Nevada Plumbing Contractor (C-1) License Requirements (2026)

The Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) licenses plumbing contractors under the Class C Specialty classification. The C-1 Plumbing and Heating designation authorizes installation, alteration, repair, and maintenance of plumbing systems — including water supply, drain-waste-vent, gas piping, and hydronic heating — for any structure and is required for any project valued at $1,000 or more under NRS 624. Nevada licenses plumbers at the business (contractor) level through NSCB rather than issuing statewide individual journeyman credentials; journeyman cards are issued locally in Clark County and other jurisdictions. The qualifying individual on the C-1 application must document four years of plumbing experience at journeyman or above within the last ten years.

Regulatory Oversight

Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Chapter 624; Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) Chapter 624. NSCB licenses all contractors performing work in Nevada under NRS 624, sets monetary limits tied to financial capacity, administers trade and business-and-law examinations through PSI, investigates complaints, and conducts disciplinary proceedings statewide.

Official portal: https://www.nvcontractorsboard.com/
Address: 2310 Corporate Circle, Suite 200, Henderson, NV 89074 (Southern office); 5390 Kietzke Lane, Suite 102, Reno, NV 89511 (Northern office)
Phone: (702) 486-1100 (Southern); (775) 688-1141 (Northern)

Who May Apply

At a minimum the applicant has to be 18 years old and supply a valid Social Security Number. No Nevada residency requirement.

Good moral character

NSCB conducts a fitness review on every qualifying individual and every officer, member, partner, or 25%+ shareholder.

Background investigation

Mandatory FBI and Nevada DPS fingerprint-based criminal history check for the qualifying individual and every officer or member.

Disqualifying conditions

Construction-related fraud convictions within the last ten years
Prior NSCB license revocation
Unsatisfied civil judgments arising out of plumbing work

Required Experience and Education

Eligibility requires four years of practical plumbing experience at the journeyman, foreman, supervising employee, or contractor level within the last ten years, documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

NSCB Certificate of Experience signed by each prior employing plumbing contractor
W-2 statements, certified payroll, or 1099 records covering the qualifying period
Clark County or other local journeyman plumber card (where applicable)
Approved plumbing apprenticeship completion certificate

Education substitution

Up to three of the four years may be substituted with accredited plumbing or mechanical engineering technology coursework or an approved plumbing apprenticeship on a sliding scale set by NAC 624.190; at least one year of hands-on field experience is always required.

Examination Requirements

Examinations are administered by PSI Services LLC under contract to NSCB. The applicant must pass the following examination parts before the license can issue:

PSI Nevada C-1 Plumbing and Heating Trade Examination — Uniform Plumbing Code, Nevada amendments, gas piping, hydronics — 110 questions, 270 minutes, passing score 70%
PSI Nevada Business and Law Examination — 75 questions, 180 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $95 per PSI exam part paid on the day of testing.

Retake policy: Failed parts may be retaken individually after a 30-day waiting period by paying a new $95 fee. The application remains valid for one year.

Insurance and Financial Requirements

A contractor license surety bond of $15,000, on the NSCB's prescribed form, is a precondition to issuance.

General liability

NSCB requires $300,000 bodily injury per occurrence, $300,000 property damage per occurrence, and $50,000 aggregate minimum before license issuance.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation coverage is mandatory under NRS 616B for any plumbing contractor with one or more employees. Sole proprietors with no employees may file an affidavit of exemption.

Additional financial requirements

CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement required. Minimum monetary limit is $15,000 (with a $1,000 bond); unlimited monetary limit requires a $500,000 surety bond. Statements must be no more than 12 months old at submission.

Licensing Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$300
Examination	$190
Initial license	$600
Renewal (every 2 years)	$600

Keeping the License Current

Renewal of the Nevada C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contractor comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $600. Renewal requires confirmation that the qualifying individual is still actively associated with the licensee.

Continuing education: Nevada does not require continuing education for C-1 renewal, but bond, insurance, and financial standing must remain current.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and License Transfer

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Nevada for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Arizona	Trade exam waived	Bilateral NSCB–Arizona ROC reciprocity for matching C-37 Plumbing or similar plumbing classifications held in good standing for at least four years.
California	Trade exam waived	Bilateral NSCB–CSLB reciprocity for C-36 Plumbing held in good standing for at least four years.
Utah	Trade exam waived	Bilateral NSCB–Utah DOPL reciprocity for matching plumbing classifications.

