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Contractor License Requirements

New Hampshire Plumber License Requirements (2026)

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor · Source checked 2026-09-04

New Hampshire licenses plumbing statewide through the Mechanical Licensing Board within the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification—not the former Plumbers Board under RSA chapter 329-A. Individuals progress through Plumbing Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber, and Master Plumber credentials. A business entity, including a sole proprietor, that performs plumbing must also hold a mechanical business entity license and have the appropriately licensed person of record. State licenses do not replace municipal permits and inspections.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board (OPLC), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under RSA 153:27–36; Mec rules. The Board licenses plumbing apprentices, journeyman plumbers, master plumbers, and plumbing business entities statewide.

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. The current Mechanical Licensing Board rules reviewed do not state a New Hampshire-residency prerequisite. A plumbing business entity must meet the New Hampshire business-registration and Board requirements.

Good moral character

Journeyman and Master applicants must demonstrate good character and professional competence. A Master applicant must be a Journeyman without consumer-complaint discipline by the Board in the preceding year.

Background investigation

Applicants convicted of a felony, an offense against another person, or an offense involving dishonesty after reaching majority must provide current criminal-record checks from New Hampshire and each state where they have criminal history.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 4 years of For the standard Journeyman route, complete a plumbing apprenticeship, at least 600 hours of prescribed education, and at least 8,000 on-the-job plumbing hours. A currently licensed out-of-state Journeyman may instead take and pass the New Hampshire Journeyman examination. A Master must hold a New Hampshire Journeyman license for at least six months and pass the Master examination., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

  • Apprenticeship completion certificate or sponsor affidavit for Journeyman applicants
  • Signed supervising-plumber letter addressing supervision and competence
  • Examination score
  • For apprentices: sponsor letter or US Department of Labor apprenticeship agreement
  • For an out-of-state route: evidence of previous Journeyman licensure

Education substitution

The standard Journeyman route requires both a completed apprenticeship and 600 hours of prescribed training in addition to 8,000 working hours. Do not treat unrelated trade-school coursework as a general substitute.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board / OPLC. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

  • Journeyman Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%
  • Master Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 75%

Examination fee: The current OPLC examination fee is $90 for each Journeyman and Master Plumber examination.

Retake policy: Use the Board’s current application and examination instructions for retake timing. An expired individual mechanical license may be reinstated within one year by completing renewal requirements; after one year, the applicant must apply for initial licensure again.

Insurance and Bonds

There is no statewide surety bond tied to this credential in the cited record. Bonding can still surface at the project level — permit, license, or public-works bonds — so check before you bid.

General liability

The reviewed rules do not state a statewide liability-insurance minimum for an individual plumber. A mechanical business entity must provide proof of liability insurance before issuance and renewal.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation obligations are separate from the individual plumbing license. Confirm current employer obligations before hiring employees.

Additional financial requirements

The reviewed individual and mechanical-business-entity provisions do not identify a general financial-statement or surety-bond requirement.

Fee Schedule

FeeAmount
Application$198
Examination$90
Initial license$330
Renewal (every 2 years)$330

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for New Hampshire plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The New Hampshire Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber License runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $330. Individual Mechanical licenses expire every two years on the last day of the month in which issued. Master renewal is $330; Journeyman renewal is $198. The separate business entity license is $275 and must maintain liability insurance and an appropriate active licensee of record.

Continuing education: Individual licensees must complete at least six hours of Board-approved continuing education in each two-year cycle for each plumbing or fuel-gas endorsement held. Seminars are at least three contact hours and cover New Hampshire-adopted codes, laws, and rules.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, New Hampshire does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal StateAccepted ExamConditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

New Hampshire licenses qualifying out-of-state professionals by endorsement when the other jurisdiction uses the same or a later New Hampshire building-code and fire-code edition and has the rule-specified equivalent requirements. Do not assume a named-state reciprocal agreement; submit the current out-of-state license and verify endorsement eligibility with OPLC.

