STATE LICENSE
RequiredNJ State Board of Examiners of Master Plu…
New Jersey licenses plumbing at the master level through the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers under the Master Plumbers Licensing Act (N.J.S.A. 45:14C). Applicants must be 21 or older, complete a USDOL-approved four-year apprenticeship (or a bachelor's in mechanical, plumbing, or sanitary engineering), and then log a year of at least 1,200 hours as a journeyman.
Two New Jersey quirks matter: the journeyman experience must be performed in New Jersey and inspected by a licensed New Jersey plumbing inspector, and both training paths must include propane-services education. Licenses renew every two years with five credits of continuing education.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
The master plumber license is statewide; plumbing permits and inspections run through municipal construction offices under the Uniform Construction Code. Licensed plumbers are exempt from home-improvement registration within their license scope and from the landscape irrigation certificate.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every New Jersey 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 application fee is $100 without prior board registration and $50 with it (N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1).
Journeyman experience must be performed in New Jersey and inspected by a licensed New Jersey plumbing inspector.
Licensees who meet plumbing-inspector CE elsewhere need only one hour on master-plumber laws and rules instead of five.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing contractor in New Jersey. 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.
Consumer Affairs boards enforce their practice acts through the Uniform Enforcement Act, including civil penalties for unlicensed practice and injunctive relief.
Practicing after expiration requires reinstatement before resuming work.
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: Exam vendor and exam fees · Insurance requirements for master plumbers, if any · Statute text of N.J.S.A. 45:14C not retrieved from an official host; requirements cited from N.J.A.C. 13:32 · Dollar amounts of Uniform Enforcement Act civil penalties (N.J.S.A. 45:1-25) — reported in Division enforcement orders but not confirmed on a retrievable official text
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.