How to get a Journeyman Plumber license in New Hampshire

New Hampshire licenses plumbers statewide through the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board.¹ For the Journeyman Plumber license you need at least 600 clock hours² of education, at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training², a passing score on the Journeyman plumber examination³ and a criminal background check². The board lists $198 for the initial license³ and $90 for the exam³, each a separate charge. You renew every 2 years⁴ and complete at least 6 hours of continuing education⁵.

Last checked November 7, 2026 · 8 official sources

Who issues it

Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board

Training and experience

Training: at least 600 clock hours²
Experience: at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training²

Exam

Journeyman plumber examination³

Fees the board lists

Initial license fee: $198³
Exam fee: $90³

Renewal

Every 2 years⁴, at least 6 hours of continuing education⁵

From another state

Universal license recognition and Exam waiver⁶² Details

On this page

New Hampshire plumber licenses
Applies to every license level
Who needs a Journeyman Plumber license
Requirements for a Journeyman Plumber license
How much a Journeyman Plumber license costs
Renewal and continuing education
Moving to New Hampshire with a license from another state
Apprentice Plumber
Master Plumber
Mechanical Business Entity License
City and county rules
Check a license or report a problem
Laws and rules
Common questions
Plumber licenses in other states

New Hampshire plumber licenses

New Hampshire issues 4 plumber credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

License	What it covers	Training or experience	Exam	Application or license fee
Apprentice Plumber	Learns and assists in installing plumbing and drainage in an apprenticeship under a licensed NH master plumber; no more than 2 apprentices per licensee.¹	–	–	$88³
Journeyman Plumber	Installs, maintains and repairs plumbing and drainage under the direction of a master plumber.¹	Training 600 clock hours² Experience 8,000 hours²	Yes⁵	$198³
Master Plumber	Runs a plumbing business or does plumbing as a principal business; a master plumber is also qualified as a journeyman and may sponsor and supervise apprentices.¹	Experience 6 months²	Yes²	$330³
Mechanical Business Entity License (plumbing)	License for the business (company, corporation, LLC or partnership) doing plumbing; it must employ an officer or responsible managing employee who holds a NH master plumber license. Licensed entities may get permits from any municipality.¹	–	No¹	–

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the New Hampshire plumber licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

1. Every license level (all 4)

Renewal

How often: Every 2 years⁴³
Renew online: forms.nh.gov⁷

2. Every license level except Mechanical Business Entity License (plumbing)

Requirements

Background check: Background check required²
Convictions involving injury or risk of injury to a victim, or dishonesty, can lead to denial; the board weighs the nature of the offense, its direct relationship to plumbing, time elapsed, rehabilitation and sentence completion.²
Social Security number: Applications must include the applicant's Social Security number (RSA 161-B:11, child support enforcement).²

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
License verification to another state	$10³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	–
Duplicate or replacement license	up to $20³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Hard-copy replacement; electronic replacement is free

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

Processing time: The board approves or denies within 60 days of receiving a complete application packet.²

Renewal

If it expires: Lapsed less than 365 days: reinstate with the reinstatement application and fee (a renewal filed within one year after expiry is treated as reinstatement). Lapsed 365 days or more: retake and pass the exam, then reinstate.³

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Applicants in the armed services must prove that military training and experience meet both the education and field-experience requirements.²

3. Journeyman Plumber and Master Plumber

Requirements

Minimum age: 18 years old²
Business requirements: A business doing plumbing in NH needs a mechanical business entity license with a licensed master plumber as officer or responsible managing employee, must be registered with the NH Secretary of State, and must show liability insurance.²

How to apply

Schedule and pass the plumbing exam with the approved testing organization before sending any paperwork.⁵
Send the board's initial application form with the supporting documents (ID, supervisor's competency letter, exam score, and for journeymen the apprenticeship completion certificate) and the Plc 1002.25 license fee.²
If you have a qualifying conviction, include a criminal records check from NH Department of Safety and each state where you have a record.²
The board decides within 60 days of a complete application.²

Temporary or provisional license: OPLC may issue a provisional license ("Active-Provisional") to an endorsement applicant whose criminal history results are pending.⁶

Renewal

Continuing education: At least 6 hours each renewal period⁵
Required topics: Board-approved seminars of at least 3 contact hours on NH-adopted plumbing codes and standards and current licensing laws and rules; no credit for repeating the same seminar within a cycle.⁴
Approved courses: Taught by board-approved seminar providers (NH master plumbers with 3+ years, or journeymen with 5+ years, trained annually by the board).⁴

Who needs a Journeyman Plumber license

Installs, maintains and repairs plumbing and drainage under the direction of a master plumber.¹

Work that does not need this license:

