North Carolina Plumbing Contractor License: 4,000 Hours

North Carolina licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual plumbers. 4,000 hours (P-I (Plumbing - Class I) Contractor - the full plumbing contractor license), PSI exam — verified from North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors ("the Board") (official site) and last verified July 29, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must hold a credential: North Carolina licenses the CONTRACTOR, not the working plumber. The Board states the requirement in terms of contracting: "Anyone who contracts to install, alter or restore plumbing, heating (includes air conditioning) or fire sprinkler systems must have a license from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors." The license itself is earned by an individual who passes the examination, and that individual's qualification is then listed in the name of the firm (G.S. 87-26; 21 NCAC 50 .0404) - the qualifier model. An employed plumber needs nothing of their own: G.S. 87-25 provides that "[a]n employee in the course of his work as a bona fide employee of a licensee of the Board shall not be construed to have engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting," and 21 NCAC 50 .0512(a) provides that "[a]n unlicensed person who is directly and regularly employed in the ordinary course of business by a contractor licensed pursuant to G.S. 87, Article 2 is not required to have a license and shall not be subject to an action for injunctive relief brought by the Board." The Board says it in plain words in its FAQ: "Do all persons in a firm have to hold a license? No. Each place of business of a licensed firm must have at least one listed qualified individual regularly on active duty to supervise and direct all licensed work, which may be performed by the license or by the firm's bonafide W2 employees." The optional Plumbing Technician license is expressly "not a contracting license" - it exists so that an employee can review and supervise work in the contractor's place (21 NCAC 50 .0505(a)). North Carolina publishes NO "journeyman plumber" and NO "master plumber" license: neither term appears in the Board's enumerated list of examination categories (21 NCAC 50 .0301(a)) or in its License Definitions sheets - the tiers are Class I / Class II contractor, the restricted classifications, and the technician grades.
THERE IS NO DOLLAR THRESHOLD for a North Carolina plumbing license - the $30,000/$40,000 figure belongs to a different board: Chapter 87, Article 2 and 21 NCAC 50 set no minimum job value. The trigger is the ACT, not the price: G.S. 87-21(a)(5) reaches "[a]ny person, firm or corporation, who for a valuable consideration, ... verifies, inspects, evaluates, tests, installs, alters or restores, or offers to verify, inspect, evaluate, test, install, alter or restore" plumbing, and G.S. 87-21(c) applies the Article to "all persons, firms, or corporations who engage in, or attempt to engage in, the business of plumbing ... which includes the installation or replacement of condensing units, air handlers, gas furnaces, package units, boilers, water heaters, heat exchangers, or whole-house water purification or treatment systems, as well as the connection, repair, or alteration to the plumbing drainage, waste, or venting system or the potable water system." No sum of money appears in either. The dollar figure that circulates for North Carolina is the GENERAL CONTRACTOR threshold, administered by a different agency (the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors): G.S. 87-1(a) reaches undertakings "where the cost of the undertaking is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more" - raised to $40,000 by S.L. 2023-108, s. 2(a). CONFLICT ON THE RECORD, both sources official: this Board's own Consumer Awareness page still publishes the OLD figure twice - "General contractors (for work of $30,000 or more) are licensed by the: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors" and "[i]n general, anyone who contracts to do general construction work where the cost of the undertaking is $30,000 or more must have a general contractor's license." The statute reads $40,000; the plumbing Board's consumer page is stale at $30,000. Either way, neither figure limits the plumbing license.
What DOES fall outside the license: minor repairs and minor replacements (a scope test, not a price test): The Board's summary: "Minor repairs and service work to plumbing and heating systems do not require a state license." The statute defines the carve-out narrowly. G.S. 87-21(c): "The provisions of this Article shall not apply to those who clean plumbing drains or those who make minor repairs or minor replacements to an already installed system of plumbing, heating or air conditioning, but shall apply to those who make repairs, replacements, or modifications to an already installed fire sprinkler system. Minor repairs or minor replacements within the meaning of this subsection shall include the replacement of parts in an installed system which do not require any change in energy source, fuel type, or routing or sizing of venting or piping. Parts shall include a compressor, coil, contactor, motor, or capacitor." 21 NCAC 50 .0506 then closes most of the daylight: installing or replacing ANY water heater in ANY structure requires a plumbing license "except where installed by a property owner personally in property not intended or used for sale or rental" (.0506(b)); installing a water purification system that interrupts the potable water supply is NOT a minor repair (.0506(c)); "[a]ny connection, repair, or alteration which requires interruption of the potable water supply and if poorly performed creates risk of contamination of the potable water supply is not a minor repair, replacement or alteration" (.0506(d)); nor is any connection, repair or alteration which "if poorly performed creates risk of fire or exposure to carbon monoxide, open sewage or other gases" (.0506(e)); and .0506(f) warns that "[t]he failure to enumerate above any specific type of repair, replacement or alteration shall not be construed in itself to render said repair, replacement or alteration as minor within the meaning of G.S. 87-21(c)." Installing pumps or pumping equipment, installing, breaking or reinstalling a well seal, or disinfecting a well requires a plumbing contracting license or a license issued under Article 7A of Chapter 87 (.0506(g)).
The license is issued to a person, then listed with a firm - and the firm needs a qualifier on duty: G.S. 87-26 permits a license in the name of a corporation, partnership, or assumed/designated trade name provided one or more officers, general partners, owners or FULL-TIME employees empowered to act are themselves licensed, and provided those persons "execute contracts to the extent of their license qualifications" in the firm's name and "exercise general supervision over the work done thereunder"; G.S. 87-26(e): "It shall be necessary that persons licensed in accordance with the provisions of this section shall exercise general supervision over contracts to completion." 21 NCAC 50 .0404(a) puts a floor on presence: at each business location from which licensed work is solicited, proposed, contracted, dispatched or carried out, there must be on duty "the lesser of 1500 hours annually, or all hours during which the activities described herein are carried out, at least one individual who holds contractor license in the classification required for the work being proposed or performed," whose license is listed in that firm's name at that location, and who has the responsibility "to make, modify, terminate and set the terms of contracts, and to exercise general supervision." Consequence when the qualifier leaves, in the Board's own words: "If the license holder of the firm is unable to perform the duties required of a licensee for any reason (including illness, injury, death, termination, resignation, active military duty, etc.) all contracting activity (including quoting, bidding, contracting, obtaining permits, and performing work - including work in progress) must cease until another licensee is put in place as the firm's qualifier." No moonlighting: the Board's FAQ answers "Can I 'moonlight' with my license?" with "No. The license must be listed with the Board in the name in which business is being conducted and may only be used for contracting and permitting in that name." A licensee "shall only be listed on one contractor license at any given time" (21 NCAC 50 .0405(b)), and one narrow statutory exception exists: G.S. 87-26(f) preserves the individual license of a licensee "regularly employed by a local board of education" and lets that person contract or perform work during off-duty hours.
Supervision must be ON-SITE and IN-PERSON (21 NCAC 50 .0520, effective June 1, 2023): "The general supervision required by G.S. 87-26 requires that a licensee of the firm who holds the proper licensing qualification issued by the Board pursuant to G.S. 87-21(b) shall personally perform on-site and in-person supervision and review on all work, prior to work being covered or placed into service, to assure that all installations meet or exceed the minimum standard of the North Carolina State Building Code." The older rule, 21 NCAC 50 .0505(a), remains on the books and permits a properly licensed technician listed under the contractor to "review and supervise work in lieu of the licensed contractor." Both rules are current; the Board has not reconciled them in text.
No reciprocity - only a South Carolina TECHNICAL-exam waiver, plus the Neighbor State Recognition route: The Board is explicit: "There are no license reciprocity agreements with any other state. All persons desiring to obtain licensure with this Board must meet the requirements listed herein and satisfactorily complete the applicable examination(s)." What exists instead: (1) a Technical Examination Waiver Agreement with SOUTH CAROLINA ONLY - "The technical exam waiver applies only to the technical section of the exam. Anyone who meets the experience requirements and technical examination waiver requirements must still take and pass the required North Carolina business section of the exam," and the applicant "must have taken and passed the SC technical exam and complete the whole NC application." The published pairings are SC Residential Plumbing to NC Plumbing Class II; SC Commercial Mechanical, Plumbing (PB) to NC Plumbing Class I; SC Residential HVAC to NC Heating Group 3 Class II; SC Commercial Mechanical, Heating (HT) to NC Heating Group 1 Class I; SC Commercial Mechanical, Air Conditioning (AC) to NC Heating Group 2 and Heating Group 3 Class I; SC Commercial Mechanical, Packaged Equipment (PK) to NC Heating Group 3 Class I. "There are currently no other waivers available for any other states or any other licenses." (2) the Neighbor State License Recognition Act - "Individuals who are currently permanent residents of North Carolina and also currently hold licensure in the neighboring states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia may be eligible for equivalent licensure in North Carolina." (3) The Board's discretionary power under G.S. 87-21(g) to grant out-of-state contractors "license of the same or equivalent classification without written examination upon receipt of satisfactory proof that the qualifications of such applicants are substantially equivalent to the qualifications of holders of similar licenses in North Carolina and upon payment of the usual license fee," which 21 NCAC 50 .0310 confines to "reciprocal licensing agreements worked out with various states after mutual review of the applicable licensing standards and examinations." A $30 initial application fee applies to a license issued without a Board examination (21 NCAC 50 .1102(c)).
