How to become a licensed plumber in Mississippi

Licensing office Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) · (601) 354-6161 [6][20]

The license pathway in Mississippi

1. 1

   Helper or apprentice plumber

   The state has no license or registration at this level. You work for a plumbing contractor. In Jackson, only a master can pull a permit and the master must supervise the people on the job; in Gulfport, plumbing must be done by master or journeyman plumbers under a master's supervision. [4][6][7]

2. 2

   Journeyman plumber and gas fitter (city license; Jackson rules shown)

   • 4 years of experience
   • National Standard Journeyman Plumber, Gas Pipe Fitter, or Plumber with Gas exam; you pay the testing facility
   • Yearly

   Jackson requires four years of work experience (the building official may count trade or technical school), three reference letters from master plumbers and a passing exam. If you passed the journeyman exam at an approved apprenticeship school, you can be exempt from the city's exam. [5]

3. 3

   Master plumber or gas fitter (city license; Jackson rules shown)

   • 5 years of experience
   • National Standard Master Plumber, Master Gas Pipe Fitter, or Master Plumber with Gas exam
   • Yearly

   Jackson asks for five years of work experience, or a diploma from a trade school, technical school or college plus one year of practical experience, three reference letters from master plumbers and a passing master exam. [5]

4. 4

   Residential plumbing contractor (MSBOC)

   • Residential Plumbing exam: 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass; plus the 50-question Law and Business Management exam
   • $50 application; $120 PSI fee per exam portion
   • Yearly ($100); 2 hours CE

   Needed by any plumbing subcontractor on a residential construction or improvement project, no matter the dollar amount. A Residential Mechanical license covers both plumbing and HVAC and requires both exams. [1][8][9][10][11]

5. 5

   Commercial plumbing contractor (MSBOC Certificate of Responsibility)

   • Plumbing exam: 70 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass; plus Law and Business Management
   • $400 application; $120 PSI fee per exam portion
   • Yearly ($400)

   Needed for commercial jobs over $50,000. Plumbing is a specialty classification; it doesn't include fuel gas or boiler systems. You need a CPA-reviewed financial statement and liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate. [2][3][8][9][10][12]

Who needs a license in Mississippi

Mississippi licenses the plumbing business, not the worker. Under state law (Miss. Code § 73-59-3, current through the 2026 sessions; MSBOC's current FAQ says the same), any subcontractor, of any tier, doing plumbing work on a residential construction or improvement project must hold an MSBOC license, "no matter the dollar amount." Commercial contractors and subcontractors need an MSBOC commercial license for jobs over $50,000 (Miss. Code § 31-3-1).

Each licensed business names a qualifying party: an owner, officer or managing employee who takes the exams and actually works in the licensed trade.

Cities license individual plumbers. In Jackson, journeyman and master plumbers must hold the right license before doing work that needs a permit, and only a master may get a permit. In Gulfport, all plumbing must be done by master or journeyman plumbers under the supervision of a licensed master plumber; people may do plumbing in a home they own and live in. [1][2][3][4][6][7]

City journeyman and master plumber licenses

Jackson: The planning and development department issues licenses valid for one year.

• Journeyman plumber and gas fitter: four years of work experience (technical or trade school may count, with the building official's approval), three reference letters from master plumbers, copies of other licenses you hold, and a passing score on the National Standard Journeyman Plumber, Journeyman Gas Pipe Fitter, or Journeyman Plumber with Gas exam. If you passed the journeyman plumbing exam given by an approved apprenticeship school, you can be exempt from the city exam.
• Master plumber or gas fitter: five years of work experience, or a diploma from a trade school, technical school or college plus one year of practical experience, three reference letters and a National Standard master exam.

Jackson grants an equivalent license to holders of an MSBOC certificate in the same trade, and to people licensed by another Mississippi city or county who passed a written exam.

