Mississippi Plumber License Requirements (2026)

Mississippi does not issue an individual journeyman or master plumber license at the state level. Plumber licensing for individuals is handled city-by-city — Jackson, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, Gulfport, Biloxi, and most other municipalities run their own examination and licensing programs. At the state level, the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) licenses plumbing contractors as businesses on commercial projects of $50,000 or more (or $5,000 or more for hazardous and certain specialty work) under the Plumbing classification of the Commercial Contractor Certificate of Responsibility. Anyone planning to perform plumbing contracting work in Mississippi should expect to navigate both layers: a municipal individual license where required, and an MSBOC plumbing classification for any qualifying commercial project.

Governing Authority

Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Mississippi Code Title 31, Chapter 3 (Public Contracts) and Title 73, Chapter 59 (Residential Builders). The Mississippi State Board of Contractors licenses commercial contractors on projects of $50,000 or more and residential builders and remodelers on projects of $50,000 or more, administers examinations through PSI, and enforces bonding and financial-statement requirements statewide.

Official portal: https://www.msboc.us/
Address: 2679 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite C, Jackson, MS 39216
Phone: (601) 354-6161

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, an applicant must have reached age 18 and hold a valid Social Security Number. No state residency requirement. Municipal licenses may impose local requirements.

Good moral character

MSBOC reviews fitness on every qualifying party for the contractor license. Municipal boards apply their own standards.

Background investigation

Mandatory criminal history disclosure on the MSBOC application. Municipal applications vary.

Experience & Education Matrix

Eligibility requires 4 years of most Mississippi municipalities require approximately four years of practical plumbing experience or completion of an approved apprenticeship before sitting for a journeyman exam, and an additional one to two years for a master credential. The MSBOC contractor classification expects three or more years of qualifying experience by the qualifying party., documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

W-2 statements, pay stubs, or 1099 records covering the qualifying period
Affidavits from prior licensed master plumber supervisors
Approved plumbing apprenticeship completion certificate (where applicable)
Trade school transcripts

Education substitution

Approved plumbing apprenticeship and accredited plumbing trade school programs may substitute for portions of the experience requirement under municipal rules.

Examination Structure

Examinations are administered by Municipal testing (varies by city, often ICC or PSI) for the individual credential; PSI Services LLC for the MSBOC contractor classification. The applicant must pass the following examination parts before the license can issue:

Municipal Journeyman or Master Plumber Examination — adopted plumbing code (typically IPC), calculations, and local amendments — 80 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%
PSI Mississippi Business and Law / Management Survey for Contractors (for the MSBOC contractor classification) — 50 questions, 140 minutes, passing score 70%
PSI Mississippi Plumbing trade examination (for the MSBOC contractor classification) — 80 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Municipal exam fees range $50 – $150. PSI MSBOC exams run $80 – $110 per part.

Retake policy: Failed municipal or PSI exams may be re-taken individually by paying a new exam fee.

Insurance & Financial Security

The cited materials impose no contractor license bond for this credential. Bear in mind that specific contracts, permits, or public works can still require their own bonds.

General liability

Most Mississippi municipalities require a general liability minimum of $300,000 – $1,000,000 for individual plumbing licensees. MSBOC does not impose a state-level minimum.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory in Mississippi for any business with five or more regular employees under §71-3-5.

Additional financial requirements

MSBOC Commercial Contractor classification requires a CPA-prepared financial statement; the monetary limit is set by working capital and net worth.

Application and License Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$150
Examination	$190
Initial license	$200
Renewal (every year)	$200

Maintenance & Renewal

Expect to renew the Mississippi Plumber — No State License (Municipal Only) / MSBOC Plumbing Classification every year. Renewal currently costs $200. MSBOC contractor licenses renew annually. Municipal renewal cycles vary.

Continuing education: MSBOC does not currently mandate continuing education for the Commercial Contractor classification. Many municipalities require continuing education hours for individual plumber licensees on a one- to three-year cycle.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Mississippi Plumber License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and Endorsement

Mississippi does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Alabama	Bilateral municipal reciprocity in many border cities	Several Mississippi cities accept Alabama master plumber credentials by agreement.
Louisiana	Bilateral municipal reciprocity in many border cities	Border-city agreements with Louisiana licensing boards.
Tennessee	Bilateral municipal reciprocity in many border cities	Border-city agreements with Tennessee licensing boards.

