC administers the computer-based exam at sites across Ohio and the US once OCILB approves your application. The exam application fee is $25, and you must pass both a trade/technical section and an Ohio business-and-law section, plus clear BCI/FBI background checks first.

How often do I need to renew, and is continuing education required?

OCILB licenses renew annually. State rule 4101:16-2-08 requires 10 hours of approved continuing education each year to stay eligible for renewal; missing this suspends the license automatically.

Can I transfer my out-of-state plumbing contractor license to Ohio?

Only through OCILB's state-specific reciprocity agreements (confirmed with Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, among others) — you generally need an active, examination-based license from that state plus a completed reciprocity verification from its licensing board, and you must still pass Ohio's business-and-law exam.

Sources

  1. [1] dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/DICO/OCILB/Testing_Application_-_OCILB.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/documents/dico_ActiveStatusRequest.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-4101:16-2-08 — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/v1740760248/com.ohio.gov/DICO/OCILB/dico_TN_Reciprocity.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12