Gulfport: A five-member plumbing board examines plumbers. A journeyman plumber or pipe fitter must pass the standard written exam and meet the board's practical requirements. Certificates expire at the end of each calendar year and renew without a new exam for $10. [4][5][7]

MSBOC plumbing contractor licenses

• Residential Plumbing: limited to residential plumbing work. You take the Residential Plumbing exam (80 questions, 4 hours) and the Law and Business Management exam (50 questions, 2 hours). The application fee is $50, and the license renews yearly for $100 with two hours of continuing education (CE). A Residential Mechanical license covers plumbing and HVAC and needs both exams.
• Plumbing (commercial specialty): unlimited commercial and residential plumbing, not including fuel gas or boiler systems, for jobs over $50,000. You take the Plumbing exam (70 questions, 3 hours) plus Law and Business. The application fee is $400, and it renews yearly for $400. You need a CPA-reviewed financial statement and liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate.

PSI gives all the exams, and all are open book. You need 70% to pass. PSI charges $120 per exam portion. A residential license expires 12 months after it's issued or renewed; you can still renew within 180 days after it expires by paying the fee plus a 10% penalty. The applications ask for three reference letters (one from your bank) and at least three jobs you completed in the classification. [1][3][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

• Union: The UA has locals in Pascagoula (436), Gulfport (568) and Vicksburg (619). The UA says its registered apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction and typically last five years.
• Open shop: The Mississippi Construction Education Foundation's Build Mississippi program runs a 4-year plumbing apprenticeship with classes in Pearl or Gulfport. You must be 18 with a diploma or GED to register with the U.S. Department of Labor.

A 2026 law (House Bill 1696) created the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship under the State Workforce Investment Board as the state's apprenticeship registration agency, effective July 1, 2026. [16][17][18][19]

If you're licensed in another state

MSBOC's agreements waive only the trade exam: everyone takes the Mississippi Business and Law exam and completes the full application. For plumbing, MSBOC lists the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (commercial plumbing exam only), the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (residential plumbing) and the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The Arkansas and Louisiana arrangements and the Alabama General Contractors Board agreement don't cover plumbing.

Under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act, someone who has established Mississippi residency and has held a similar license in another state for at least one year, or worked three years in a state that doesn't license construction, can ask MSBOC to waive the trade exam. Military members and their families are covered by the Military Family Freedom Act.

The law also says nonresident contractors must be licensed by MSBOC to do residential construction or improvement work in Mississippi. [1][20][21][22]

Steps to get licensed in Mississippi

1. Get hired or apply to an apprenticeship

   Contact a UA local or MCEF, or take a job with a plumbing contractor. There's no state registration. [6][16][18]

2. Build your experience under a master plumber

   Jackson's journeyman license requires four years of work experience. Keep records and ask master plumbers you work for to write reference letters later. [5]

3. Pass the journeyman exam and get your city license

   In Jackson, apply with three reference letters from master plumbers and a passing score on a National Standard journeyman plumbing or gas exam. In Gulfport, the plumbing board certifies journeymen who pass the written exam and meet its practical requirements. [5][7]

4. Move up to master

   Jackson's master plumber license needs five years of work experience (or a trade school diploma plus one year) and a National Standard master exam. [5]

5. License your business with MSBOC

   To contract plumbing work yourself, apply to MSBOC, pass the plumbing exam and the Law and Business Management exam with PSI, and renew every year. [6][9][13]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train plumbers in or for Mississippi, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• Union

  UA plumbers and pipefitters locals in Mississippi

  The United Association (UA) lists Local 436 (Pascagoula), Local 568 (Gulfport, with its hall in Saucier) and Local 619 (Vicksburg). The UA says its apprenticeships typically last five years. [16][17]

• Open shop

  MCEF plumbing apprenticeship (Build Mississippi)

  The Mississippi Construction Education Foundation runs a 4-year plumbing apprenticeship with NCCER credentials. You work full time for an employer and train part time in Pearl or Gulfport. [18]

• Other

  MCEF Kickstart plumbing class

  An 8-week paid class in plumbing systems and troubleshooting that includes OSHA 10 and CPR/first aid certification. [18]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask