STATE LICENSE
RequiredMaryland State Board of Plumbing — Maryla…
Under Bus. Occ. § 12-601 no one may provide, assist in providing, or offer plumbing services without a Board license; natural gas work requires a plumbing or natural gas license, and propane work a plumbing license or Board propane certificate. Apprentices are licensed too, from age 16.
The ladder is long: a journey license takes four years as an apprentice, 7,500 training hours and 32 hours of backflow-prevention training; a master license takes two more years as a journey plumber and 3,750 hours under a master. Masters carry $300,000 general liability plus $100,000 property damage — and umbrella coverage does not count.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
The State license is required statewide. WSSC (Prince George's and portions of Montgomery County) and Baltimore County run their own plumbing licensing, recognized by the Board through reciprocity; permits and inspections are issued locally.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Maryland 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 Board states there are no continuing-education requirements to maintain a Maryland plumbing license (inspector ID cards need 8 hours a year).
A license can be expired for up to four years before the Board requires retesting.
The $400,000 per-occurrence minimum must be met with primary GL and property damage coverage, naming the Board as certificate holder.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in Maryland. 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.
Violating § 12-601 is a misdemeanor, counted per day of violation.
In addition to other penalties, the Board may fine each violation, weighing gravity, good faith, history, harm and assets.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Length of the plumbing license term (fees page and FAQs do not state it) · Statutory section for the master insurance requirement (Board page states the amounts without a citation) · Plumbing exam vendor and exam fee
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.