Not a government site. Always confirm with the licensing board before you apply. About us

State License Requirements
Menu

How to get a Master Plumber license in Delaware

Delaware licenses plumbers statewide through the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners.1 For the Master Plumber license you need at least 2 years2 of experience, a passing score on the Delaware Master Plumber licensure examination3 and a criminal background check1. The board lists $173 for the application4. You renew every 2 years5 and complete 5 hours of continuing education6.

Last checked · 12 official sources

Who issues it

Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners

Training and experience

Experience: at least 2 years2

Exam

Delaware Master Plumber licensure examination3

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $1734

Renewal

Every 2 years5, 5 hours of continuing education6

From another state

Reciprocity agreements, License by endorsement and Military service members and spouses27 Details

On this page
  1. Delaware plumber licenses
  2. Applies to every license level
  3. Who needs a Master Plumber license
  4. Requirements for a Master Plumber license
  5. How much a Master Plumber license costs
  6. How to apply
  7. Renewal and continuing education
  8. Moving to Delaware with a license from another state
  9. Temporary Plumber
  10. City and county rules
  11. Check a license or report a problem
  12. Laws and rules
  13. Rule changes since January 2024
  14. Common questions
  15. Plumber licenses in other states

Delaware plumber licenses

Delaware issues 2 plumber credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

LicenseWhat it coversTraining or experienceExamApplication or license fee
Temporary PlumberLets a designated owner or employee keep a plumbing business operating for up to 100 days after it loses its sole license holder through death or loss of employment.8–Yes9$1738
Master PlumberDesign, install, replace, service, repair or alter water-supply and drainage piping, fixtures and apparatus in buildings, and install and connect gas piping. Gas piping in heating/cooling/refrigeration systems also needs a Master HVACR license.2Experience 2 years2Yes1$1734

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for every Delaware plumber license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

Requirements

Background check
Background check required1
Convictions substantially related to plumbing (list in Reg. 8.0) bar licensure unless the Board grants a waiver after weighing the 29 Del. C. 8735(x)(3) factors; a felony sexual offense is a bar regardless of age.1

Fees

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$17348Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ExaminersNot refundable

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

Who needs a Master Plumber license

Design, install, replace, service, repair or alter water-supply and drainage piping, fixtures and apparatus in buildings, and install and connect gas piping. Gas piping in heating/cooling/refrigeration systems also needs a Master HVACR license.2

Work that does not need this license:

  • Apprentices, journeymen and mechanics need no license when supervised by a master plumber who employs them or works full time for the same business.1
  • Homeowners doing non-gas plumbing on their own home (not for sale or rent) after filing for a permit.1

Other rules on who may do this work:

  • Work on property used only for agriculture, after filing for a permit.1
  • Unlicensed plumbing is fined $1,500-$3,000 for a first offense and $3,000-$6,000 after that.1

Requirements for a Master Plumber license

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Education or training
A journeyman's certificate from a plumbing apprenticeship meeting federal (Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training) standards, or instead pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass (apprenticeship equivalency) exam, offered by Delaware apprenticeship schools, after 7 years of supervised work.1
Alternative: Without a journeyman certificate: 7 years supervised experience, then pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam (minimum 70%) at a Delaware vo-tech school / ABC Delaware.2
Experience
At least 2 years2
With a journeyman certificate: 2 years of plumbing work under a master plumber after receiving it.1
Supervision: Under a master plumber (or equivalent license in another state); proved on the Verification of Employment form.2
Substitute: If the supervisor form cannot be obtained: W-2 or employer affidavit with an explanation; self-employment by Schedule C; acceptance is at the Board's discretion.2
Experience
At least 7 years2
Without a journeyman certificate: 7 years of plumbing work under a master plumber, then the apprenticeship equivalency test.1
Exam
Delaware Master Plumber licensure examination3
Given by: ProV Exam (ProV)3
Passing score: 70%3
When you can take it: After the Board approves your application to sit; ProV then contacts you within 1-2 weeks.6
Offered in person (Wilmington, Newark, Dover) or online via ExamRoom.3
Retakes: Two more attempts at the next sittings without new approval; after 3 failures, wait 1 year and reapply.6
Exam
Apprenticeship By-Pass Examination (only for applicants without a journeyman certificate)3
Not required2
Given by: Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware (ABC Delaware)3
Passing score: 70%2
Also required
No unresolved discipline or pending complaints in any jurisdiction, and certified disciplinary-record statements from every jurisdiction where licensed.6
Also required
Application may not ask for a photo, citizenship, birthplace, residency length or references.1

How much a Master Plumber license costs

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
License verification to another state$354Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ExaminersNot refundable

How to apply

  1. Create a DELPROS account and start the Plumber application (finish within six months).2 delpros.delaware.gov2
  2. Have every state or local jurisdiction where you hold or held a plumbing license send a verification directly to the Board.2
  3. Upload your journeyman certificate and Verification of Employment forms (or, on the 7-year route, pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam first).2 Form (PDF, dprfiles.delaware.gov)10
  4. Pay the $173 application fee in DELPROS by card.4
  5. After Board approval, schedule and pass the ProV master plumber exam (70%); the license is issued once the score is received.3
Temporary or provisional license
A 100-day temporary license exists only when a plumbing business loses its sole license holder.8
Processing time
A complete application is reviewed on or before the next monthly Board meeting (second Tuesday, except June and December).11

