StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in Pennsylvania

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
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Upfront cost
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Exam
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Renewal cycle
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Issuing board
Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA oversees 29 licensing boards/commissions, none of which cover plumbing — plumbing licensing is delegated entirely to individual municipalities)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. No statewide prerequisites exist for plumbing work in Pennsylvania because there is no statewide license. Local jurisdictions set their own eligibility rules — for example, Philadelphia requires at least 4 years registered as an Apprentice Plumber under a Philadelphia Master Plumber before a Journeyman Plumber license, and at least 1 additional year as a Journeyman before a Master Plumber license. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete the required training. Pennsylvania has no statewide plumber license, board, or training-hour requirement. The Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs oversees 29 licensing boards, and plumbing is not among them. Licensing is handled entirely at the municipal level: Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections issues its own Plumber Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber, and Master Plumber licenses (4 years of registered apprenticeship, then a Journeyman exam, then at least 1 year as a Journeyman plus a Master exam), and Allegheny County (covering Pittsburgh and many surrounding municipalities) licenses under its own Plumbing Code — but requirements vary by jurisdiction and many smaller Pennsylvania municipalities have no local plumbing licensing requirement at all. [1]

  3. 3

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA oversees 29 licensing boards/commissions, none of which cover plumbing — plumbing licensing is delegated entirely to individual municipalities). [2]

  4. 4

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA oversees 29 licensing boards/commissions, none of which cover plumbing — plumbing licensing is delegated entirely to individual municipalities) issues your No statewide license — regulated at the city/county level for Pennsylvania.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] None specified
License fee [2] None specified
Renewal fee [2] None specified

No statewide plumber license exists, so there is no state application, license, or renewal fee. Separately, Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (2008) requires any contractor — plumbers included — who performs at least $5,000 of home-improvement work per year on private residences to register (not license) as a Home Improvement Contractor with the Attorney General's Office for a $100 fee every 2 years; this is a general contractor-registration requirement, not a plumbing trade license, so it is not recorded as the license fee here. Local plumbing license fees, where a municipality requires one, are set by that jurisdiction.

Renewal & continuing education

Renewal cycle not specified.

No statewide license means no statewide renewal cycle or continuing-education requirement. Renewal terms for plumbing licenses, where a local jurisdiction requires one, are set by that city or county (e.g. Philadelphia trade licenses renew on the city's own schedule).

Reciprocity

No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.

Not applicable — there is no statewide Pennsylvania plumber license to reciprocate into or out of. No interstate compact covers plumbing licensing. Any reciprocity would have to be negotiated locally by an individual municipality (e.g. Philadelphia), and this research found no evidence of such an agreement on Philadelphia's official licensing pages.

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

Frequently asked questions

Does Pennsylvania require a state plumber license?

No. The Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs oversees 29 licensing boards, but plumbing/plumbing contracting is not among them — there is no statewide plumber license, exam, or fee.

How is plumbing work regulated in Pennsylvania, then?

Entirely at the city/county level. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections issues its own Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber licenses, and Allegheny County licenses plumbers under its own Plumbing Code covering Pittsburgh and many surrounding municipalities — but requirements vary widely, and many smaller Pennsylvania municipalities have no local plumbing licensing requirement at all.

What does it take to become a Master Plumber in Philadelphia?

At least 4 years registered as an Apprentice Plumber under a Philadelphia-licensed Master Plumber, followed by passing the Journeyman Plumber exam; then at least 1 additional year as a registered Journeyman before qualifying to take the Master Plumber written and practical exam.

Do plumbers in Pennsylvania need to register with the state at all?

Not as a trade license, but under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, any contractor — including plumbers — doing at least $5,000 of home-improvement work per year on private residences must register (not be licensed) as a Home Improvement Contractor with the PA Attorney General's Office, currently for a $100 fee every 2 years. This is a general consumer-protection registration, not a plumbing credential.

Sources

  1. [1] pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/boards-commissions — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] attorneygeneral.gov/resources/home-improvement-contractor-registration/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] phila.gov/services/permits-violations-licenses/get-a-license/trade-licenses/get-a-journeyman-plumber-license/ — accessed 2026-07-12