Nevada is one of the trickier states to understand, because the license you need depends on which question you are asking. If you want to run a plumbing business, that is a state license. If you want to work as a plumber on a job site, that is a local certification. Both are real and neither replaces the other.
Most guides get this wrong. Here is how it actually works.
Two layers, two different bodies
State level: the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB). The NSCB licenses the contracting business, through a designated qualifying individual. It does not issue journeyman plumber licenses.
Nevada State Contractors Board · Statute: NRS chapter 624
Local level: journeyman and master plumber certification. Nevada administrative code NAC 624.150(10)(f) points directly at “a certificate as a master plumber, journeyman plumber or journeyman in a plumbing specialty… issued by the appropriate local building department.” NRS 624.240 says the same thing about master’s licenses issued “by any political subdivision.”
In practice the exams and cards run through the Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners (NBOPE), with applications processed by NITC.
Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners
An honest note on NBOPE. Despite the name, we could not confirm NBOPE is a Nevada state agency. It does not appear on the Legislative Counsel Bureau’s official list of Nevada occupational licensing boards, and we found no NRS or NAC chapter creating it. NBOPE’s own site says it was founded in 2002 out of an industry effort in partnership with Clark County. It is best described as an industry certification board that Nevada local building departments recognize. Clark County’s own 2017 permit guide calls it the “Nevada State Board of Plumbing Examiners,” which is likely where the confusion started.
Where it is confirmed required: Clark County requires a journeyman-level ID for anyone working unsupervised. The City of Reno requires a valid journeyman certificate for plumbing work inside city limits. We did not verify every Nevada jurisdiction, so check yours.
The state license classification
Nevada does not have a license called “plumbing.” It has C-1: Plumbing and Heating Contracting, with subclassifications:
| Sub | Scope |
|---|---|
| C-1a | Boilers |
| C-1b | Fire sprinklers |
| C-1c | Insulation of pipes and ducts |
| C-1d | Plumbing |
| C-1e | Sheet metal |
| C-1f | Heating, cooling and circulating air |
| C-1g | Pipes and vents for gas |
| C-1h | Water heaters |
| C-1i | Chilled water piping |
| C-1j | Firefighter breathing air replenishment |
| C-1k | Industrial piping |
A full C-1 covers everything under it. C-1d is the plumbing-specific one, covering sanitary supply, waste and vent, roof drainage, hydronic heating up to 200,000 BTU, irrigation, potable water heating, gas supply, and medical gas and vacuum piping.
What it takes
NSCB C-1 contractor license. The qualifying individual needs four years of experience within the 15 years immediately preceding the application, as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee, or contractor in that specific classification.
Accredited college or university training can substitute for up to three of those four years. Military training and a current out-of-state master certification can also count. There is no education requirement.
NBOPE journeyman plumber. Four years in a state-registered accredited apprenticeship, or 8,000 hours of documented plumbing trade experience on NBOPE’s affidavit of experience form. Note this hour figure is an NBOPE certification standard, not Nevada state law.
NBOPE master plumber. Hold a current Nevada journeyman certificate in good standing for at least one year or 2,000 hours.
Exams
NSCB. Administered by PSI, with test centers in Las Vegas, Reno and Elko. Two parts: a Business and Law exam (open book, the Nevada manual is permitted) and a trade exam for your classification (closed book except certain code references). All multiple choice, score on screen immediately. Three attempts. A third failure voids the application and you wait 30 days to reapply.
NSCB does not publish a passing percentage anywhere on its site. It defers to the PSI candidate information bulletin. Anyone quoting you “70 percent” for the NSCB exam is making it up.
NBOPE. Based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code.
- Part one: 50 multiple choice, open book, 2 hours
- Part two: 100 multiple choice, closed book, 2 hours, covering DWV sizing, gas pipe sizing, storm drainage and water pipe sizing
- Passing: 75 percent, or 113 cumulative points
- Certification is valid three years and you carry the ID card during work hours
Fees
NSCB: $300 non-refundable application processing, $600 biennial license fee, plus a Residential Recovery Fund assessment of $200 (limits up to $1,000,000), $500 (over $1,000,000 but limited), or $1,000 (unlimited). Cash bond deposit administrative fee is $200 biennially. Exam fees are set by PSI and not published by NSCB.
