Plumbing License in South Carolina: Requirements & How to Get One

A South Carolina plumbing license comes from one of two LLR boards. The Residential Builders Commission issues a Residential Plumber License for home plumbing jobs over $500. The Contractor’s Licensing Board issues a Mechanical Contractor license with the Plumbing classification for commercial work over $10,000. There is no state journeyman or apprentice plumber license.

Who licenses plumbers in South Carolina

Both boards sit inside the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR).

• Residential Builders Commission. The Commission’s Residential Plumber page says you need this license for residential plumbing work over $500.
• Contractor’s Licensing Board. Under SC Code 40-11-30, you need a license for mechanical contracting work where the total cost of construction is over $10,000. A 2023 law raised that from $5,000. Plumbing is one of the mechanical classifications, per the Board’s licensure page.

Cities and counties still get a say. Under SC Code 40-59-240, a locality can’t make you retake an exam the Commission approved, but local business licenses and permits still apply.

Requirements change, so confirm with LLR before you apply. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice.

License types

• Residential Plumber License. An individual license from the Commission. Regulation 106-1 defines the scope as installing, altering, and repairing water and natural gas piping, sewage systems, and water filter and conditioning systems in homes.
• Mechanical Contractor, Plumbing classification. A license issued to the business. LLR’s residential forms call it the Plumbing (PB) classification. The person who passes the exams is the Primary Qualifying Party (PQP).
• Certificate of Authorization (COA). Not a license by itself. Your firm needs one unless you work under your own name, or you own at least 51% and are its only resident licensee. The COA page lists a $100 application fee and $100 renewal.

What about journeyman and master cards? Carolinas AGC (CAGC) took over the SC Trades Certification Program from the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) on January 1, 2026. CAGC says its certification should not be confused with the state Mechanical Contractor license. It’s a certification, not a state license.

How to become a plumber in South Carolina

The state has no apprentice registration or hour log. Experience is what counts, and you prove it with affidavits.

• Work under someone licensed. Your supervisor has to be properly licensed during the time they supervise you.
• Get 1 year, then go for the residential license. The residential application package asks for at least one year of residential plumbing experience within the past five years. Each supervisor fills out a Residential Plumber Experience Affidavit, and you attach W-2s or 1099s. The Commission’s FAQ says the year can come from any state or country.
• Get 2 years, then go commercial. The Board wants at least two years of work experience in the classification within the past five years, mostly commercial. It goes on the Work Experience Affidavit (Doc. 167).

Exams

PSI runs the exams for both boards. All of them are open book. You apply to LLR first, then register with PSI once you’re approved.

Residential, per the PSI residential bulletin updated November 1, 2026:

• Business Management and Law for Residential Builders. 50 questions, 120 minutes, 34 correct to pass.
• Residential Plumbing. 65 questions, 180 minutes, 44 correct to pass. It covers homes of 16 units or less and up to 3 stories.
• Attempts. Eligibility lasts one year. You get 3 tries in 12 months. Fail 3 times and you wait 12 months.
• Code books. Starting November 1, 2026, you can bring the 2024 plumbing code. The 2021 edition works until July 1, 2027.

Commercial, per the PSI commercial bulletin:

• Plumber. 80 questions, 4 hours, 56 correct to pass.
• Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors. 50 questions, 125 minutes, 35 correct to pass. Everyone takes it, waiver or not.
• Retakes. Technical exams can be taken 2 times in 12 months, then once every six months. The business exam has no limit.

Renewal

• Residential Plumber. The Commission’s plumbing FAQ says the license renews every two years by June 30 of odd years. The next deadline is June 30, 2027. Renewal is $220, and a late renewal adds a $50 late fee. If the license is lapsed more than three years, you reapply and retest.
• Mechanical Contractor. Licenses expire October 31 of odd years. The Board’s renewal page says 2027 to 2029 renewals open in August 2027. You must have a financial statement or surety bond accepted before you can renew online.
• CE. Neither board lists a continuing education requirement for plumbers. SC Code 40-59-230 lets the Commission add one by regulation, and Chapter 106 doesn’t have one right now. Confirm with LLR at renewal time.

Cost

These come from the Commission’s plumber page, the Board’s fees page, and the PSI bulletins. LLR fees are non-refundable.

Then there’s the bond and the money test.

• Residential bond. For any project over $5,000 in labor and materials, you need a $10,000 surety bond on file first. It has to name you as principal, not your company. Handwritten or DocuSign bonds aren’t accepted.
• Commercial license groups. Your group sets your bid and job limit. Group 1 is $35,000 and needs $3,500 working capital or $7,000 net worth. Group 2 is $100,000 ($10,000 or $15,000). Group 3 is $200,000 ($20,000 or $30,000). Group 4 is $400,000 ($40,000 or $60,000). Group 5 is unlimited ($200,000 or $300,000). You can post a surety bond equal to the net worth figure instead.
• Financial statements. Groups 1 and 2 can use an owner-prepared statement. Groups 3 and 4 need a CPA compilation for initial licensure. Group 5 needs an audited balance sheet the first time.

Reciprocity

South Carolina doesn’t let you work on another state’s license. It offers exam waivers that skip only the technical exam. You still meet the experience rules and pass the SC business and law exam. Grandfathered licenses don’t count.

• Residential waivers. North Carolina and Mississippi, if your license there was earned by exam and held at least a year. The issuing state sends a license verification straight to the Commission. An SC Mechanical Contractor license with plumbing, active a year or more and earned by exam, also qualifies. So does a Master Plumber or Master Residential Plumber certification by exam from MASC (December 1990 to December 2025) or CAGC (after January 1, 2026).
• Commercial waivers. The Board’s waiver agreement list (revised May 2026) maps these to Plumbing: North Carolina Plumbing Class 1, Ohio Plumbing, Tennessee CMC-A, and Tennessee CMC. A CAGC or MASC Master Plumber exam passed after January 1, 1990 also works. Your home state’s board supplies the waiver form.

Georgia isn’t on the plumbing list. See our plumbing license reciprocity guide for how other states handle it.

How to apply

• Residential. First-time applicants apply online through LLR. Upload your ID, Social Security card, a full credit report dated within 30 days, affidavits, W-2s or 1099s, and the notarized lawful presence form. Pay the $135 fee at the end. After you pass, pay the $220 license fee.
• Commercial. Your PQP passes the exams, then the company files Doc. 165 with the experience affidavit and financial statement or bond.
• Deadline. A residential application is good for one year. Miss that and you start over, fees included.
• Need help? Call the Commission at 803-896-4696 or the Board at 803-896-4686.

FAQ

Does South Carolina have a journeyman plumber license?

No. The state licenses residential plumbers and mechanical contractors. CAGC runs a trade certification, but it isn’t a state license.

Can I do small repairs without a license?

Residential work of $500 or less doesn’t need the Commission license. Local rules may still apply.

Do I need both licenses?

Only if you work both sides. Home plumbing over $500 needs the Residential Plumber License. Commercial work over $10,000 needs the Mechanical Contractor license with Plumbing.

Can I use my North Carolina plumbing license in South Carolina?

Not directly. A North Carolina license earned by exam can waive the technical exam for either SC license. You still apply and pass business and law.

Next steps

Start by deciding if your work is residential or commercial, then call your local license office. To compare South Carolina with other states, see our plumbing license by state page, the full plumbing license guide, plumbing license cost by state, and plumbing license renewal by state. Working near the border? Check the North Carolina plumbing license and Georgia plumbing license pages too. When you’re ready to run your own shop, read how to start a plumbing business.