Criminal background report - ordered and paid by the applicant, from one named vendor: "All applicants are required to utilize 'Disahealthcare.com' to obtain a nationwide criminal background record report... Applicants are required to pay the reporting service for the cost of the report. You must include a printed copy of the report with your application" (package code ST46; DISA CB CastleBranch). The Board does not publish the vendor's price. "Answering falsely or submitting an inaccurate criminal record report can be considered fraud or deceit in obtaining a license and could lead to the denial of your application as well as prosecution under G.S. 87-23 and G.S. 87-25." A report more than six months old must be re-ordered when re-testing. A conviction is not automatically disqualifying - the Board weighs the level and seriousness of the crime, its date, the applicant's age at the time, the circumstances, "[t]he nexus between the criminal conduct and the prospective duties of the applicant as a licensee," the applicant's prison, jail, probation, parole, rehabilitation and employment records since, completion of or active participation in rehabilitative drug or alcohol treatment, a Certificate of Relief granted under G.S. 15A-173.2, any subsequent crime, and character references. Those factors are statutory rather than board practice: they are the factors G.S. 93B-8.1 requires an occupational licensing board to consider, and the same statute at 93B-8.1(b6) independently confirms the $45 cap on a predetermination petition fee. An applicant refused by staff may request a hearing before the Board members. A pre-application petition for predetermination costs $45 (21 NCAC 50 .1106(c)).
Reference books are mandatory at the exam, and the code edition is frozen: "All applicants for examination must have all necessary current North Carolina State Building Code books, a current Laws & Rules book issued by the Board (G.S. Chapter 87, Article 2 and 21 North Carolina Administrative Code Chapter 50) and a current North Carolina Business and Project Management for Contractors book (Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors' Edition) issued by the Board at the time the applicant submits the attached application form for examination." Examinees "must bring all allowed reference materials to the testing center. Materials will be checked for compliance with the Board's requirements, which are included in the Book Reference List and Requirements." Which edition: the Board's Code Update, dated June 1, 2026, states that "[u]ntil the new codes become effective, all exams for plumbing, heating, fuel piping and fire sprinkler licensing will be based on the 2018 edition of the codes" - Administration, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Energy Conservation and Residential - "as well as the NFPA Standards referenced in the 2018 code to include the 2013 Edition of NFPA 13 and 13D, and the 2011 Edition of NFPA 25."
Permits and inspections are the licensee's responsibility: 21 NCAC 50 .0402(a): a licensed contractor "shall ensure that a permit is obtained from the local Code Enforcement official before commencing any work for which a license is required by the Board," and shall ensure that a request for final inspection is made "within 10 days of the earlier of the system being made operational or placed in service." One exception: "[a] plumbing permit is not required for replacement of a water heater in a one or two-family dwelling under circumstances set out in G.S. 153A-357 or G.S. 160A-417" (.0402(c)). A licensee "shall not allow a permit to be obtained or his license number to appear upon a permit except for work which he or his employees perform" (.0402(b)), and failure to comply with the permit and inspection obligations "is considered by the Board as evidence of incompetence or misconduct in the use of license from the Board" (.0402(d)). The current license "shall be posted in the business location of the licensee, and its number shall appear on all proposals or contracts and requests for permits issued by municipalities" (G.S. 87-21(e)); the firm's contractor license number and qualification must also appear "on firm contracts, proposals, permit applications, and telephone yellow page advertising" (21 NCAC 50 .0406(c)).
Bidding outside your classification: 21 NCAC 50 .0403(b): a contractor licensed by the Board "shall not bid or contract installations requiring license of a type or classification issued by this Board which the licensee does not have except as a part of a documented joint venture with a licensee holding the necessary qualification or in accordance with the provisions set out in 21 NCAC 50 .0415. Bidding without qualification and with an intention to subcontract the unauthorized work does not satisfy this requirement." A third route sits in the same rule, and its scope is narrow: where a contract is administered pursuant to G.S. 143-129 and more than one classification administered by this Board has been combined in the separate contract specifications, a licensee holding EITHER of those qualifications may bid BOTH of those combined classifications, in addition to the classification for which the licence is held. So on a combined-specification public contract a licensee is not limited to a documented joint venture or .0415 -- but the route reaches only the classifications actually combined in that contract's specifications, AND IT CARRIES ITS OWN CONDITION: it applies only if the successful bidder obtains an executed written contract with a qualified licensee prior to the award. A licensed contractor or technician "shall not permit the use of his license by any other person" (.0403(a)), and the Board warns consumers to "[b]eware of a contractor who says he works under another contractor's license." "Proposal or bid" within the meaning of G.S. 87-21 "refers to a firm offer or commitment to perform work, which becomes a contract upon acceptance by a property owner or other for whom the work is to be performed, but does not include a non-binding estimate" (21 NCAC 50 .0413). Fuel piping extending from an approved fuel source at or near the premises to a point within the premises requires a Plumbing, Heating Group 1, Heating Group 2, Heating Group 3, or Fuel Piping license "regardless the nature of the system, equipment or appliance served," and that provision "does not alter the restriction of Class II license to single family detached residential dwellings" (21 NCAC 50 .0511).
Federal, state and locally owned property: The Board's FAQ: "Where certain land has been coded [ceded] to the Federal Government under NCGS 104-7 and a Federal project is to be constructed on such land, state licensing regulations are not applicable to a contractor bidding or hired to work on the project." But "[o]n properties owned by the State of North Carolina, such as colleges, universities, and correctional facilities; on properties owned by counties or municipalities; and on properties under private ownership, North Carolina licensing regulations are applicable and any contractor bidding or performing plumbing, HVAC, fuel piping or fire sprinkler work on such project would have to conform with North Carolina licensing requirements. This also applies to properties that are leased by the Federal Government, such as post offices and military recruiting stations."
Military and military-spouse routes: Military experience may be used toward the experience requirement, documented by "[t]he applicant's DD214 noting the military experience that is applicable to the type of license the applicant is seeking to obtain" plus "[s]worn statements from direct supervisor(s) who supervised the applicant, detailing the type and hours of experience the applicant has in the classification of license being sought." Licensure WITHOUT examination is available to a service member who has been awarded a military occupational specialty and has completed a military program of training, completed testing or equivalent training and experience, and performed in the occupational specialty "at a level that is substantially equivalent to or exceeds the requirements for licensure"; has "engaged in the active practice of the occupation ... for at least two of the five years preceding the date of the application"; has committed no act that would be grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation; and pays the fees, which the Board states as "($30.00 application fee $150.00 annual License fee)." "No later than 30 days following receipt of an application, this licensing occupational licensing board shall notify an applicant when the applicant's military training or experience DOES NOT satisfy the requirements for licensure, and shall specify the criteria or requirements that the board determined that the applicant failed to meet." Military spouses may present copies of licensure from other states plus a sworn statement from the licensing authority as to the nature of the examination and experience, must demonstrate "experience for at least two years in the installation, maintenance, service or repair of systems for licensure," must be in good standing, and "pay a $30 application fee and annual license fees of $150." Two credits the Board expressly refuses: "Certified Code Enforcement Official experience does not meet the experience requirements for licensure," and "[c]ertificates in engineering or any other field not directly related to the license being applied for do not meet the experience requirements for licensure."
No surety bond and no liability-insurance requirement for the license itself: Neither G.S. 87-21, 87-22 or 87-26 nor 21 NCAC 50 imposes a surety bond or a liability-insurance requirement as a condition of obtaining or renewing this license, and the Board's application packet, License Activation Form and renewal invoice ask for none. Insurance appears in the Board's material only as consumer advice ("[m]ake sure the contractor has liability insurance coverage and workers compensation (if required)") and, on the renewal invoice, as an attestation about employee misclassification: the licensee certifies "that I have read the Public Notice Statement from the Industrial Comission and that I understand it. I have not been investigated for employee misclassification. If I have been investigated, I have attached the results of the investigation to this renewal form." Nonresident and foreign-entity applicants have a separate gate: the Board "shall not issue a license for a foreign corporation unless the corporation has obtained a certificate of authority from the Secretary of State," the same for a foreign limited liability company, and it may not renew the license of a nonresident individual or foreign entity that the Secretary of Revenue has flagged for a delinquent income tax debt (G.S. 87-22.2).

