A plumbing license in Alabama is a state certification, and the state counts your experience in years rather than hours. That one difference makes Alabama simpler than most states to plan for. Here is the whole path, plus two rules that changed for 2026.
Who runs plumbing licensing in Alabama
The Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB), based in Homewood. Official site: pgfb.alabama.gov.
Under Ala. Code 34-37-6 you need a valid certification to contract, offer to do, or perform plumbing or gas fitting work anywhere in Alabama, and every business entity doing that work has to register with the board separately from the individuals.
The certification tiers
- Apprentice Plumber or Gas Fitter (a registration, no exam)
- Journeyman Plumber
- Journeyman Gas Fitter
- Master Plumber
- Master Gas Fitter
- Medical Gas Piping Fitter, an endorsement on top of another certification
- Business registration, with a designated Principal Master for each trade
Plumbing and gas are tracked separately in Alabama. If you want both, you certify for both, and you need a separate Principal Master for each trade on the business registration.
Experience and exams
Alabama does not publish an hour requirement anywhere. If you see an 8,000 hours in Alabama figure on another site, it is invented. The board works in years:
- Journeyman Plumber: two years of current work experience as an apprentice plumber, or completion of a board approved apprentice training program. Exam is 75 questions in 2.92 hours.
- Journeyman Gas Fitter: two years as an apprentice gas fitter, or a board approved program. Exam is 40 questions in 1.67 hours, with a Spanish version available.
- Master Plumber: one year of current work experience as a certified Journeyman Plumber. Exam is 100 questions in 4.17 hours, plus a Business and Law exam of 40 questions in 2 hours.
- Master Gas Fitter: one year as a certified Journeyman Gas Fitter. Exam is 50 questions in 2.08 hours, plus the Business and Law exam.
Exams are proctored by Prov, computerized and open book, with a 70% passing score, written against the 2021 International Plumbing Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code. Once you pass you have 90 calendar days to actually obtain your certification or you retest. For master, that 90 days starts after you finish both exams. If you built your experience outside a registered apprenticeship you can petition the board directly with a Board Appearance Request.
What changed for 2026
Two things, and both cost money if you miss them.
First, the Business and Law exam became mandatory for all master level certification effective January 1, 2026. The old exam application no longer works for master exams, so use the new master application.
Second, Alabama now reciprocates with Mississippi for Master Plumber, effective January 1, 2026, through the Mississippi Board of Contractors. That is the board first out of state agreement. It also reciprocates in state with the Alabama Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board for Master Gas Fitter. Beyond those, the board states plainly that it has no active reciprocal agreements with any other states.
If you hold a license somewhere else without an agreement, you can still sit for the equivalent Alabama exam as long as your out of state license was issued on an exam with a minimum 70% score, is active and in good standing, and gets verified by the issuing agency.
Continuing education
CE became mandatory January 1, 2025. It is 4 hours a year for journeyman plumbers, journeyman gas fitters, master plumbers and master gas fitters, no matter how many certifications you hold. If you hold both plumbing and gas, it is 2 hours plumbing and 2 hours gas, though business and law type courses can cover all four.
Proof is normally due by November 1 each year, but a temporary amendment pushed the 2026 renewal deadline to December 14. One CE hour means at least 50 minutes, credit comes in one hour increments up to four, there is no rollover, and you cannot repeat the same course inside an earning period. Miss it and you get a CE Deficiency Plan plus a $100 fee, with the hours due before December 31. Exemptions exist for age 65 and up, your initial certification year, and inactive status.
Renewals and fees
Everything is annual and expires December 31, with renewal season running October 1 through December 31. From the board fee schedule that took effect for 2026:
- Apprentice registration or renewal: $35
- Journeyman certificate or renewal: $75, with a $110 exam fee and $50 application processing
- Master certificate or renewal: $175, with a $160 written exam, $100 business law exam and $50 application processing
- Business registration or renewal: $25
- Medical Gas Pipe Fitter renewal: $25. Inactive status: $0
Late renewal penalties equal the renewal rate for that certificate. Fines start at $500 for non gas violations and $1,000 for gas related ones.
The board does not publish a surety bond or liability insurance requirement for plumbers. Your customers, GCs and lenders almost certainly will, so carry coverage anyway. Just know it is not a PGFB rule.
When you also need a general contractor license
Separate board, separate threshold. The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors requires a license when the cost of the undertaking is $100,000 or more, and that applies to subcontractors at the same number. It was raised from $50,000 effective October 1, 2024, so anything you read quoting $50,000 is out of date.
Alabama plumbing license FAQ
How many hours do I need? None. Alabama requires years of current work experience, not logged hours.
Can an apprentice work alone? No. Apprentice is a registration that lets you work under supervision while you build the two years.
Do I need to register my company too? Yes, separately from your personal certification, with a Principal Master named for each trade.
Is the exam open book? Yes. Prov administers it computerized and open book at 70% to pass, on the 2021 IPC and 2021 IFGC.
Before you apply
Licensing rules change, sometimes mid-year. Confirm every requirement with the board directly before you pay a fee or schedule an exam. This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice.
More: our plumbing license guide, the full plumbing license by state index, and how to start a plumbing business once your license is in hand.
