How to get a JP Journeyman plumber license in New Mexico

New Mexico plumber licenses

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

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the New Mexico 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)

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old⁴³

Background check

Background check required³
Only felonies listed in 14.6.3.8 F NMAC can be used to deny.³

Fees

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, PSI⁵, when you schedule.

2. JP Journeyman plumber and JPG Journeyman plumber and natural gas fitter

Requirements

Education or training

Accredited technical training or a registered apprenticeship counts at half value: each year of training = half a year of experience, up to half of the total requirement.⁴
Who may teach it: Accredited college, university, manufacturer program, technical-vocational institute or accredited apprenticeship; include transcripts.⁴
Alternative: Statute alternative: completing a trade course approved by the vocational education division of the state public education department makes you eligible to test.²

Exam

Given by: PSI⁵
Passing score: 75% or higher⁴
When you can take it: Experience verification must be approved before you may schedule exams.⁴
Retakes: After a fail or no-show, reapply and pay again; no more than two attempts at the same exam in any 30-day period.⁴
Time limit: Passing scores are valid for one year; all requirements must be met within six months of application.⁴
Exam waived: Military expedited certification replaces work verification; a current NM qualifying party in the parallel classification (e.g. MM-1 for JP) may apply without work verification. No plumbing reciprocity.⁴

Also required

All requirements must be met within six months of CID/PSI receiving the application, or it expires and fees are forfeited.⁴

Also required

Certificate holder may work only when employed by a CID-licensed contractor (or annual-permit holder) in a matching classification.⁴

Fees

How to apply

1. When approved by email, register, pay for and pass each required PSI exam (75%).⁴

Renewal

How often

Every 3 years²

Continuing education

At least 16 hours each renewal period⁴

Required topics

At least 8 hours on the current CID-enforced code (code change/update); 8 hours may be other industry-related approved courses.⁴

Approved courses

Only courses and instructors approved by the Construction Industries Commission count; providers report completions to CID and proof goes with the renewal.⁴

If it expires

Not renewed by the expiry date: certificate suspended; not renewed within 6 months: canceled (then apply and test again).²

3. MM-1 Plumbing (contractor license) and MM-98 Mechanical (contractor license)

Requirements

Education or training

Accredited technical training/apprenticeship counts at half value, up to half the experience requirement.³

Experience

At least 4 years¹
Qualifying party: four years (8,000 hours) of experience in the classification within the 10 years before application.¹

Surety bond

$10,000³ (Surety bond amount (premium set by the surety, not by CID); must cover the whole license term)

Also required

Licenses go only to business entities that employ or are owned by a CID-certified qualifying party; $10,000 bond, NM tax registration and workers' compensation required.⁵

Fees

Some lines are combined figures, or parts of one; do not add the lines up.

How to apply

1. When approved, schedule and pass the trade exam and the Business & Law exam (or an approved Business & Law course) with PSI.⁵
2. The company then files the contractor license application with the $36 application fee, license fee, $10,000 license bond, Taxation and Revenue registration, Secretary of State/PRC registration if an entity, and the QP's scores; workers' compensation cover is required.⁵

Renewal

Late renewal

Late renewal fee (1-30 Days): $1² (per day late, days 1-30 (license suspended), on top of the renewal fee)

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Expedited certification for military service members, spouses, dependent children and veterans holding a substantially equivalent license elsewhere: issued within 30 days of a complete application, no fee for the first three years.³

Who needs a JP Journeyman plumber license

Exemptions and dollar thresholds:

• Owner-occupants may do work on their own single-family home (with wage-paid helpers only) without a contractor license; a CID homeowner permit applies, and mechanical homeowner permits require a $25 mechanical exam.²
• Farm/ranch livestock and irrigation piping from a private well or pipeline not connected to a public potable water supply is exempt from licensing.¹
• Apprentices need no certificate but may only work under direct supervision of a certified journeyman: max 2 unregistered apprentices per journeyman on commercial/industrial work, 3 on residential.¹