Property owners (or their agent) doing plumbing in their own single-family detached or townhouse home, including new construction, or minor work on their own property, are exempt; so are utility employees, in-house maintenance employees doing incidental plumbing on their employer's property, and approved vocational students under licensed supervision. Exempt work must still meet the state plumbing code; the exemption does not cover fuel gas fitting.¹
Plumbing done as part of installing heating, cooling, air-conditioning or domestic water-heating systems, or installing/servicing water treatment systems or swimming pools, does not need a plumbing license (it must still meet codes and permits).¹

Other rules on who may do this work:

"Plumbing" stops at the first fitting beyond the foundation wall or 5 feet of pipe from the building.¹

Requirements for a Journeyman Plumber license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Education or training: At least 600 clock hours²
Educational training covering plumbing drainage, theory, plan reading, venting, potable water protection, materials, backflow, commercial kitchens, sizing, accessibility, testing, adopted codes, code administration and NH plumbing law.²
Alternative: Previous licensure as a journeyman plumber in another state that licenses plumbers, plus passing the NH journeyman exam (70%), replaces the apprenticeship, education and hours route.²
Alternative: Applicants in the armed services must prove that military training and experience meet both the education and field-experience requirements.²
Experience: At least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training²
On-the-job plumbing experience, completed through an apprenticeship (completion certificate from the US Department of Labor or the sponsoring plumber).²
Supervision: Apprentices work under a licensed NH master plumber: direct supervision for the first 2 years.²
License you must hold first: NH plumbing apprentice license while training.²
Exam: Journeyman plumber examination³
Passing score: 70% correct²
When you can take it: Schedule and take the exam first, then submit the license application with the score.⁵
Multiple-choice questions on the topics listed for the master exam (drainage, theory, plans, venting, potable water, materials, backflow, commercial kitchens, sizing, accessibility, testing, codes, code administration, NH law).²
Also required: Application must include a letter from the supervising licensed plumber saying you are competent to be a journeyman, copies of any out-of-state plumbing licenses, and your apprenticeship completion certificate.²

How much a Journeyman Plumber license costs

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$198³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Initial license, 2 years. Effective July 1, 2025
Exam fee	$90³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Journeyman plumber examination. Effective October 8, 2025

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal fee: $198³ (Renewal)
Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $198³ (reinstatement after expiration (renewal filed within one year after expiry is processed as reinstatement, Plc 1001.13))

Renewal planner

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

Expiration date

Moving to New Hampshire with a license from another state

These are the routes the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board publishes for the Journeyman Plumber license. The other plumber licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Route: Universal license recognition
What the board says: Licensure by endorsement (RSA 310:17) for journeyman plumbers holding an active license in good standing from a listed qualifying jurisdiction.⁶
States on New Hampshire's list: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming⁶
This is the list of states whose licenses New Hampshire accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a New Hampshire license.
Conditions: Licensure by endorsement under RSA 310:17 needs an active license in good standing from a qualifying jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially similar to New Hampshire's; apply with the Universal Application for Initial License, the fee and a copy of the active license.⁶
Fee: $198³

Route: Exam waiver
What the board says: Out-of-state licensed plumbers may sit for the NH exam if they prove licensure where they worked and meet the experience requirement (or its approved-education equivalent); a journeyman licensed in another state can qualify by passing the NH journeyman exam instead of the NH apprenticeship route.²

Apprentice Plumber

Learns and assists in installing plumbing and drainage in an apprenticeship under a licensed NH master plumber; no more than 2 apprentices per licensee.¹

Requirements

Minimum age: 16 years old²
Also required: Need a sponsoring licensed NH master plumber who writes a letter committing to supervise, register or run the apprenticeship, track hours and education, and confirming you are competent to be trained; or a signed US Department of Labor apprenticeship agreement.²
Also required: Supervision: direct supervision by a licensed NH master plumber for the first 2 years, general supervision after.²

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$88³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Initial license, 2 years. Effective July 1, 2025
First year plumbing apprentice bypass examination	$90³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	First year plumbing apprentice bypass examination. Effective October 8, 2025

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

Find a licensed NH master plumber to sponsor you (or sign a US Department of Labor apprenticeship agreement).²
Send the board's application form with ID, the sponsor letter, and the $88 apprentice fee.³
Renew every 2 years with proof of continued enrollment in the apprenticeship program.⁴

Renewal

When it expires: Apprentice licenses are issued for 2 years (Plc 1002.25 duration) and renewed with proof of continued enrollment in the apprenticeship education program.³
Renewal fee: $88³ (Renewal)
Exemptions: Apprentices: no CE; renewal needs proof of enrollment in a US Department of Labor approved plumbing apprenticeship program.⁴
Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $88³ (reinstatement after expiration (renewal filed within one year after expiry is processed as reinstatement, Plc 1001.13))