Legal basis

North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors (“the Board”) administers plumbing contractor licensing in North Carolina. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

In North Carolina the state credential is a plumbing CONTRACTOR licence, issued by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors - a P-I (Class I) licence for any building or a P-II (Class II) licence for single-family detached dwellings only, plus the restricted RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) and, new on June 1, 2026, LWH (Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement) classifications. North Carolina does NOT issue a “journeyman plumber” or a “master plumber” licence: neither term appears in the Board’s enumerated examination categories (21 NCAC 50 .0301(a)) or in its License Definitions sheets, so a search for a “North Carolina journeyman plumber license” or “NC master plumber license” maps to the Class I / Class II contractor licence. A separate Plumbing Technician licence (PT-I / PT-II) exists for employees of a licensed contractor and is expressly “not a contracting license” - it is what an employee earns by passing the technical part without the business and law part, and it lets that employee review and supervise the contractor’s work. An employed plumber who is a bona fide W-2 employee of a licensed contractor needs no licence at all. “NC plumbing license,” “P-1 license,” “P-2 license” and “plumbing contractor license” all refer to the same Board credential. The dollar figure people associate with North Carolina contracting - $40,000 under G.S. 87-1 - is the GENERAL contractor threshold at a different agency (the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors) and has nothing to do with the plumbing licence.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
P-I (Plumbing - Class I) Contractor - the full plumbing contractor license	2 years (4,000 hours) of on-site full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of plumbing systems, "whether or not license was required for the work performed." Up to ONE-HALF (2,000 hours; the Board states 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) may be academic or technical training directly related to the field of endeavor for which the examination is requested; the application packet prices academic credit at "66.66 hours of experience credit" per approved semester hour. The Board prorates part-time work of fewer than 40 hours per week and part-time academic work of fewer than 15 semester or quarter hours (21 NCAC 50 .0306(b)). Statutory ceiling: G.S. 87-21(b)(3) allows the Board to require experience but "the experience required may not exceed two years" and "up to one-half the experience may be in the form of academic or technical courses of study," and "registration is not required at the commencement of the period of experience." Scope (Board's License Definitions): "Potable water and drain/waste/vent piping systems in any building (residential, commercial, industrial)." Minimum age: the Board may require an applicant to establish that the applicant is at least 18 (G.S. 87-21(b)(3)).	Two parts, both required (21 NCAC 50 .0301(b)): the Plumbing Contractor technical exam (4.0 hours) plus the Business and Law exam (1.5 hours). Computer-based, administered by PSI Services LLC. Passing grade is 70 out of a maximum obtainable 100 points (21 NCAC 50 .0305). The Business and Law part is not required "if the applicant holds a currently active contractor license with this Board and the applicant passed the Board's Business and Law Exam after August, 2003."	$150 application-and-examination fee per exam, non-refundable (21 NCAC 50 .1101(c), amended effective June 1, 2026 - $75 application + $75 examination; Form PHFP-1 rev. 2026-06 states "Cost: $150 per exam"). Then a $150 annual license fee on the License Activation Form, due within 45 days of passing or the applicant must re-test.
P-II (Plumbing - Class II) Contractor - single-family detached dwellings only	Same 4,000-hour requirement and the same up-to-one-half academic substitution as Class I (21 NCAC 50 .0306(b)). SEPARATE 10-YEAR ROUTE: G.S. 87-21(b)(3) provides that "[e]vidence that a plumbing or heating licensee has continuously maintained a license in good standing under this Article for a minimum of 10 years shall be accepted as experience for Class II plumbing and heating qualifications"; 21 NCAC 50 .0318 (effective October 1, 2024) defines "good standing" for that purpose as a license that has remained continuously active for 10 years, is current as to all fees payable to the Board, and "has not been the subject of a disciplinary order that imposed a sanction that included supervised probation, suspension, revocation or restoration of a revoked license during the 10-year period preceding the date of the application request." Scope: "Potable water and drain/waste/vent piping systems in single-family detached dwellings only."	Plumbing Contractor technical exam (4.0 hours) plus the Business and Law exam (1.5 hours), PSI, 70 to pass.	$150 application-and-examination fee per exam (non-refundable) + $150 annual license fee.
RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing) Contractor	1,500 hours of full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of plumbing systems, whether or not a license was required for the work performed; up to one-half may be academic or technical training (21 NCAC 50 .0306(j)). TWO ALTERNATE ROUTES in lieu of that: (i) a current active license from the North Carolina Irrigation Contractor Licensing Board PLUS either Backflow Inspector certification from one of the municipalities in North Carolina OR 500 hours of experience in the maintenance, service, or repair of components of plumbing systems (21 NCAC 50 .0301(k), .0306(k)); or (ii) a current active certification as an On-site Wastewater Contractor issued by the North Carolina On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board PLUS either a minimum of 8 semester hours of education in a plumbing program through a North Carolina Community College program OR 500 hours of that same plumbing-component experience (21 NCAC 50 .0301(l)). Scope (21 NCAC 50 .0518; Board definition): "Exterior building sewer piping, exterior water service piping 2" or less, exterior backflow preventers on 2" or less piping, and water filtration systems."	Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor technical exam (2.0 hours) plus the Business and Law exam (1.5 hours) - both required (21 NCAC 50 .0301(j)).	$150 application-and-examination fee (non-refundable) + $150 annual license fee (21 NCAC 50 .1102(k)).
LWH (Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement) Contractor - NEW, effective June 1, 2026	No plumbing-hours route. The applicant must "have held a heating or fuel piping technician or contractor license for a minimum of two years," be "in good standing with the Board," and have "attended and completed a 6-hour course approved by the Board that covers North Carolina State Residential Plumbing codes requirements, sizing, and installation techniques that relate to the replacement of existing potable water heaters" (21 NCAC 50 .0306(m), effective June 1, 2026). Scope is tightly bounded by 21 NCAC 50 .0521: the water heater must be installed in a single-family detached residential dwelling; the licensee "shall install the water heater in the same area as the water heater being replaced and can install no more than a total of 10 lineal feet of water distribution piping to properly connect the water heater to the existing water distribution system"; and the licensee "shall not install recirculating loop piping but may reconnect to existing loop piping as long as the total lineal footage of water distribution pipe for the water heater replacement does not exceed 10 lineal feet."	Both the business and law part and the technical part of the Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement Contractor examination (21 NCAC 50 .0301(m)).	$150 application-and-examination fee (non-refundable) + annual license fee.
PT-I / PT-II (Plumbing Technician, Class I and Class II) - expressly NOT a contracting license	PT-I: 3,000 hours (the Board also states 18 months) of full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of plumbing systems, whether or not a license was required for the work performed. PT-II: 2,500 hours (15 months). Up to one-half of either may be academic or technical training (21 NCAC 50 .0306(i)). The Board's own definition: "A technician licensee is an individual who has passed the technical examination but has not passed the business law examination. A technician license is not a contracting license." A Plumbing Technician "[m]ust be a sublicensee of a Plumbing Contractor" and shall be a full-time employee of a Plumbing Contractor (21 NCAC 50 .0517(d)). What it buys: under 21 NCAC 50 .0505(a), where a licensed contractor employs a properly licensed technician whose license is listed under that contractor's name, "the licensed technician may review and supervise work in lieu of the licensed contractor." PT-II "[m]ay supervise work in single-family detached dwellings only." A technician "shall not contract work based on the Technician license" (21 NCAC 50 .0403(c)).	The Class I or Class II technical part plus the Board laws and rules part of the Board-administered examination (21 NCAC 50 .0301(h)); the Board's Examination Listing gives Plumbing Technician 4.0 hours. Upgrade path: a technician who later meets the contractor experience requirement may obtain the contractor license in the same category and class "by passing only the business portion of the examination" (21 NCAC 50 .0301(i)). Fallback path: an applicant who fails only the business portion of a P-I or P-II exam but passes the technical portion "may request a Class I [or Class II] Technician license based on passage of the technical portion of the exam."	$150 application-and-examination fee (non-refundable). Annual license fee $75 where the technician license is listed under a licensed Plumbing, Heating or Fuel Piping Contractor (21 NCAC 50 .1102(j)); $150 where the technician qualifies a STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT agency or a PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION (and, for a Fuel Piping technician, where listed with a Class A Gas Dealer under .1102(i)) -- not merely where a technician acts as any firm's qualifier.
State and Local Government Plumbing Technician / Private Educational Institution Plumbing Technician - employer-restricted	18 months (3,000 hours) of on-site full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of plumbing systems. The State/local-government license exists for persons who "desire to engage in the installation, repair, or replacement of plumbing ... solely as an employee of a State or local government agency" (G.S. 87-21(b)(2)c.1). An applicant who already holds an active Class I plumbing contractor license issued by the Board "may qualify for the corresponding State and local government technician license without examination" - the Board says the same for the Private Educational Institution technician license.	State and Local Government Plumbing Technician exam, 4.0 hours (waived for existing active Class I contractor licensees, per the Board).	$150 annual license fee, "except" that the annual fee for a second or subsequent licensee at the same agency location is $75 (21 NCAC 50 .0313(i)-(j), .0315(i)-(j)).
Employed plumber working for a licensed contractor - NO North Carolina license or registration exists or is required	None. G.S. 87-25: "An employee in the course of his work as a bona fide employee of a licensee of the Board shall not be construed to have engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting, as the case may be." 21 NCAC 50 .0512(a): "An unlicensed person who is directly and regularly employed in the ordinary course of business by a contractor licensed pursuant to G.S. 87, Article 2 is not required to have a license and shall not be subject to an action for injunctive relief brought by the Board." The Board's FAQ: "Do all persons in a firm have to hold a license? No." The employment must be genuine - the Board states that "[a]ll employees working under a licensee of the Board must be bona-fide W2 employees. 1099 employees are considered as independent contractors, and may not be used to perform work which requires a license from the Board," and 21 NCAC 50 .0512(b) provides that "[p]ersons acting as independent contractors, consultants or subcontractors, or paid as such, are not bona fide employees."	None.	None.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

