Any plumber attempting to do work in North Carolina must have a license. A plumber who does not have a license must work under a plumber who does in order for the work to be above board. There are two types of licenses available in North Carolina: Class I and Class II.
Class I licenses are required for any work in a residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional building. This is the most robust license for plumbing work in North Carolina. Class I license holders can take many more jobs because they are licensed to work in all types of buildings.
Class II licenses allow for work in single family detached residential dwellings only. This means that they are greatly restricted to the jobs they can take, but it takes less work to obtain a Class II license.
North Carolina also has a Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor license available. This license allows a contractor to work on exterior building sewer piping, exterior water service piping of 2” or less, exterior backflow preventers on piping 2” or less, and water filtration systems.
A “State & Local Government Technician – Plumbing” status is also available, however this is limited to government employees of state and or local governments in North Carolina, and is not a contracting plumber license.
North Caroline does not have reciprocity with other states where plumbing licensing is concerned. This means that even if you are coming from another state with a license for plumbing issued by that state, you will need to obtain a license from North Carolina in order to do plumbing work in the state.
License Eligibility
Applicants for either license type require two years of full-time experience with plumbing or heating systems related to the work for which the license is sought. This means that for a Class II license, the applicant must prove that they have two years of experience working on single family detached dwellings. The Class I license applicant must likewise prove two years of experience working on residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional buildings.
Up to 50% of the required experience can be obtained through academic or technical training experience. An official transcript from the academic or technical training institution is required to prove the experience.
One year of experience is equal to 2,000 hours of on-site full-time experience installing, maintaining, servicing, or repairing plumbing or heating systems related to the class of license being applied for.
Obtaining a Class I or Class II plumbing license in North Carolina
All licenses are issued through the exam process for plumbing in North Carolina. You must take and pass the exam for “plumbing, heating, and fuel piping,” after which you will be allowed to pay the fee to obtain your official license.
How to apply for a plumbing license in North Carolina
There are a few prerequisites required in order to apply for a plumbing license in North Carolina. The following is a list of all materials, forms, and fees required with the application.
- W-2s or 1099s to prove your relevant plumbing work experience
- A copy of a Criminal Background check from Castlebranch.com
- From 1-B and/or 1-C to verify plumbing experience with a current or previous employer
- Applicant is in possession of all reference materials from the “Book Reference List” (see below)
- $100 check or money order for the exam fee
Book Reference List
Class I License
You can obtain the following books from
North Carolina Department of Insurance
325 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919-647-0000
Website: www.ncdoi.com
- Administration Code and Policies
- Plumbing Code
- Fuel Gas Code
- Residential Code
You can obtain the following books from
State Board of Examiners of Plbg., Htg. & Fire Spklr. Cont. 1109
Dresser Court, Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: 919-875-3612
Website: www.nclicensing.org
- Board’s Laws & Rules
- Business & Project Management for Contractors, 5th Edition
Class II License
You can obtain the following books from
North Carolina Department of Insurance
325 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919-647-0000
Website: www.ncdoi.com
- Administration Code and Policies
- Residential Code
You can obtain the following books from
State Board of Examiners of Plbg., Htg. & Fire Spklr. Cont. 1109
Dresser Court, Raleigh, NC 27609
Phone: 919-875-3612
Website: www.nclicensing.org
- Board’s Laws & Rules
- Business & Project Management for Contractors, 5th Edition
Activating a plumbing license
Once you pass the exam, you will need to activate your plumbing license. The activation form must be done within 45 days after your exam in order to activate the license. If you do not activate the license within 45 days of passing your exam, you will be required to pay the exam fee and sit for the exam again.
The license activation fee must be submitted with the activation form. The fee is $130 for Plumbing Class I licenses and Plumbing Class II licenses both. Payment must be made in the form of a check or a money order.
Helpful links
Book Reference List: https://www.nclicensing.org/_fpclass/_nosearch/Licensee%20Forms/Book%20Reference%20List%20-%202020-10%20with%20rules.pdf
New license application: https://www.nclicensing.org/_fpclass/_nosearch/Applications/Plumbing,%20Heating%20&%20Fuel%20Piping%20(fillable)/PHFP%20Exam%202021-01.pdf
Plumbing license activation form: https://www.nclicensing.org/_fpclass/_nosearch/Licensee%20Forms/License%20Activation%20Form-Fillable%203-2020.pdf
Plumbing courses in North Carolina
Blue Ridge Community College
180 West Campus Dr., Flat Rock, NC 11111
Phone : (828) 694-1700
www.blueridge.edu
Central Piedmont Community College-Southwest Campus
PO Box 35009, Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone : (704) 330-4418 www.cpcc.edu
Cleveland Community College
137 S. Post Road, Shelby, NC 28150
Phone : (704) 484-4000
www.cleveland.cc.nc.us
Fayetteville Technical Community College
PO Box 35236, Fayetteville, NC 28303
Phone : (910) 678-8338
www.faytech.cc.nc.us
Forsyth Technical Community College
2100 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Phone : (336) 723-0371
www.forsyth.tec.nc.us
Haywood Community College
185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde, NC 28721
Phone : (828) 627-2821
www.haywood.edu
Johnston Community College
PO Box 2350, Smithfield, NC 27577
Phone : (919) 934-3051
johnstoncc.edu
Lenoir Community College
PO Box 188, Kinston, NC 28502
Phone : (252) 527-6223
www.lenoircc.edu
Southeastern Community College
PO Box 151, Whiteville, NC 11111
Phone : (910) 642-7141
www.sccnc.edu
Southwestern Community College
447 College Drive, Sylva, NC 28779
Phone : (828) 586-4091 Ext 204
www.southwest.cc.nc.us
Stanly Community College
141 College Drive, Albemarle, NC 28001
Phone : (704) 982-0121
www.stanly.edu
Wake Technical College
9101 Fayetteville Road, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone : (919) 662-3515
www.waketech.edu
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