From another state

Route: No reciprocity
What the board says: Apprentice plumber is not on OPLC's endorsement (RSA 310:17) list for the Mechanical Licensing Board, which names only journeyman and master plumbers and fuel gas licenses.⁶

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Master Plumber

Runs a plumbing business or does plumbing as a principal business; a master plumber is also qualified as a journeyman and may sponsor and supervise apprentices.¹

Requirements

Experience: At least 6 months²
Hold a New Hampshire journeyman plumber license for at least 6 months with no board disciplinary sanctions from consumer complaints in the past year.²
License you must hold first: New Hampshire journeyman plumber license²
Exam: Master plumber examination³
Passing score: 75% correct²
When you can take it: Take the exam before applying; the application includes the exam score.⁵
Multiple-choice: drainage, basic and advanced theory, plans and drawings, venting, potable water protection, materials, backflow, commercial kitchens, sizing and fixture calculations, accessibility, testing/inspection/disinfecting, adopted codes, code administration, NH plumbing law.²
Also required: Application includes a letter from the supervising licensed plumber stating you are competent to be a master plumber, plus your exam score.²

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$330³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Initial license, 2 years. Effective July 1, 2025
Exam fee	$90³	Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board	Master plumber examination. Effective October 8, 2025

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

Renewal

Renewal fee: $330³ (Renewal)
Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $330³ (reinstatement after expiration (renewal filed within one year after expiry is processed as reinstatement, Plc 1001.13))

From another state

Route: Universal license recognition
What the board says: Licensure by endorsement (RSA 310:17) for master plumbers holding an active license in good standing from a listed qualifying jurisdiction.⁶
States on New Hampshire's list: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont⁶
This is the list of states whose licenses New Hampshire accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a New Hampshire license.
Conditions: Licensure by endorsement under RSA 310:17 needs an active license in good standing from a qualifying jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially similar to New Hampshire's; apply with the Universal Application for Initial License, the fee and a copy of the active license.⁶
Fee: $330³

Route: Exam waiver
What the board says: Out-of-state licensees may sit for the NH exam with proof of licensure where they worked, but must meet the prerequisites for the level sought (for master: 6 months as an NH journeyman).²

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Mechanical Business Entity License

License for the business (company, corporation, LLC or partnership) doing plumbing; it must employ an officer or responsible managing employee who holds a NH master plumber license. Licensed entities may get permits from any municipality.¹

Requirements

Exam: Not required¹
Insurance: Proof of liability insurance before issue and renewal.¹
Business requirements: Registered (or registered as a foreign entity) with the NH Secretary of State.²

How to apply

Register the business (or register as a foreign business) with the NH Secretary of State.²
Apply on the board's "Business Entity Application for Initial Licensure and Renewal" naming your licensed master plumber, with proof of liability insurance and the fee.²

Renewal

Renewal fee: $275³

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Apprentice PlumberNo local plumber licenses: municipalities issue plumbing permits and inspect, and local building departments may enforce the state licensing rules.¹

City or county	What it requires	Link
Concord	Separate plumbing permit required; plumbers hold the state license.⁸	Official page⁸

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license: forms.nh.gov⁷
File a complaint: oplc.nh.gov⁷

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Common questions

How long does it take to get a Journeyman Plumber license in New Hampshire?

The rules set at least 600 clock hours² and at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training² before you can be licensed. On processing, the board says: The board approves or denies within 60 days of receiving a complete application packet.²

Can I transfer my plumber license to New Hampshire?

The Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board publishes these routes for the Journeyman Plumber license: universal license recognition⁶ and exam waiver². Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Journeyman Plumber license in New Hampshire?

Every 2 years⁴. Continuing education: at least 6 hours⁵. The renewal fee is $198³.

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.

RSA Chapter 153 State Board of Fire Control (incl. RSA 153:27-38 mechanical licensing: fuel gas fitters…New Hampshire General CourtChecked November 7, 2026
CHAPTER Mec 300 LICENSING REQUIREMENTS (Mechanical Licensing Board rules)New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules, Mechanical Licensing Board)Checked November 7, 2026
N.H. Admin. Rules Plc 1000 (OPLC license fees)New Hampshire General Court (Office of Legislative Services, Administrative Rules)Dated July 1, 2025Checked November 7, 2026
CHAPTER Mec 400 CONTINUED STATUS (Mechanical Licensing Board rules)New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules, Mechanical Licensing Board)Checked November 7, 2026
Mechanical Safety and Licensing Education & Certification RequirementsNew Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and CertificationChecked November 7, 2026
New Changes to Reciprocity in New HampshireNew Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and CertificationChecked November 7, 2026
Mechanical Safety and Licensing Forms and DocumentsNew Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and CertificationChecked November 7, 2026
Residential Building Permit Application GuideCity of Concord, New HampshireChecked November 7, 2026