North Carolina’s plumbing exemptions are NOT priced - there is no dollar threshold below which the licence is unnecessary. They are carve-outs by SCOPE, by WHO, and by PROPERTY, and they sit in G.S. 87-21 and G.S. 87-25 plus two rules in 21 NCAC 50. Read in full, they are:

(1) BONA FIDE EMPLOYEES (G.S. 87-25, final sentence): “An employee in the course of his work as a bona fide employee of a licensee of the Board shall not be construed to have engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting, as the case may be.” 21 NCAC 50 .0512(a) implements it: “An unlicensed person who is directly and regularly employed in the ordinary course of business by a contractor licensed pursuant to G.S. 87, Article 2 is not required to have a license and shall not be subject to an action for injunctive relief brought by the Board,” with four factors establishing that employment - “(1) whether the individual is on the licensed contractor’s payroll; (2) whether taxes are withheld from the payment to the individual and the contractor performs such other acts as are lawfully required of an employer; (3) whether the licensed contractor exercises control and supervision over the method, manner and details of the individual’s work; and (4) whether the licensed contractor, and not the unlicensed person, is and remains obligated to the property owner or general contractor for the work.” The exemption does NOT reach the self-employed subcontractor: “[p]ersons acting as independent contractors, consultants or subcontractors, or paid as such, are not bona fide employees” (.0512(b)), and the Board states that “1099 employees are considered as independent contractors, and may not be used to perform work which requires a license from the Board.” A shared-employee arrangement with a labour supplier is permitted “under a written contract which may allocate payroll or tax withholding obligations to the labor supplier while reserving control, supervision and obligation to the owner or general contractor to the licensee of the Board, and provided the licensee upon whose qualifications the license of the employing contractor is based remains a person meeting all four of the indicia of employment set out in Paragraph (a) of this Rule and is not contracted by or acting as a labor supplier” (.0512(c)).

(2) DRAIN CLEANING, AND MINOR REPAIRS OR MINOR REPLACEMENTS (G.S. 87-21(c)): “The provisions of this Article shall not apply to those who clean plumbing drains or those who make minor repairs or minor replacements to an already installed system of plumbing, heating or air conditioning, but shall apply to those who make repairs, replacements, or modifications to an already installed fire sprinkler system. Minor repairs or minor replacements within the meaning of this subsection shall include the replacement of parts in an installed system which do not require any change in energy source, fuel type, or routing or sizing of venting or piping. Parts shall include a compressor, coil, contactor, motor, or capacitor.” Note the scope words: the fire sprinkler side gets NO minor-repair exemption. 21 NCAC 50 .0506 narrows what can be called minor: connecting a factory-installed and inspected mobile-home drainage system to an existing approved premises sewer system, and connecting a factory-installed mobile-home water system to an existing potable water supply on the premises, ARE minor repairs or replacements (.0506(a)); “[t]he initial installation or the subsequent replacement of any water heater in any structure requires a license in plumbing except where installed by a property owner personally in property not intended or used for sale or rental” (.0506(b)); “[t]he installation of a water purification system which interrupts the potable water supply does not constitute a minor repair or replacement within the meaning of G.S. 87-21(c)” (.0506(c)); “[a]ny connection, repair, or alteration which requires interruption of the potable water supply and if poorly performed creates risk of contamination of the potable water supply is not a minor repair, replacement or alteration” (.0506(d)); “[a]ny connection, repair or alteration which if poorly performed creates risk of fire or exposure to carbon monoxide, open sewage or other gases is not a minor repair, replacement or alteration” (.0506(e)); “[t]he failure to enumerate above any specific type of repair, replacement or alteration shall not be construed in itself to render said repair, replacement or alteration as minor within the meaning of G.S. 87-21(c)” (.0506(f)); and “[a] license in plumbing contracting or a license issued pursuant to Article 7A, Chapter 87 of the General Statutes is required of a person who installs pumps or pumping equipment, installs, breaks or reinstalls a well seal or disinfects a well” (.0506(g)).

(3) REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS (G.S. 87-21(a)(5), proviso): “provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to restrict the practice of qualified registered professional engineers.”

