STATE LICENSE
RequiredMontana Board of Plumbers (Department of …
MCA 37-69-301 requires anyone working in the field of plumbing as a master or journeyman to hold a Board of Plumbers license. A master plumber is the person authorized to plan, estimate, bid, contract for, and supervise plumbing work; journeymen install sanitary plumbing and potable water piping but may work only in the employment of a licensed master. A journeyman needs five years of legally obtained experience (or a completed apprenticeship) and a written and practical exam; a master needs four years as a licensed journeyman, three years with a master or in a supervisory role, and a master exam.
The board's application checklists list a $270 journeyman and $380 master application fee by examination, and licensees complete four hours of board-approved, code-related education every year. Exceptions include a homeowner plumbing a single-family residence used exclusively for personal use, farms and ranches off public water and sewer, and apprentices under a licensed plumber. Medical gas piping requires a separate endorsement.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Plumber licensing is state-only. Cities and counties certified by DLI's Building Codes Program may enforce the plumbing code and issue permits; elsewhere the state program does. A local government may temporarily authorize unlicensed plumbing only when no licensee is available and with board notice (MCA 37-69-102(3)).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Montana 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.
Montana has no separate plumbing contractor license; a master plumber may not let any other person or firm use the license to get permits or do work (MCA 37-69-305(3)).
Licensed plumbers working within their license are exempt from the Construction Contractor License (MCA 37-45-104(16)).
Montana's statutory plumbing-system definition covers water supply, fixtures, drainage, vents, and water heaters; gas piping is inspected under mechanical permits.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in Montana. 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.
DLI or the board may order unlicensed practice stopped and enforce the order in district court.
A master who employs unlicensed journeymen or unregistered apprentices, or gives the department false information about their work, faces discipline.
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: Plumber license renewal date and renewal fee (ARM 24.180 fee rule not retrieved); 'annual' renewal is inferred from the board's annual CE requirement · Whether Montana requires any state license or certification for gas piping installers (no gas-fitter credential was found; gas piping is covered by mechanical permits) · The board's journeyman page says apprenticeship completion is required, while MCA 37-69-304 also allows five years verified by time or pay records · Medical gas endorsement 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.