STATE LICENSE
RequiredConnecticut Department of Consumer Protec…
The Plumbing and Piping Work Board and DCP license plumbing and piping work, defined in CGS § 20-330(3) to include gas and water piping, fixtures, sanitary lines to the main, swimming pools and pumping equipment, and backflow connections. The P-2 unlimited journeyperson requires a registered apprenticeship (DCP lists 8,000 on-the-job and 576 classroom hours) and an exam; a contractor license requires two years as a licensed journeyperson.
Plumbing licenses expire every October 31. The contractor fee is $150 and the journeyperson fee $120, with nonrefundable application fees of $150 and $90. DCP requires five hours of continuing education every two years for unlimited contractors and journeypersons, and three hours for limited journeypersons.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Licensing is exclusively state; towns and cities issue plumbing permits and inspect. A licensed contractor signs the permit application (§ 20-338b), and work may not begin before the permit issues (§ 20-338c).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Connecticut county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
The statutory definition of plumbing and piping work expressly includes swimming pools and pumping equipment (§ 20-330(3)).
The J-4 limited journeyperson license covers lawn sprinkler work only, in the employ of a licensed plumbing contractor.
Medical gas and vacuum work needs a separate $50 certificate on top of a P or S license (§ 20-334a(g)).
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in Connecticut. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Wilfully performing, advertising, or employing others for licensed trade work without the license is a crime once DCP determines in writing that the work requires a license.
The examining board or the DCP commissioner may fine each violation after a hearing; half goes to the town when its building official reported it.
Since P.A. 25-111, DCP may issue a notice of violation after an inspection and then a stop-work order; ignoring it draws a daily fine.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County Bridgeport (consolidated gov.) | City of Bridgeport Building Department ↗ | Park City Portal ↗ |
| Hartford County Hartford (consolidated gov.) | City of Hartford Department of Development Services — Licenses and Inspections ↗ | Accela Citizen Access (Hartford) ↗ |
| New Haven County New Haven (consolidated gov.) | City of New Haven Office of Building Inspection & Enforcement ↗ | City Squared Electronic Permitting ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Exam vendor and exam fee for ch. 393 trade exams (DCP says separate fees are due to the exam vendor at registration but does not state them) · Contractor-level designations for the limited plumbing journeyperson licenses (DCP's trades page lists the journeyperson codes only) · Whether any 2026 regular-session public act changed these fees, thresholds, or insurance minimums — the newest statutory text retrieved is the 2026 Supplement, which reflects only the 2025 session
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.