STATE LICENSE
RequiredNew Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board …
Plumbing licensing moved into the fire-safety chapter in 2013 — RSA 329-A was repealed (2013, 275:15) and plumbers are now licensed by the Mechanical Licensing Board, a unit of OPLC (RSA 153:27-a). Mec 302.01 bars anyone from working as a plumber or plumbing apprentice without a license, and Mec 302.05 requires every business doing plumbing — including sole proprietors — to hold a business entity license, which needs a licensed master of record, good standing with the Secretary of State, and proof of liability insurance (RSA 153:29-a). A journeyman needs 600 hours of education and 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience (or a completed apprenticeship) plus an exam; a master must have held a New Hampshire journeyman license for six months and pass the master exam (Mec 305.01).
OPLC fees under Plc 1002.25 (effective July 1, 2025) are $330 for a two-year master license, $198 journeyman, $88 apprentice, and $275 for the business entity, plus $90 per exam (Plc 1004.11). Renewal requires 6 hours of continuing education per endorsement each cycle (Mec 404.01). Owners may plumb their own single-family detached or townhouse residence (RSA 153:36, VIII(c)), and plumbing done as part of HVAC, water heating, water treatment, or swimming pool installation is exempt from the plumbing license but must meet code (RSA 153:36, VII).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Plumbing and fuel gas licenses are issued only by OPLC for the Mechanical Licensing Board. Its rules may be enforced by a town's building inspection department or any officer the town designates (RSA 153:35), and state inspectors appointed under RSA 153:34 may order violations corrected and must notify the local building authority. A licensed mechanical business entity may obtain permits from any municipality (RSA 153:29-a, IV). Permits and inspections follow the state building code, which adopts the 2024 International Plumbing and Mechanical Codes (RSA 155-A:1, IV).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every New Hampshire 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 old plumbers chapter was repealed in 2013; cite RSA 153:27–153:36 and the Mec rules for plumbing licensure.
Plumbing stops at the first fitting beyond the foundation wall or 5 feet of pipe from the building (RSA 153:27, XIV).
Gas piping requires a fuel gas piping installer license; a licensed plumber can qualify through affidavit, experience, and NFPA 54 training (RSA 153:27, VI).
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in New Hampshire. 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.
Advertising, holding out, or doing work that requires a Mechanical Licensing Board license without one is unlawful practice.
Licensees who violate the practice act or rules can be reprimanded, suspended, revoked, or put on probation.
No licensee may engage in any activity not covered by his or her specialty license.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Manchester (consolidated gov.) | City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department — Building Regulations ↗ | — |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: OPLC agency pages (oplc.nh.gov) returned HTTP 403 to automated retrieval; license facts were taken from the RSA and the Plc/Elec/Mec rule text instead, and current application forms and processing times were not reviewed · Whether a criminal penalty still applies to unlicensed plumbing or gas fitting — the former penalty provisions (RSA 153:37–153:38) were repealed by 2023, 79:303, and no replacement criminal clause was found in RSA 153; the RSA 310:13 civil fine is confirmed · Minimum liability insurance amount for the mechanical business entity license (RSA 153:29-a, V and Mec 307.02 require proof of liability insurance but no dollar figure was found) · Exam vendor and any separate vendor sitting fee beyond OPLC's $90 exam fee · Board name: the statute says 'mechanical licensing board' (RSA 153:27-a, as amended 2023) while OPLC's page title still reads 'Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board'
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.