(4) MANUFACTURED-HOME DRAIN LINE ASSEMBLY (G.S. 87-21(c1)): “The provisions of this Article shall not apply to a person who performs the on-site assembly of a factory designed drain line system for a manufactured home, as defined in G.S. 143-143.9(6), if the person (i) is a licensed manufactured home retailer, a licensed manufactured home set-up contractor, or a full-time employee of either, (ii) obtains an inspection by the local inspections department and (iii) performs the assembly according to the State Plumbing Code.” All three conditions travel with the exemption.

(5) ELECTRIC GENERATING FACILITIES (G.S. 87-21(c2)): “The provisions of this Article shall not apply to electric generating facilities that are subject to G.S. 62-110.1 or that provide power sold at wholesale that is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.”

(6) RETAIL WATER-HEATER SALES THAT SUBCONTRACT THE INSTALL (G.S. 87-21(i)): “The provisions of this Article shall not apply to a retailer, as defined in G.S. 105-164.3(229), who, in the ordinary course of business, enters into a transaction with a buyer in which the retailer of a water heater sold for installation in a one- or two-family residential dwelling contracts with a licensee under this Article to provide the installation services for the water heater if the retail sales and installation contract with the buyer is signed by the buyer and the retailer and identifies the licensee and provides the licensee’s license number and telephone number. All installation services rendered by the licensee in connection with any such contract must be performed in compliance with all building code, permit, and inspection requirements.” The exemption belongs to the RETAILER; the installer must still be licensed.

(7) RETAILERS WHO SELL AND FINANCE A RESIDENTIAL HEATING OR COOLING SYSTEM (G.S. 87-21(j)) - “provided all of the following requirements are met”: “(1) No contract or proposal for sale or installation may be presented to or signed by the buyer unless either (i) the specifications for and design of the system have been first reviewed and approved by an employee of the retail seller who is licensed under this Article or (ii) the specifications for and design of the system have been first reviewed and approved by the person licensed under this Article who will install the system, if the installer is not an employee of the retail seller. This subdivision does not prohibit the retailer from providing a written estimate to a potential buyer so long as no contract or proposal for contract is presented or signed prior to the review and approval required by this subsection. (2) The person installing the system is licensed under this Article. (3) The contract for sale and for installation is signed by the buyer, by an authorized representative of the retail seller, and by the licensed contractor and contains the contractor’s name, license number, and telephone number and the license number of the person approving the system design specifications. (4) Installation services are performed in compliance with all applicable building codes, manufacturer’s installation instructions, and permit and inspection requirements. (5) The retailer provides, in addition to any other warranties it may offer with respect to the system itself, a warranty for a period of at least one year for any defects in installation.” G.S. 87-21(k) then withdraws both (i) and (j) from fire sprinkler work: “The provisions of subsections (i) and (j) of this section shall not apply to a system meeting the definition of subdivision (a)(11) of this section.”

(8) HOME INSPECTORS, CODE OFFICIALS AND RESNET RATERS (G.S. 87-21(l)) - exempt only within a stated limit: “The provisions of this Article do not apply to any of the following persons to the extent the person does not claim to be a plumbing or heating contractor or is not acting in the capacity of a plumbing or heating contractor in the course of the person’s duties: (1) A home inspector licensed under Article 9F of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. (2) A certified Code-enforcement official licensed under Article 9C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. (3) A residential energy services network (RESNET) certified home energy rater.” Pointing the other way, the Board notes that “Certified Code Enforcement Official experience does not meet the experience requirements for licensure.”

(9) FARM OUTBUILDINGS AND UNCONNECTED WATER/STANDPIPE SYSTEMS, ON THE FIRE SPRINKLER SIDE (G.S. 87-21(a)(11)): “This subsection shall not apply to owners of property who are building or improving farm outbuildings. This subsection shall not include water and standpipe systems having no connection with a fire sprinkler system. Nothing herein shall prevent licensed plumbing contractors, utility contractors, or fire sprinkler contractors from installing underground water supplies for fire sprinkler systems.”

(10) FEDERAL PROJECTS ON CEDED FEDERAL LAND - not a statutory exemption but the Board’s published position: “Where certain land has been coded [ceded] to the Federal Government under NCGS 104-7 and a Federal project is to be constructed on such land, state licensing regulations are not applicable to a contractor bidding or hired to work on the project,” while work on State, county and municipal property, on private property, and on property merely LEASED by the federal government (post offices, military recruiting stations) remains subject to North Carolina licensing.

WHAT IS NOT AN EXEMPTION. There is no general homeowner exemption written into Article 2. What the statute does is limit the Article to persons acting “for a valuable consideration” (G.S. 87-21(a)(5)) - and then close the obvious loophole: “Any person who installs a plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler system on property which at the time of installation was intended for sale or to be used primarily for rental is deemed to be engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting without regard to receipt of consideration, unless exempted elsewhere in this Article.” The Board’s rule 21 NCAC 50 .0509 (“PROPERTY OWNER”) was REPEALED effective August 1, 1984. The one place an owner is named expressly is water heaters, in 21 NCAC 50 .0506(b): a licence is required for any water heater in any structure “except where installed by a property owner personally in property not intended or used for sale or rental.” And exempt or not, local permits and inspections still apply: 21 NCAC 50 .0402(a) requires the licensed contractor to ensure a permit is obtained before commencing work, with the narrow relief in .0402(c) that “[a] plumbing permit is not required for replacement of a water heater in a one or two-family dwelling under circumstances set out in G.S. 153A-357 or G.S. 160A-417.”

Fees

APPLICATION AND EXAMINATION: $150 per examination, non-refundable - and this figure is NEW. 21 NCAC 50 .1101(c), as amended effective June 1, 2026, provides that “[a]n application for a license by examination requires a fee of one hundred-fifty dollars ($150.00), consisting of an application fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) and an examination fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00), which is nonrefundable.” The Board’s own announcement: “The license examination application fees will increase to $150. This is the first increase in this fee in over 25 years.” The live application form agrees - Form PHFP-1, revision 2026-06, states “Cost: $150 per exam payable by check or money order” - and so does the FAQ (“The examination application fee is $150.00 and is non-refundable”). TWO OFFICIAL SOURCES DISAGREE, and the difference is currency, not arithmetic: G.S. 87-22.1 caps the fee at “not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for each examination or any part of an examination” but its last sentence still reads “Until changed by the Board pursuant to rules adopted by the Board, the fee for each examination or any part taken on a particular day shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00).” The Board has now changed it by rule, so $150 is operative and the statute’s $100 default is spent. No refunds: “[t]he application fee for license without examination, and the application and examination fee for an examination shall not be refunded” (21 NCAC 50 .0307), and the fee “shall be retained by the Board whether or not the applicant is granted a license” (G.S. 87-22.1). ANNUAL LICENSE FEE: $150 for a plumbing, heating or fuel piping contractor license, and also $150 for a Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor license (21 NCAC 50 .1102(a), (k)); $75 where the licensee’s qualification “is listed as the second or subsequent individual on the license of a corporation, partnership, or business with a trade name” (.1102(d)); $75 for a Plumbing, Heating or Fuel Piping Technician license listed under a licensed contractor, rising to $150 where the technician qualifies a STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT agency or a PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION (and, for a Fuel Piping technician, where listed with a Class A Gas Dealer under .1102(i)) – not merely where a technician acts as any firm’s qualifier (.1102(j); and the Board’s Multi-Year Renewal form – a DIFFERENT document from the License Activation Form – prints “For EACH sublicensee the fee is $75.00”. The License Activation Form itself carries no sublicensee $75 line at all; its only sublicensee text is an Add Sublicensee form at $25. Note that the two official sources do not agree on WHEN the $75 applies: rule .1102(j) sets $75 where the technician licence IS listed under a licensed contractor, while item 6 of the 2026 renewal invoice applies $75 where it is NOT so listed. Both are stated rather than one silently chosen); $25 for a licensee who holds qualifications from the Code Officials Qualification Board and is employed full time as a local government plumbing, heating or mechanical inspector (.1102(b); G.S. 87-22; the renewal invoice prices “license in Inspector status with a municipality” at $25 and asks for a copy of the card); $30 initial application fee for a license issued without a Board examination (.1102(c)). Statutory ceiling: an annual license fee “not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00)” for plumbing or heating contracting, with restricted-classification fees no higher (G.S. 87-22). TIMING OF THE LICENSE FEE: it “must be paid to obtain the license within 45 days of notification of the result of the examination, except that anyone passing the examination on or after October 1 of any year may elect to obtain a license for the following year rather than the year in which the exam was passed” (21 NCAC 50 .1101(c)); G.S. 87-22 frames the same October pivot differently - “[p]ersons who obtain a license by passing an examination on or after October 1 of any year may receive a license for the remainder of the year by paying one-half of the usual license fee for that classification of license” - so the rule offers a next-year license and the statute offers a half-price stub year. Both are published. OTHER PUBLISHED FEES: late-renewal processing fee $25, required if the renewal is not received correctly before January 31 (G.S. 87-22; 21 NCAC 50 .1104(5)); an application to reissue or transfer a license to a different corporation, partnership or individual name $25, and an application to add a licensee to an existing license $25 (21 NCAC 50 .1101(a)-(b); the License Activation Form prices the Trade Name Change form and the Add Sublicensee form at $25 each); license-number assignment to a qualified licensee $10 (G.S. 87-21(e)); copy of a license $20; abstract of license record $25 per license record search; copy of Board rules $10; returned-check fee the maximum allowed by G.S. 25-3-506 (21 NCAC 50 .1104); petition for predetermination $45. COSTS THE BOARD DOES NOT SET OR PUBLISH AN AMOUNT FOR: the DISA/CastleBranch criminal background report (paid by the applicant directly to the vendor) and the mandatory reference books, sold at “Publisher’s Price as set forth at www.nclicensing.org .” Online renewal by credit card carries a convenience fee, and the Board asks licensees not to use a debit card; it does not accept counter or starter checks, purchase orders, cash, or card details by mail, phone or email.

