Yes, but North Carolina licenses plumbing contractors, not journeymen. A plumbing license in North Carolina comes from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, and the main tiers are Plumbing Contractor Class I and Class II. There is no state journeyman license. The closest thing is the Plumbing Technician license, an optional card for people who work for a licensed contractor.
Who issues the license
The North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors licenses plumbing, HVAC, fuel piping, and fire sprinkler contractors statewide. It was created in 1931 and runs on fees, not tax money.
The rules come from G.S. Chapter 87, Article 2 and the board rules in 21 NCAC Chapter 50, both posted on the board’s Laws and Rules page. You need a license to bid, contract, or pull permits for plumbing work. Drain cleaning and minor parts swaps are exempt.
Requirements change, so always confirm with the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors before you apply. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice.
License types
Here are the plumbing licenses, per the board’s definitions:
- Plumbing Contractor Class I (P-I). Potable water and drain, waste, and vent piping in any building: residential, commercial, or industrial.
- Plumbing Contractor Class II (P-II). The same work, but in single-family detached dwellings only.
- Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor (RLP). Exterior building sewer piping, exterior water service piping 2 inches or less, exterior backflow preventers on 2 inch or smaller piping, and water filtration systems.
- Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement Contractor (LWH). Replacing a water heater in the same spot in a single-family detached home. You need a heating or fuel piping license held 2 years plus a 6-hour approved course.
- Plumbing Technician Class I and Class II (PT-I, PT-II). Not a contracting license. A technician has passed the technical exam but not the business and law exam, and works for a licensed contractor. To help with supervision you have to be listed as a sub-licensee, and a PT-II can supervise single-family detached work only.
There are also technician licenses for plumbers employed by a government agency or private school. Plumbing contractors get fuel piping privileges without a separate exam.
How to become a plumber in North Carolina
You don’t need a state card to work as a plumber’s helper here. The board says licensed work can be done by the license holder or the firm’s W-2 employees. The license matters when you want to supervise, contract, or run your own shop.
- Step 1: Get hours. Work full time installing, maintaining, servicing, or repairing plumbing. Hours count whether or not a license was required for the work.
- Step 2: Technician (optional). Plumbing Technician Class I takes 3,000 hours (18 months). Class II takes 2,500 hours (15 months).
- Step 3: Contractor. Plumbing Contractor Class I or Class II takes 4,000 hours, which is 2 years of full-time experience. Restricted Limited Plumbing takes 1,500 hours.
Up to half of any of those hours can come from schooling directly related to the trade through a college, community college, or technical institute. For a contractor license that’s up to 2,000 hours (30 semester or 45 quarter hours).
Already a technician by exam? You can move up to contractor in the same class by meeting the contractor hours and passing just the business portion. And if you pass the technical part of the contractor exam but fail business and law, you can ask for the matching technician license.
Exams
Exams are computer based and run by PSI at seven North Carolina centers: Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Per the board’s exam listing:
- Plumbing Contractor. 4.0 hour technical exam plus a 1.5 hour Business and Law exam.
- Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor. 2.0 hours plus Business and Law.
- Plumbing Technician. 4.0 hours.
You need a 70 out of 100 to pass, per 21 NCAC 50 .0305. Exams are open book, but you must bring the exact references on the board’s Book Reference List, and staff checks them at the test center. You get your result right after the exam.
Fail and you wait 90 days, then file a Re-Examination Application with a new fee. By statute you can retake just the failed part within six months without redoing the part you passed. The board doesn’t publish a question count, so check with PSI for that.
Renewal
Every license expires December 31 and renews every year. The renewal window opens about October 1. There’s no grace period, so all licensed work stops until you renew.
Good news: there’s no continuing education requirement. The board dropped mandatory CE on December 31, 2012. It can still require classes after a complaint.
Miss January and you owe a $25 late fee. You can reinstate an expired license for up to 3 years by paying the back fees. After 3 years you have to pass the exams again.
Cost
Here are the board’s published fees:
- Application and exam fee: $150 per exam, nonrefundable. The rule splits that into a $75 application fee and a $75 exam fee.
- Re-exam: $150 per exam.
- Plumbing Contractor license (Class I, Class II, or RLP): $150 a year. Pass on or after October 1 and you pay half for that year.
- Plumbing Technician license: $75 a year if you’re listed under a plumbing contractor, $150 if you’re the qualifier for a government agency.
- Renewal: $150 a year for a contractor and $75 for a plumbing technician ($150 for a government or private school technician), plus $25 if you pay late.
- License without exam: $30 application fee, then the $150 annual fee (military and military spouse route).
- Background check: required from Disahealthcare (CastleBranch). You pay them directly, and the board doesn’t list the price.
- Add a sub-licensee: $25.
The board’s application packet doesn’t list a bond or insurance requirement for the license itself, but check with your city or county for permit rules.
Reciprocity
The board says there are no license reciprocity agreements with any other state. Two programs can still help:
- South Carolina technical exam waiver. If you passed the SC technical exam and hold an active SC license, you can skip the NC technical exam. SC Residential Plumbing lines up with NC Plumbing Class II, and SC Commercial Mechanical Plumbing (PB) lines up with NC Plumbing Class I. You still meet NC experience rules and pass the NC Business and Law exam.
- Neighbor State License Recognition. If you live in North Carolina and have held a license for at least 1 year in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia, you may qualify for an equivalent NC license. You’ll need proof of NC residency, verification from each agency, a background check, and a free 4-hour Board Laws and Rules class. See the board’s Neighbor State checklist.
Licensed anywhere else? Plan on meeting NC hours and sitting both exams, though out-of-state hours can count. See our plumbing license reciprocity by state guide.
How to apply
- Read the applicant page first. The board’s Applicant Information page says it won’t answer questions already covered there.
- Pick paper or online. Download the packet from the Forms page, or use the online application if you’re a first-time applicant who can upload PDFs.
- Document your hours. Include W-2s or 1099s plus notarized experience forms, and attach your Disahealthcare background report.
- Schedule with PSI. Review takes about six weeks. The applicant page says you have 90 days from approval to test, but the online application page says 30 days, so check your approval letter.
- Activate within 45 days. After you pass, send the License Activation Form and fee within 45 days or you’ll have to retest.
FAQ
Does North Carolina have a journeyman plumber license?
No. The state licenses contractors. The optional Plumbing Technician license is the closest match, and helpers working as W-2 employees of a licensed contractor don’t need a state license.
How long does it take to get a plumbing contractor license in North Carolina?
About 2 years. You need 4,000 hours of full-time experience, and up to half can come from related schooling.
How much does a North Carolina plumbing license cost?
Plan on $150 to apply and test, then $150 a year for a contractor license, or $75 a year for a technician under a contractor.
Do I need continuing education to renew?
No. Mandatory CE ended in 2012. You just renew and pay every year by December 31.
Next steps
Starting out? Log your hours and keep your pay stubs. To compare North Carolina with other states, see our plumbing license by state page, the full plumbing license guide, and plumbing license cost by state. Licensed down south? Check the South Carolina plumbing license page for the exam waiver side. Ready to run your own shop? Read how to start a plumbing business.
