How to get a plumbing license in Ohio

Licensing office Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce · (614) 644-3493 [1]

The license pathway in Ohio

1. 1

   Apprentice or tradesperson

   Ohio has no state apprentice license. You work as an employee (tradesperson) of a contractor, or in a registered apprenticeship, building the five years of experience the contractor license needs. [2][5]

2. 2

   Journeyperson plumber (city license, e.g. Columbus)

   • 5 years of experience
   • Columbus: ICC National Standard Journeyman Plumber exam, 70% to pass

   Not a state license. Columbus requires five full years of plumbing experience or a completed U.S. Department of Labor plumbing apprenticeship, plus the exam and approval by its plumbing board. Other cities set their own rules. [3]

3. 3

   Plumbing contractor (OCILB state license)

   • 5 years of experience
   • Yes: Ohio Plumbing Contractor (100 questions, 4 hours, open book) plus Business and Law (50 questions, 2 hours), PSI
   • $25 application; $69 per PSI exam registration; $25 license
   • Yearly, $60 (or $180 every 3 years in the compliant contractor program); 10 hours CE a year (8 in the program)

   Required to contract for commercial plumbing statewide; local building departments may also require it for residential work. Your license is assigned to one contracting company, which must carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance. [1][2][6][7][8]

Who needs a plumbing license in Ohio

Ohio's state license is for contractors. OCILB "issues State Licenses to Commercial Contractors" in electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration. State law defines a contractor as a person or company that takes responsibility for the means, method and manner of construction work and employs tradespersons to do it. A tradesperson is an employee who works on buildings "without assuming responsibility for the means, method, or manner" of the work.

OCILB adds that "Local building departments may require this license for residential work." So whether you need a state or local license for a home plumbing job depends on the city or county; check with the local building department.

Everyone working under a contractor's license must be on that company's payroll with a W-2 (or come through a recognized temp agency). If a company pays you on a 1099, you are treated as an independent contractor and need your own state license. [1][4]

The license ladder in Ohio

Ohio's path is different from states with a state journeyman license:

• Apprentice or tradesperson: no state license. You gain experience as an employee or registered apprentice.
• Journeyperson plumber: licensed by some cities, not the state. In Columbus, you need five years of plumbing experience or a completed U.S. Department of Labor plumbing apprenticeship, a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Journeyman Plumber exam, and approval from the city's plumbing board.
• Plumbing contractor (OCILB): the state license, after five years as a tradesperson and a two-part exam.

There is no separate state master plumber license. For more on how the titles compare across states, see journeyman vs. master. [1][2][3]

Experience you need for the contractor license

To qualify for the exam, state law says you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or legal alien, and have been "a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade ... for not less than five years immediately prior to the date the application is filed." Two other routes exist: being an Ohio registered engineer with three years of business experience in the trade, or "other experience acceptable" to the plumbing section of the Board.

The OCILB application asks for tax documents (W-2s or Schedule C) for the last five consecutive years, plus one of these:

• At least one permit for each of the last five years, pulled by your licensed employer. Sewer service, water service, gas service and drain-cleaning permits do not count.
• An active journeyman's card in the trade.
• A certificate of completion from an apprenticeship approved by Ohio or the U.S. Department of Labor.
• 40 hours of non-duplicated code courses from an OCILB-approved provider, taken live or by webinar (self-paced courses do not count).

The application form also lists five years as an Ohio government inspector in the trade as a route. [1][2][5]

The OCILB exam

PSI runs the exams by computer, by appointment, at sites in Ohio and other states. You take two exams, and you need 70% on each:

• Ohio Plumbing Contractor: 100 scored questions, 4 hours, open book. Allowed references are the 2024 Ohio Plumbing Code, the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code and Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th edition). Topics include drainage, waste and vents (24 questions), general regulations (20) and isometric analysis (20).
• Business and Law: 50 scored questions, 2 hours, covering topics such as estimating and bidding, contracts and licensing.

You get your result as soon as you finish. If you fail, you may retake the exam after at least 60 days. After five failed attempts, you must reapply. [2][5][6][7]

Fees, insurance and renewal

Fees set in the Ohio Administrative Code:

• Application for examination: $25.
• Issuing a license: $25.
• Renewal: $60 a year, or $180 for a three-year renewal (three-year renewal is for members of the Board's compliant contractor program).
• Late fee: up to $120.