Renewal and continuing education

How often
Every 2 years5
When it expires
Expires October 31 of even-numbered years.5
Continuing education
5 hours each renewal period6
Required topics
3 hours code changes6
1 hour safety6
1 hour cross connections and backflow (plumbing licensees)6
Approved courses
Courses must be Board-approved and appear on the DPR website.6
Exemptions
Licensed under 1 year: no CE at first renewal.6
Licensed 1-2 years: 3 CE hours at first renewal.6
Hardship waiver or partial credit on written request before the renewal deadline.6
Late renewal
SR – Inactive License Status Change Request: $454 (request to place license on inactive status (up to 5 years))
If it expires
Late renewal allowed up to one year after expiry with a late fee, but practice is illegal until renewed; after one year the license terminates and you must reapply.5
All late renewals are audited for CE; 5% of timely renewals are randomly audited from 2026.6
Inactive status for up to five years, requested before the late period ends; reactivation needs CE proof.5

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Delaware Master Plumber license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Moving to Delaware with a license from another state

These are the routes the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners publishes for the Master Plumber license. The other plumber licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Route
Reciprocity agreements
What the board says
License by reciprocity for a current master plumber license from a state with substantially similar standards; DPR lists Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland as substantially similar (no experience proof needed).2
States on Delaware's list
Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland2
This is the list of states whose licenses Delaware accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a Delaware license.
Conditions
Applicants must give the Board the other state's licensing laws and regulations.6
Fee
$1734
Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
Master plumbers from states that are not substantially similar must show 7 years of practice after licensure; DPR names AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, MI, NH, NJ, NC, OH, RI, SC, VA and WV as not substantially similar. Other states are evaluated case by case.2
States Delaware names as not substantially similar
Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia2
Applicants licensed in these states must meet the conditions in the board's words above. This is not a list of states whose licenses Delaware accepts as substantially similar.
Conditions
Any state not listed is evaluated by the Board from its law and regulations.2
Pennsylvania has no state plumbing license; holders of only a Pennsylvania municipal license must apply by examination.2
Fee
$1734
Route
Military service members and spouses
What the board says
Service members and spouses relocating on military orders may apply in DELPROS for a Military Registration under the federal SCRA portability provision for the duration of the orders.7

Temporary Plumber

Lets a designated owner or employee keep a plumbing business operating for up to 100 days after it loses its sole license holder through death or loss of employment.8

Requirements

Experience
Must be an owner or employee of the business that lost its sole license holder.8
Exam
Next available Delaware master plumber examination8
Given by: ProV Exam (ProV)3
Retakes: The temporary license ends immediately if the holder skips or fails the next exam.8

Fees

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Temporary license or permit$404Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ExaminersNot refundable

How to apply

  1. The business notifies the Board in writing within 7 days of losing its sole license holder.9
  2. The designated owner/employee files the Temporary application ($40) and a full Plumber application ($173) in DELPROS, with a death certificate or termination document and a Notice of Loss, before the Board's emergency meeting (held within 10 days).9 delpros.delaware.gov2
  3. Take the next available master plumber exam.8
Temporary or provisional license
This is the temporary license: valid 100 days or until a full license issues, whichever is earlier.8

Renewal

If it expires
If the temporary license expires and the business has no license holder, it must stop plumbing work immediately.9

From another state

Route
No reciprocity

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Master PlumberDelaware licenses master plumbers statewide; local governments may still adopt and enforce plumbing and fuel-gas codes (permits/inspections).9

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a plumber in Delaware, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Delaware is on the Delaware license lookup page.

Look up a license
delpros.delaware.gov12

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Rule changes since January 2024

  • March 11, 2025: Board regulations updated; Reg. 5.0 clarified CE requirements that take effect for the 2026 renewal.12

Common questions

How long does it take to get a Master Plumber license in Delaware?

The rules set at least 2 years2 before you can be licensed. On processing, the board says: A complete application is reviewed on or before the next monthly Board meeting (second Tuesday, except June and December).11

Can I transfer my plumber license to Delaware?

The Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners publishes these routes for the Master Plumber license: reciprocity agreements2 and license by endorsement2. Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Master Plumber license in Delaware?

Every 2 years5. Continuing education: 5 hours6.

Plumber licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

  1. 24 Del. C. ch. 18 subch. II License - PlumbingDelaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online)Checked November 7, 2026
  2. New License (Plumber)Delaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  3. ExaminationsDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  4. FeesDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  5. RenewalDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  6. 24 DE Admin. Code 1800 Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ExaminersDelaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners (Delaware Administrative Code, Registrar of Regulations)Dated April 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  7. Professional License Services for Military PersonnelDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  8. Temporary Plumber or HVACRDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  9. 24 Del. C. ch. 18 subch. IV Miscellaneous ProvisionsDelaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online)Checked November 7, 2026
  10. FormsDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  11. FAQsDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  12. Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ExaminersDelaware Division of Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026