Requirements for a JP Journeyman plumber license

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

Experience

At least 2 years¹
Two years (4,000 hours) of plumbing experience (rough-in, top-out and final) within the last 10 years, on notarized verification forms.¹
Substitute: Accredited technical training or a registered apprenticeship counts at half value: each year of training = half a year of experience, up to half of the total requirement.⁴
Substitute: Experience must fall within the 10 years before application.⁴

Renewal and continuing education

JPG Journeyman plumber and natural gas fitter

Combined plumbing and natural gas fitting certificate (covers both JP and JG work) when employed by an MM-1, MM-2 or MM-98 licensee.¹

Requirements

Experience

At least 2 years¹
Two years (4,000 hours) of plumbing and natural gas fitting experience within the last 10 years, on notarized verification forms (the form has separate JP/MM1 plumbing and JG/MM2 natural gas sections).¹
Substitute: Accredited technical training or a registered apprenticeship counts at half value: each year of training = half a year of experience, up to half of the total requirement.⁴
Substitute: Experience must fall within the 10 years before application.⁴

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

MM-1 Plumbing license

Requirements

Exam

MM-1 Plumbing trade exam plus Contractor's Business and Law exam (PSI)⁵
Given by: PSI⁵
When you can take it: Four years of experience within the last 10 years must be documented and accepted before testing.³
Business & Law: an approved Business & Law course may replace the exam; not required again for an active QP adding a classification.⁵
Retakes: Reapply and pay again; no more than two attempts at the same exam in 30 days.³
Exam waived: No NASCLA trade-exam waiver for plumbing: 14.6.3.8 G(2)(f) NMAC allows it only for general construction, electrical or electrical journeyman NASCLA exams.³

How to apply

1. Qualifying party: submit the notarized QP application and Mechanical/Plumbing Experience Verification(s) for MM-1 Plumbing (contractor license) to PSI Albuquerque with the $36 fee ($30 + $6 certificate).⁵

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

MM-98 Mechanical license

Full mechanical license: all work in MM-1 (plumbing), MM-2 (natural gas fitting), MM-3 (HVAC) and MM-4 (heating, cooling and process piping), plus MS-3 septic/sewer, MS-6 lawn sprinklers, MS-12 fire sprinklers and MS-14 dry chemical fire protection.¹

Requirements

Exam

MM-98 Mechanical trade exam plus Contractor's Business and Law exam (PSI)⁵
Given by: PSI⁵
When you can take it: Four years of experience within the last 10 years must be documented and accepted before testing.³
Business & Law: an approved Business & Law course may replace the exam; not required again for an active QP adding a classification.⁵
Retakes: Reapply and pay again; no more than two attempts at the same exam in 30 days.³
Exam waived: No NASCLA trade-exam waiver for plumbing: 14.6.3.8 G(2)(f) NMAC allows it only for general construction, electrical or electrical journeyman NASCLA exams.³

How to apply

1. Qualifying party: submit the notarized QP application and Mechanical/Plumbing Experience Verification(s) for MM-98 Mechanical (contractor license) to PSI Albuquerque with the $36 fee ($30 + $6 certificate).⁵

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

City and county rules

JP Journeyman plumberStatewide CID license/certificate; local building departments with a certified building official handle plumbing permits and inspections, otherwise CID inspects.²

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

rld.nm.gov⁷

File a complaint

nmrld.my.site.com⁵

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• NMSA 1978, ch. 60, art. 13 (Construction Industries Licensing Act): 60-13-2, 60-13-3, 60-13-18, 60-13-32, 60-13-38, 60-13-39, 60-13-41
• 14.6.3 NMAC (contractor licensing and qualifying party requirements)
• 14.6.4 NMAC (journeyman certification)
• 14.6.6.11 NMAC (mechanical and plumbing classifications)
• 14.5.5 NMAC

Common questions

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