Exam

Computer-based, administered for the Board by PSI Services LLC. Every contractor examination other than Fire Sprinkler Installation and Fire Sprinkler Inspection has TWO parts and both must be passed (21 NCAC 50 .0301(b)): a technical part and the Business and Law part. Published durations: Plumbing Contractor technical 4.0 hours; Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor technical 2.0 hours; Plumbing Technician 4.0 hours; Business and Law 1.5 hours. Passing grade: examinations “are based upon a maximum obtainable grade of 100 points, and a grade of 70 is required to pass” (21 NCAC 50 .0305). The Business and Law part is waived “if the applicant holds a currently active contractor license with this Board and the applicant passed the Board’s Business and Law Exam after August, 2003.” Process: the application, the DISA/CastleBranch criminal background report and the notarised experience verification forms must all be received, reviewed and approved by Board staff before the applicant is eligible to test - the Board says processing “is currently averaging six weeks” on one page and “4-6 weeks” on the application form, and it asks applicants not to call or email to check status. NOTE A CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO OFFICIAL BOARD PAGES on the authorisation window: the Applicant Information page and the FAQ both give NINETY days (“which must be taken within ninety (90) days of the date of the notification letter”; “Your examination approval letter will list your ‘Authorization Period’, a 90-day window during which you must take your exam”), while the Online Application page states “You must take the exam within 30 days of your notification date.” Confirm with the Board’s Exam Coordinator which applies. Testing centres: Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem; “[i]f you reside in another state that has PSI testing centers, you may be allowed to take the exam there.” Rescheduling: “[i]f you contact PSI at least three (3) days in advance, you may reschedule at no additional charge. If you do not reschedule or take the exam, the exam fee is forfeited.” The result is given at the test centre immediately. Failing: G.S. 87-21(b)(6) - “A person who fails to pass any examination shall not be reexamined until after 90 days from the date the person was last examined”; “[a]n applicant who fails to pass any examination may take the failed portion within six months of the date approved to take the examination without retaking the portion passed”; and “[t]he Board may require applicants who fail any part of the examination three times to receive additional education before the applicant is allowed to retake the examination or wait one year before retaking any portion of the examination.” A re-test requires a Re-Examination Application and a further exam fee; a failing applicant “may, on written request, review his or her examination” (21 NCAC 50 .0308) and the Board offers an exam review in Raleigh before retesting. Statutory floor on availability: “Examinations shall be given at least twice each year,” the exam “shall be conducted in two parts to include a business and law portion and a technical portion,” application materials “shall be made available online without charge,” the Board “may offer written examinations or administer examinations by computer within 30 days after approving an application,” and computerised candidates “shall be permitted to obtain the test score from each part … immediately upon completion” (G.S. 87-21(b)(6)). After passing, the License Activation Form and fee are due within 45 days or “the applicant will have to retest.”

Renewal & continuing education

ANNUAL, on a fixed calendar. G.S. 87-22: “All licenses shall expire on the last day of December in each year following their issuance or renewal.” The renewal window opens 90 days before expiry, “usually on October 1st,” and invoices go out in early October (the Board mailed the 2026 invoices on September 30, 2025, and emailed them where it held a valid address) - “[i]f you do not receive a renewal invoice or notice, you are still responsible for renewing the license.” There is no grace period, and the Board says so: “Contrary to popular belief, there is NO GRACE PERIOD following the expiration of a license, and all activities that require a license (bidding, contracting, supervising, installing, etc.) must cease until the license is renewed.” LATE: G.S. 87-22 - “In the event of failure on the part of any person, firm or corporation to renew the license certificate annually and pay the required fee during the month of January in each year, the Board shall increase the license fee by twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to cover any additional expense associated with late renewal.” The Board adds that if the correct forms and fees are not received by January 31 it “may require payment of all unpaid annual fees before reissuing a license.” REINSTATEMENT: “An expired license may be reinstated within three years of the date of expiration upon written request and upon payment of the current license fee, the license fee for the unpaid prior years, [and] the processing fee imposed by G.S. 87-22” (21 NCAC 50 .0409). AFTER THREE YEARS THE LICENSE IS GONE: “The Board shall require reexamination upon failure of a licensee to renew license within three years after expiration” (G.S. 87-22); the Board puts it as “the license will be retired and the licensee must pass the exams to reinstate the license.” Transferring an individual’s qualification onto a corporate or other firm license does not expire the individual’s license for re-examination purposes so long as that firm license is kept in force (21 NCAC 50 .0410). Renewals are “currently being processed within 2-3 business days of receipt,” with the new expiration date shown on the Board’s licence search immediately on processing. NONE. Continuing education is not a condition of renewal in North Carolina. The Board: “Mandatory Continuing Education was eliminated by the Board in 2012, and is no longer required in order to renew licenses annually; however, the Board does encourage all licensees to continue to attend educational courses… The Board does not approve providers or courses and there is no need to report CE hours to the Board.” Its FAQ is equally flat: “Does the Board require licensees to complete continuing education classes? No. The requirement for continuing education as a condition of renewal was eliminated on December 31, 2012.” The mechanism: every adopted rule in 21 NCAC 50, Section .1400 (Continuing Education) was REPEALED effective December 31, 2012 (.1406 is reserved and was never adopted). What replaced it is DISCIPLINARY EDUCATION, established January 1, 2013 - Board-approved courses (Board Laws and Rules, Business Management, Plumbing Design and Code, Fuel Gas Design and Code, Well Seal Installation, Protection and Sanitation, Mechanical Code, Mechanical Design) which “[l]icensees who are found to be in violation of the Board’s Laws and Rules, or lacking in knowledge of codes, design, installation or business management practices may be required to complete … in order to comply with requirements agreed to by the licensee or ordered by the Board”; the courses are also open to volunteers and the Board Laws and Rules class is offered by the Board at no charge. TWO SNAGS TO NOTE, both official text: G.S. 87-22 still authorises the Board to “adopt regulations requiring attendance at programs of continuing education as a condition of license renewal” (the power survives, the rules do not), and the codified 21 NCAC 50 .0409 still conditions reinstatement on “evidence of continuing education for each prior as required by Rule .1401 herein” - a cross-reference to a rule repealed in 2012, which the Board’s own License Renewal page quotes WITHOUT that clause. Treat the requirement as non-existent, which is what the Board states twice in its own voice.