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

Plumber Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare New Hampshire's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

  1. Secure a Master Plumber sponsor and apprentice license. Apprentices work under a New Hampshire Master Plumber in an approved apprenticeship. The first two years require direct supervision.
  2. Complete the Journeyman training and field-experience route. Complete the apprenticeship, 600 hours of required education, and 8,000 plumbing hours; retain sponsor records.
  3. Apply for and pass the Journeyman examination. Provide the required completion evidence, supervising-plumber letter, and examination score. The current passing score is 70%.
  4. Hold the New Hampshire Journeyman license for at least six months. Maintain good standing and obtain the required competence letter for the Master application.
  5. Pass the Master examination. The Master examination covers plumbing systems, codes, permitting and inspection administration, and New Hampshire law; the rule requires 75%.
  6. License the business entity when operating a plumbing business. Every entity, including a sole proprietor, performing plumbing must have the mechanical business entity license, an appropriate active licensee of record, good standing, and liability insurance.
  7. Obtain local permits and inspections. A licensed mechanical business entity may apply for local permits, but each municipality administers its own project approvals.
  8. Renew biennially with continuing education. Individual plumbing licenses renew every two years and require at least six CE hours for each plumbing or fuel-gas endorsement.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to OPLC, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a New Hampshire Plumber application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Relying on the former Plumbers Board framework

Current plumbing licensing is administered by the Mechanical Licensing Board under RSA chapter 153 and Mec rules.

Missing either training or field hours

The standard Journeyman route requires both 600 training hours and 8,000 on-the-job hours, plus apprenticeship completion.

Applying for Master too early

A Master applicant must hold a New Hampshire Journeyman license for at least six months and meet the Board’s good-standing condition.

Operating through an unlicensed business entity

A sole proprietor or other entity performing plumbing needs the separate mechanical business entity license, even if its individual plumber is licensed.

Under-counting CE for multiple endorsements

The rule requires at least six hours for each plumbing or fuel-gas endorsement, not merely six hours total regardless of endorsements.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

  • Mec 300 initial licensing rules — New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board. Primary qualification, documentation, examination-topic, and apprentice-supervision authority.
  • Mec 400 renewal and continuing-education rules — New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board. Biennial expiration, six-hour CE, and reinstatement requirements.
  • New Hampshire adopted plumbing code and amendments — New Hampshire Building Code Review Board. Use the current state-adopted code version named by the Board and municipality.

Other New Hampshire Trade Licenses

For a different New Hampshire credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses plumbers in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board, administered by OPLC under RSA chapter 153, licenses plumbing apprentices, Journeymen, and Masters statewide.

How do I qualify as a New Hampshire Journeyman Plumber?

The standard route requires a completed apprenticeship, 600 hours of prescribed education, 8,000 plumbing working hours, and the Journeyman examination. A licensed out-of-state Journeyman can qualify through the separate New Hampshire examination route.

How long must I be a Journeyman before becoming a Master Plumber?

At least six months as a New Hampshire Journeyman, without Board consumer-complaint discipline in the preceding year, plus the Master examination.

Does a plumbing company need its own New Hampshire license?

Yes. The Mechanical Licensing Board rules require every business entity—including a sole proprietor—that performs plumbing in New Hampshire to hold a mechanical business entity license and meet its licensee-of-record and insurance requirements.

How much continuing education is required?

At least six hours in each two-year licensing cycle for every plumbing or fuel-gas endorsement held by an individual licensee.

Primary Sources

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

  1. New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board — initial plumbing licensing rules
  2. New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board — renewal and continuing education rules
  3. New Hampshire OPLC fee rule — Mechanical Licensing Board
  4. RSA § 153:29 — mechanical examinations and license types
  5. RSA § 153:29-a — mechanical business entities
  6. New Hampshire OPLC — substantially similar out-of-state mechanical licenses

Verified 2026-09-04  · Next scheduled review 2026-12-04

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Corrections and presentation updates
  • : Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
  • : Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
  • : Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.