NBOPE: journeyman or master exam $250 ($340 at a Prometric center). Recertification by exam $150, by CEU $75. Reschedule penalties of $35 or $50 depending on notice.
Bond and insurance
Nevada does not have a fixed plumbing bond amount. NSCB sets your license bond anywhere from $1,000 to $500,000 based on license type, monetary limit, financial responsibility, experience and character. Any article quoting you a single Nevada plumbing bond figure is wrong.
- Surety must be Nevada-authorized and rated A or better, or you post a cash deposit
- Bonds are continuous, and surety cancellation requires 60 days notice
- Industrial insurance (workers’ compensation) is required for licensure, renewal and activation unless you file an exemption affidavit
- A CPA-prepared financial statement is required unless your monetary limit is under $10,000
- Residential work: down payments are capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of contract price, whichever is less, unless you post a $100,000 consumer protection bond
NSCB publishes no general liability insurance minimum. NBOPE requires no bond or insurance for the journeyman or master card.
Renewal and continuing education
NSCB license: two years, expiring two years from the last day of the month it was issued. We found no published continuing education requirement for NSCB contractor license renewal.
NBOPE card: three years, with zero grace period. Renew one of two ways:
- Online 40-question open-book exam, 75 percent (30 of 40) to pass, $150
- 8 hours of continuing education (0.8 CEUs) through an approved provider, $75
Any certification expiring after January 1, 2019 has to be recertified to the 2024 UPC.
Reciprocity
Nevada uses licensure by endorsement, not true reciprocity. It waives the state trade exam and the experience certification. It never waives the Business and Law exam.
You need an active license in the endorsing state with the same qualified individual for the past four years, no disciplinary history, and no pending discipline.
Only four states appear on NSCB’s official equivalency chart with a C-1 plumbing row:
| State | Equivalent license | Trade exam waived? |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | CR-77 Plumbing Including Solar | Yes |
| California | C-36 Plumbing and C-4 Boiler, Hot Water Heating and Steam Fitting | Yes |
| Florida | CF Plumbing Contractor | No, Nevada trade exam still required |
| Tennessee | CMC Full Mechanical Contractor | Yes |
Other states appear on the chart for other trades but have no plumbing row. NASCLA exam credit applies to general building only, not C-1.
At journeyman level there is no published reciprocity. The City of Reno lets a contractor with an outside license work 12 months inside city limits before local certification is required.
Recent changes
Two new sections came out of the 2025 legislature, both temporary:
- NRS 624.242 creates an endorsement license for out-of-state contractors working on rural “attainable housing projects.” No fee, 60-day decision. Licenses expire December 31, 2029 and the section sunsets then
- NRS 624.243 creates provisional licenses during a declared skilled-labor shortage in a rural area. Also sunsets December 31, 2029
- SB 130 (2025) authorized a restricted B-7 residential remodeling license effective October 1, 2025. Not a plumbing classification
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada issue a state journeyman plumber license?
No. The state licenses contracting businesses. Journeyman and master certification comes from local building departments, in practice through NBOPE.
Can I do small plumbing jobs without a license?
No. NRS 624.031(6)(b) specifically carves plumbing out of the under-$1,000 repair exemption that applies to some other trades.
Do I need both the state license and the local card?
If you are running the business, you need the NSCB license. If you are performing plumbing work unsupervised in Clark County or Reno, you need the journeyman card. A one-person plumbing company typically needs both.
What is the Nevada plumbing bond amount?
There isn’t one. The board sets it individually between $1,000 and $500,000.
Before you apply
Nevada’s split system means budgeting for two processes, not one. Start with the local journeyman card if you are still working for someone, and take on the NSCB C-1 when you are ready to contract in your own name.
Fees, bond ranges, code editions and statutes change. Confirm with the Nevada State Contractors Board, NBOPE, and your local building department before relying on any figure here. This is not legal advice.