Because Mississippi does not issue a state plumber license, formal reciprocity is municipal. Confirm directly with the city where the work will occur.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares Plumber license requirements in every state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Identify the city or cities where you will work. Mississippi has no state plumber license. Each municipality sets its own rules.
Document plumbing experience. Roughly four years for journeyman, plus one to two more for master, is the typical municipal threshold.
Pass the municipal journeyman or master exam. Most cities use ICC or PSI exams covering the adopted plumbing code and local amendments.
Obtain the municipal license and required insurance. Provide proof of insurance and pay the municipal license fee.
For commercial projects $50,000+, obtain the MSBOC Plumbing classification. File a Commercial Contractor application designating the qualifying party and the Plumbing classification.
Pass the PSI MSBOC Business and Law and Plumbing trade exams. Required for the contractor classification. NASCLA is not accepted for Plumbing specialty.
Maintain both credentials. Renew the municipal license on its local cycle and the MSBOC certificate annually.

Study and Reference Materials

The references below are either cited by the board, used during the application, or standard preparation for the trade. They are listed purely for convenience — CLR earns no commission on any of them.

International Plumbing Code (current adopted edition) — International Code Council. Primary technical reference. Open-book at most municipal and PSI test centers.
NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — Mississippi edition — NASCLA. Standard reference for the MSBOC Business and Law portion.
Mississippi Code Title 31, Chapter 3 — State of Mississippi. Licensing law for the MSBOC contractor classification.

Common Filing Mistakes

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Mississippi Plumber filing.

Assuming a state license exists

Mississippi has no statewide individual plumber license. Plan around municipal credentials and the MSBOC contractor classification instead.

Working in the wrong city without local credentials

A Jackson master plumber license does not automatically authorize work in Hattiesburg or Gulfport. Confirm reciprocity before bidding.

Skipping the MSBOC classification on commercial work

Any commercial plumbing project at or above $50,000 requires an MSBOC Commercial Contractor Certificate of Responsibility with the Plumbing classification.

Studying the wrong code edition

Mississippi cities adopt the IPC on independent cycles. Verify the adopted edition before sitting for a municipal exam.

Missing local continuing education

Some Mississippi cities require CE hours to renew the individual license. Missing CE blocks renewal even if the MSBOC classification is current.

Pre-Submission Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with MSBOC:

☐ Municipal journeyman or master plumber license (where work occurs)
☐ Proof of approximately four years of plumbing experience or apprenticeship completion
☐ MSBOC Commercial Contractor application with Plumbing classification (for projects $50,000+)
☐ CPA-prepared financial statement (for the MSBOC contractor classification)
☐ PSI Mississippi Business and Law exam pass certificate
☐ PSI Mississippi Plumbing trade exam pass certificate
☐ Workers compensation coverage certificate for any business with five or more employees

Other Mississippi Trade Licenses

Should the Plumber path not apply, these other Mississippi trade guides from CLR may help:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mississippi issue a state plumber license?

No. Mississippi has no statewide journeyman or master plumber license. Individual plumber licensing is handled by each municipality, while the Mississippi State Board of Contractors licenses plumbing contractors as businesses on qualifying commercial projects.

Which Mississippi cities license plumbers?

Most large and mid-sized Mississippi cities run their own programs, including Jackson, Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Biloxi, Tupelo, and Meridian. Always confirm with the local building department before working in a new jurisdiction.

When do I need an MSBOC plumbing classification?

When you bid or contract for commercial, industrial, or public plumbing work of $50,000 or more (or $5,000 or more for hazardous or specialty work).

What plumbing code does Mississippi use?

Mississippi municipalities most commonly adopt the International Plumbing Code (IPC) with local amendments. Confirm the adopted edition with the city where the work will occur.

Can I work statewide with one municipal license?

Not automatically. Some Mississippi cities maintain reciprocity agreements with neighbors, but coverage is patchwork. Check each jurisdiction individually.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-04-30 · Next scheduled review 2026-07-29