Reciprocity waives only the trade exam. The Nevada business and law exam, fingerprinting, financial statement, and bond are required from every applicant.

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

Application Process, Step by Step

Document four years of plumbing experience. Four years at journeyman level or above within the last ten years, verified on the NSCB Certificate of Experience.
Prepare a CPA-reviewed financial statement. NSCB assigns the monetary limit based on working capital and net worth.
Submit the NSCB C-1 application. File with the $300 application fee, qualifying individual designation, financial statement, fingerprint cards, and exam requests.
Pass FBI and Nevada DPS background checks. Submit fingerprints for the qualifying individual and every responsible managing officer or member.
Pass both PSI exams at 70%. C-1 Plumbing and Heating trade exam plus the Nevada Business and Law exam. Both must be passed within one year of application approval.
Post the surety bond and proof of insurance. Bond amount scales with the monetary limit. File liability and workers compensation certificates.
Receive the C-1 license. NSCB issues the license after all requirements are met. The license must be renewed every two years.

Document Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with NSCB:

☐ NSCB C-1 application with $300 fee and qualifying individual designation
☐ Certificate of Experience covering four years of plumbing work at journeyman or above
☐ CPA-reviewed financial statement no more than 12 months old
☐ FBI and Nevada DPS fingerprint cards for every officer, member, and qualifier
☐ PSI Nevada C-1 Plumbing and Heating trade exam pass certificate at 70%+
☐ PSI Nevada business and law exam pass certificate at 70%+
☐ Surety bond, $300k/$300k/$50k liability insurance, and workers compensation certificate

Recommended References

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO), Nevada-adopted edition with state amendments — International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials. Primary technical reference. Open-book at the PSI test center.
NSCB Contractor Reference Manual (current edition) — Nevada State Contractors Board. Official statute, regulation, and policy reference.
NFPA 54 National Fuel Gas Code — National Fire Protection Association. Tested alongside UPC for the gas piping portion of the C-1 exam.

Frequent Application Errors

Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Nevada Plumber application.

Confusing C-1 with C-21

C-1 covers hydronic and gas piping heating; C-21 covers forced-air HVAC and refrigeration. Doing forced-air work on a C-1-only license is unlicensed contracting.

Submitting a self-prepared financial statement

NSCB rejects self-prepared statements. A CPA review or audit is mandatory and directly sets the monetary limit on the license.

Bidding above the monetary limit

Exceeding the assigned dollar cap on any single project triggers discipline under NRS 624.320 and can void the contract.

Forgetting fingerprints for every officer

Every officer, member, partner, and 25%+ shareholder must submit fingerprints, not just the qualifying individual.

Letting the bond or insurance lapse

Insurers notify NSCB directly on any lapse — the license is suspended automatically.

Other Nevada Trade Licenses

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

Questions Applicants Ask

Does Nevada issue a statewide journeyman plumber license?

No. Nevada licenses plumbing contractors at the business level through NSCB under the C-1 classification. Individual journeyman plumber cards are issued by local jurisdictions such as Clark County, not by the state.

What does the C-1 Plumbing and Heating classification authorize?

C-1 authorizes installation, alteration, repair, and maintenance of potable water, drain-waste-vent, fuel gas piping, and hydronic heating systems in any structure, subject to the monetary limit assigned to the license.

How is my C-1 monetary limit determined?

NSCB assigns a monetary limit based on working capital and net worth from your CPA-reviewed financial statement. The minimum is $15,000; the maximum is unlimited and requires a $500,000 surety bond.

Does Nevada reciprocate plumbing contractor licenses?

Yes. NSCB has bilateral agreements with Arizona, California (C-36), and Utah for matching plumbing classifications. Reciprocity waives the trade exam only — the Nevada business and law exam is still required.

Is heating work separated from plumbing in Nevada?

Hydronic heating (boilers, radiant, fuel gas piping) falls under C-1. Forced-air HVAC and refrigeration fall under C-21 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Contractors performing both scopes typically hold C-1 and C-21 together.

Primary Sources

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

Verified 2026-06-09 · Next scheduled review 2026-09-07