How do you become a licensed plumber in New Jersey?
Short answer
New Jersey’s state plumbing license is the Master Plumber license, issued by the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. The usual path is a 4-year apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, then at least 1 year (1,200 hours) of hands-on work as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, then the Board’s exam once you are at least 21.
Checked against the official sources on
The path, step by step
- Get hired by a plumbing contractor who will sponsor you. A registered apprenticeship must be sponsored by an employer; you cannot register on your own, and it does not move with you to a new employer automatically.
- Complete the 4-year apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, including the required propane education.
- Work at least 1 year (1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey after the apprenticeship.
- Apply to the Board (application fee $100). The Board reviews applications at its monthly meetings and sends approval letters with exam registration instructions.
- Pass the exam and pay the license fee. The license usually arrives 15 to 20 days after the fee is processed.
The other path: a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering (with the required propane education), followed by the same 1 year (1,200 hours) as a journeyman in New Jersey.
Can you do plumbing work before you are licensed?
Yes, as an employee. New Jersey law says plumbing may be done only by a master plumber, an authorized plumbing contractor, or employees paid on a W-2. Apprentices and journeymen work under a licensed master plumber.
After the license
- Master Plumber licenses expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years; renewal is $160.
- Every 2-year period you need 5 credits of Board-approved continuing education.
- Your name and license number must appear on your work vehicles, invoices and advertising.
Does a plumbing course count toward the license?
A plumbing program does not enroll you in an apprenticeship, and the Board counts only apprenticeships approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. A course can still get you ready: it teaches the trade basics, the code and the safety rules, so you are useful from the first day an employer hires you as an apprentice.
Trade Progress Center’s Plumbing Fundamentals program (200 hours of live online classes with an instructor, OSHA 30 Construction included) is coming soon. It is training, not a license or an apprenticeship, and you can join the waitlist now.
More questions
Do I need to be a US citizen to get a New Jersey plumbing license?
No. New Jersey allows any person who meets all the requirements to get a professional or occupational license, regardless of citizenship status, and a Social Security number is not required.
How long does it take to become a master plumber in NJ?
With the apprenticeship path, at least 5 years: 4 years of apprenticeship plus 1 year as a journeyman, then the application and the exam.
I am licensed in another state. Can I get a New Jersey license?
Possibly, by reciprocity, if your state’s licensing standards are equal to New Jersey’s and your state reciprocates. The Board publishes the list of states it has reviewed.
Training for this
Our NYC DOB courses are taught by a Trade Progress Center instructor registered with the NYC DOB as a trainer, OSHA classes by an OSHA-authorized trainer, and FDNY courses are exam preparation. Classes in English, Russian or Spanish, in person or online.
Official sources
This page explains the rules in plain words. The agencies’ own pages and rules decide, and they change: check the source links before you act.