How to apply

Applications are handled by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors (“the Board”). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Is there a dollar amount below which you don't need a plumbing licence in North Carolina?

No. Neither Chapter 87, Article 2 nor 21 NCAC Chapter 50 sets any minimum job value for a plumbing licence, and no dollar figure appears anywhere in G.S. 87-21. What triggers the licence is the act: G.S. 87-21(a)(5) reaches anyone who “for a valuable consideration” installs, alters or restores plumbing - or merely OFFERS to - and G.S. 87-21(c) applies the Article to work that “includes the installation or replacement of condensing units, air handlers, gas furnaces, package units, boilers, water heaters, heat exchangers, or whole-house water purification or treatment systems, as well as the connection, repair, or alteration to the plumbing drainage, waste, or venting system or the potable water system.” The dollar threshold people are thinking of belongs to a different licence and a different agency: G.S. 87-1(a) defines a GENERAL contractor as one whose undertaking costs “forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more,” licensed by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Be careful reading around this: the plumbing Board’s own Consumer Awareness page still publishes the pre-2023 figure, saying twice that general contractors are licensed “for work of $30,000 or more.” The statute reads $40,000. Neither number limits the plumbing licence.

Do you need a licence to work as a plumber in North Carolina if you work for a company?

No. North Carolina licenses the contractor, not the working plumber. G.S. 87-25 provides that “[a]n employee in the course of his work as a bona fide employee of a licensee of the Board shall not be construed to have engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting,” and 21 NCAC 50 .0512(a) says an unlicensed person “directly and regularly employed in the ordinary course of business by a contractor licensed pursuant to G.S. 87, Article 2 is not required to have a license.” The Board’s FAQ answers it directly: “Do all persons in a firm have to hold a license? No. Each place of business of a licensed firm must have at least one listed qualified individual regularly on active duty to supervise and direct all licensed work, which may be performed by the license or by the firm’s bonafide W2 employees.” Two limits matter. First, it has to be real employment - 21 NCAC 50 .0512(b): “[p]ersons acting as independent contractors, consultants or subcontractors, or paid as such, are not bona fide employees,” and the Board states that “1099 employees … may not be used to perform work which requires a license from the Board.” Second, the exemption covers doing the work, not selling it: bidding, contracting, pulling permits and supervising belong to the licensee.

Does North Carolina have a journeyman or master plumber licence?

No. The Board’s classifications are Class I and Class II contractor licences plus restricted classifications and technician grades - the words “journeyman” and “master” appear in neither the enumerated list of examination categories in 21 NCAC 50 .0301(a) nor the Board’s License Definitions sheets. P-I (Plumbing Class I) covers “[p]otable water and drain/waste/vent piping systems in any building (residential, commercial, industrial)”; P-II (Class II) covers the same systems “in single-family detached dwellings only.” Below those sit two restricted plumbing classifications - RLP (Restricted Limited Plumbing: exterior building sewer piping, exterior water service piping 2 inches or less, exterior backflow preventers on 2-inch-or-smaller piping, and water filtration systems) and, new on June 1, 2026, LWH (Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement). Separately, an employee of a licensed plumbing contractor can hold a Plumbing Technician licence (PT-I or PT-II) - the Board is explicit that “[a] technician license is not a contracting license”; what it buys is the ability to review and supervise the contractor’s work in the contractor’s place under 21 NCAC 50 .0505(a).

How much experience do you need for a North Carolina plumbing contractor licence?

Two years - 4,000 hours - of on-site full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service or repair of plumbing systems, and the Board counts it “whether or not license was required for the work performed.” Up to ONE-HALF of that (2,000 hours, which the Board equates to 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) may be academic or technical training directly related to the licence sought; the application packet prices each approved semester hour at “66.66 hours of experience credit.” Two years is also the statutory ceiling, not just the Board’s choice: G.S. 87-21(b)(3) provides that “the experience required may not exceed two years,” that “up to one-half the experience may be in the form of academic or technical courses of study,” and that “registration is not required at the commencement of the period of experience” - so you do not need to have been a registered apprentice. Part-time work of fewer than 40 hours a week, and part-time academic work of fewer than 15 semester or quarter hours, is prorated. The lower rungs need less: a Plumbing Technician Class I licence takes 3,000 hours and Class II 2,500 hours; a Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor licence takes 1,500 hours. And there is a route with no hours at all for Class II - G.S. 87-21(b)(3) accepts “[e]vidence that a plumbing or heating licensee has continuously maintained a license in good standing under this Article for a minimum of 10 years” as experience for a Class II qualification, with “good standing” defined by 21 NCAC 50 .0318.

How much does a North Carolina plumbing licence cost, and did the fee just change?

Yes, it changed on June 1, 2026. The application-and-examination fee is now $150 per examination and is non-refundable - 21 NCAC 50 .1101(c), as amended effective June 1, 2026, sets “a fee of one hundred-fifty dollars ($150.00), consisting of an application fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) and an examination fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00), which is nonrefundable.” The Board announced it in its own words: “The license examination application fees will increase to $150. This is the first increase in this fee in over 25 years.” The live application form (Form PHFP-1, revision 2026-06) says “Cost: $150 per exam.” Watch out for the statute if you look it up: G.S. 87-22.1 caps the fee at $150 but its final sentence still reads “Until changed by the Board pursuant to rules adopted by the Board, the fee for each examination or any part taken on a particular day shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00)” - the Board has now changed it by rule, so $100 is a dead default. On top of the exam fee, the annual licence fee is $150 for a plumbing contractor licence, due on the License Activation Form within 45 days of passing or you must re-test. It drops to $75 where your qualification is listed as the second or subsequent individual on a firm’s licence, and to $25 for a licensee who holds Code Officials Qualification Board qualifications and works full time as a local government plumbing, heating or mechanical inspector. You also pay for the DISA/CastleBranch criminal background report and the mandatory reference books yourself; the Board does not publish either price.

What is on the North Carolina plumbing exam, and who administers it?

PSI Services LLC administers it by computer for the Board at test centres in Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem, and “[i]f you reside in another state that has PSI testing centers, you may be allowed to take the exam there.” There are two parts and both must be passed (21 NCAC 50 .0301(b)): the Plumbing Contractor technical exam, 4.0 hours, and the Business and Law exam, 1.5 hours. Passing is a grade of 70 out of a maximum obtainable 100 points (21 NCAC 50 .0305). It is an open-book exam with rules: you must own and bring the current North Carolina State Building Code books, the Board’s Laws and Rules book and the Board’s Business and Project Management for Contractors book, and “[m]aterials will be checked for compliance with the Board’s requirements.” The code edition is frozen - the Board’s June 1, 2026 notice states that until the 2024 Code takes effect “all exams for plumbing, heating, fuel piping and fire sprinkler licensing will be based on the 2018 edition of the codes.” The Business and Law part is skipped “if the applicant holds a currently active contractor license with this Board and the applicant passed the Board’s Business and Law Exam after August, 2003.” Fail, and G.S. 87-21(b)(6) makes you wait 90 days; you may retake only the failed portion within six months of your approval date, and after three failures of any part the Board “may require applicants … to receive additional education before the applicant is allowed to retake the examination or wait one year before retaking any portion of the examination.” One caution: the Board’s Applicant Information page and FAQ both give a 90-day window to sit the exam after approval, while its Online Application page says “You must take the exam within 30 days of your notification date” - confirm which applies to you with the Board’s Exam Coordinator.

Does North Carolina require continuing education to renew a plumbing licence?

No. The Board says so twice in its own voice: “Mandatory Continuing Education was eliminated by the Board in 2012, and is no longer required in order to renew licenses annually… The Board does not approve providers or courses and there is no need to report CE hours to the Board,” and in its FAQ, “[t]he requirement for continuing education as a condition of renewal was eliminated on December 31, 2012.” Mechanically, every adopted continuing-education rule in 21 NCAC 50, Section .1400 was repealed effective December 31, 2012 – nine rules in all (.1401-.1405 and .1407-.1410). .1406 is reserved for future codification, so it was never adopted and never repealed. Two loose ends worth knowing about if you read the law yourself: G.S. 87-22 still says “[t]he Board may adopt regulations requiring attendance at programs of continuing education as a condition of license renewal” (the power survives, the rules do not), and the codified 21 NCAC 50 .0409 still conditions reinstatement of an expired licence on “evidence of continuing education for each prior as required by Rule .1401 herein” - a pointer to a rule repealed fourteen years ago, which the Board’s own License Renewal page quotes without that clause. What does exist is Disciplinary Education, established January 1, 2013: Board-approved courses a licensee may be ordered, or agree, to complete after a complaint, also open to anyone voluntarily, with the Board Laws and Rules class offered free by the Board.

When does a North Carolina plumbing licence expire, and what happens if you miss the renewal?

Every licence expires on December 31, every year - G.S. 87-22: “All licenses shall expire on the last day of December in each year following their issuance or renewal.” Renewal opens 90 days before that, usually October 1, and the Board mails and emails invoices in early October, though “[i]f you do not receive a renewal invoice or notice, you are still responsible for renewing the license.” There is no grace period and the Board is blunt about the consequence: “Contrary to popular belief, there is NO GRACE PERIOD following the expiration of a license, and all activities that require a license (bidding, contracting, supervising, installing, etc.) must cease until the license is renewed.” Renew after January and the fee goes up $25 by statute, and the Board “may require payment of all unpaid annual fees before reissuing a license” if the correct forms and fees are not in the office by January 31. An expired licence can be reinstated within three years on written request plus the current year’s fee, the fees for the unpaid prior years and the late-processing fee (21 NCAC 50 .0409). Past three years it is over: “The Board shall require reexamination upon failure of a licensee to renew license within three years after expiration” (G.S. 87-22).

Can you transfer a plumbing licence from another state to North Carolina?

Not by reciprocity - the Board states plainly that “[t]here are no license reciprocity agreements with any other state. All persons desiring to obtain licensure with this Board must meet the requirements listed herein and satisfactorily complete the applicable examination(s).” Three narrower doors exist. SOUTH CAROLINA holders can get a TECHNICAL exam waiver only: “The technical exam waiver applies only to the technical section of the exam. Anyone who meets the experience requirements and technical examination waiver requirements must still take and pass the required North Carolina business section of the exam,” and you must actually have taken and passed the South Carolina technical exam. The published plumbing pairings are SC Residential Plumbing to NC Plumbing Class II, and SC Commercial Mechanical, Plumbing (PB) to NC Plumbing Class I; the Board adds that “[t]here are currently no other waivers available for any other states or any other licenses.” Second, the Neighbor State License Recognition Act: “Individuals who are currently permanent residents of North Carolina and also currently hold licensure in the neighboring states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia may be eligible for equivalent licensure in North Carolina.” Third, G.S. 87-21(g) lets the Board license an out-of-state contractor “of the same or equivalent classification without written examination upon receipt of satisfactory proof that the qualifications of such applicants are substantially equivalent” - but 21 NCAC 50 .0310 confines that to “reciprocal licensing agreements worked out with various states after mutual review of the applicable licensing standards and examinations.” Either way you must still meet the North Carolina experience requirement, and a licence issued without a Board examination carries a $30 application fee.

Who has to be present on the job - does the licence holder have to show up?

Yes, in person, since June 1, 2023. 21 NCAC 50 .0520 requires that “a licensee of the firm who holds the proper licensing qualification issued by the Board pursuant to G.S. 87-21(b) shall personally perform on-site and in-person supervision and review on all work, prior to work being covered or placed into service, to assure that all installations meet or exceed the minimum standard of the North Carolina State Building Code.” Who counts as that licensee: under 21 NCAC 50 .0505(a), where the contractor employs a properly licensed Plumbing Technician whose licence is listed under that contractor’s name, “the licensed technician may review and supervise work in lieu of the licensed contractor” - and a PT-II may supervise “in single-family detached dwellings only.” Separately, each business location from which licensed work is solicited, proposed, contracted, dispatched or performed must have a qualifying contractor licensee on duty “the lesser of 1500 hours annually, or all hours during which the activities described herein are carried out,” with authority “to make, modify, terminate and set the terms of contracts” (21 NCAC 50 .0404(a)). If that person leaves, the Board’s position is that everything stops: “all contracting activity (including quoting, bidding, contracting, obtaining permits, and performing work - including work in progress) must cease until another licensee is put in place as the firm’s qualifier.”

What plumbing work can be done in North Carolina without a licence?

A short, scope-based list - and the Board’s own summary is “[m]inor repairs and service work to plumbing and heating systems do not require a state license.” The statute defines that narrowly. G.S. 87-21(c) exempts “those who clean plumbing drains or those who make minor repairs or minor replacements to an already installed system of plumbing, heating or air conditioning,” and confines minor work to “the replacement of parts in an installed system which do not require any change in energy source, fuel type, or routing or sizing of venting or piping” - parts meaning “a compressor, coil, contactor, motor, or capacitor.” The same subsection expressly does NOT extend that exemption to fire sprinkler systems. The Board’s rules then shut most of the remaining gaps: any water heater in any structure needs a plumbing licence “except where installed by a property owner personally in property not intended or used for sale or rental”; a water purification system that interrupts the potable supply is not minor; nothing that risks contaminating the potable water supply, or that risks fire, carbon monoxide, open sewage or other gases, is minor; and “[t]he failure to enumerate above any specific type of repair, replacement or alteration shall not be construed in itself to render said repair, replacement or alteration as minor” (21 NCAC 50 .0506). Beyond minor work, the statutory exemptions are specific and conditional: bona fide employees of a licensee (G.S. 87-25); registered professional engineers; on-site assembly of a factory-designed manufactured-home drain line by a licensed manufactured-home retailer or set-up contractor (or a full-time employee of either) who obtains a local inspection and follows the State Plumbing Code (87-21(c1)); certain electric generating facilities (87-21(c2)); a retailer selling a water heater for a one- or two-family dwelling who contracts the install to a licensee and names that licensee and licence number in the signed contract (87-21(i)); retailers who sell and finance a residential heating or cooling system subject to five conditions (87-21(j)); and licensed home inspectors, certified Code-enforcement officials and RESNET home energy raters “to the extent the person does not claim to be a plumbing or heating contractor or is not acting in the capacity of a plumbing or heating contractor” (87-21(l)). Exempt or not, local permits and inspections still apply.

What is the new Limited Plumbing Water Heater Replacement licence?

A restricted plumbing classification the Board created effective June 1, 2026 for people who already hold a heating or fuel piping credential. 21 NCAC 50 .0306(m) requires the applicant to “have held a heating or fuel piping technician or contractor license for a minimum of two years,” be “in good standing with the Board,” and have completed “a 6-hour course approved by the Board that covers North Carolina State Residential Plumbing codes requirements, sizing, and installation techniques that relate to the replacement of existing potable water heaters” - plus both the business and law part and the technical part of the LWH examination (21 NCAC 50 .0301(m)). The scope is deliberately tight (21 NCAC 50 .0521): the replacement must be in a single-family detached residential dwelling; the new heater goes “in the same area as the water heater being replaced”; the licensee “can install no more than a total of 10 lineal feet of water distribution piping to properly connect the water heater to the existing water distribution system”; and the licensee “shall not install recirculating loop piping but may reconnect to existing loop piping as long as the total lineal footage of water distribution pipe for the water heater replacement does not exceed 10 lineal feet.” Anything beyond that is plumbing contractor work.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in North Carolina.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 29, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.