PSI also charges $69 for each exam registration, including retakes. You must carry at least $500,000 in contractor liability insurance, and your license may be assigned to only one company name.

The rule requires 10 classroom hours of continuing education (CE, approved classes taken to keep a license) each year. Licensees in the Board's compliant contractor program get a two-hour reduction: 8 hours for a yearly renewal or 24 hours for a three-year renewal, which is the figure OCILB's web page lists for all trades. If your license has been expired for more than a year, you must reapply and test again. [1][6][7][8]

City journeyperson licenses: the Columbus example

Because the state does not license journeyman plumbers, some cities do. Columbus issues a journeyperson plumber license, approved by its plumbing board. Under Columbus Building Code section 4114.505 you need:

• At least five full years of experience installing building plumbing systems, or completion of a U.S. Department of Labor certified plumbing apprenticeship.
• A score of at least 70% on the National Standard Journeyman Plumber (F25) exam from the International Code Council.
• A notarized application filed at least seven days before the city's plumbing board meeting, usually the third Wednesday of each month.

Contact Columbus Building and Zoning Services at (614) 645-7433 for fees. If you work elsewhere in Ohio, ask your city or county building department what it requires. [3]

Union and non-union apprenticeships

The United Association (UA), the plumbers' and pipefitters' union, has Ohio locals in cities including Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo and Akron. The UA says its apprenticeships "typically last five years" and pair paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.

For example, UA Local 162 in Dayton runs its apprenticeship through the Dayton Area Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC, a union-and-employer training board). It is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council. Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) offers college credit to union plumbing apprentices, with classes held at union training centers.

A completed state- or federally-approved apprenticeship certificate is one of the accepted proofs of experience for the OCILB exam. To compare routes, see union vs. non-union and apprenticeship aptitude tests. [5][9][10][11][12]

If you're licensed in another state

OCILB offers reciprocity for plumbing with Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, only for applicants who passed that state's licensing test. Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee applicants must also pass Ohio's Business and Law exam. You file a notarized reciprocity application, a verification form from the other state's board, and a $25 fee per trade.

If your state is not on the list, state law lets you qualify for the Ohio exam with a substantially similar out-of-state license (OCILB asks for at least five years' experience) if you show at least five building permits issued in that jurisdiction, at least one tax return showing income from work under that license, and that your company is registered to do business in Ohio. You still take the exam.

See our license reciprocity guide for how these agreements work. [1][2]

Veterans and career changers

If you served in the uniformed services doing work substantially similar to plumbing for at least three of the five years before you apply, you can qualify for the exam on that basis. Attach your DD214 and any training records to the application.

State law bars specialty sections from refusing a license renewal over past criminal activity, and allows a one-year conditional license. First-time applicants are screened against the Board's list of disqualifying offenses. For more on starting over in a trade, see career change to the trades. [1][2][5]

Steps to get licensed in Ohio

1. Build five years of plumbing experience

   Work as a W-2 tradesperson for a plumbing contractor or complete a registered apprenticeship. Check whether your city requires a journeyperson license to work there. [2][3][5]

2. Gather your proof

   You need tax documents for the last five consecutive years plus one of: a permit for each of those years pulled by your licensed employer, an active journeyman card, an apprenticeship completion certificate, or 40 hours of live or webinar code courses from an OCILB-approved provider taken within the year before you apply. [1][5]

3. Apply to OCILB

   Send the notarized OCILB Examination Application with the $25 application fee. The Board reviews it and mails its decision. [5][7]

4. Complete background checks

   After approval, get state (BCI) and FBI background checks before you test. They are valid for one year. [1][5]

5. Pass both PSI exams

   Schedule with PSI and pass the plumbing exam and the Business and Law exam with 70% on each. The fee is $69 per exam registration. [6][7]

6. Get insured and licensed

   Send your passing scores, a $25 license fee and a certificate of at least $500,000 liability insurance for the contracting company your license will be assigned to. [1][5]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  UA locals in Ohio

  The United Association lists Ohio locals including Cleveland (55 and 120), Columbus (189), Cincinnati (392), Dayton (162), Toledo (50), Akron (219) and Canton (94). [9]

• Union

  UA Local 162 / Dayton Area JATC

  Plumber, pipefitter and HVAC apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council. Applicants need a high school transcript or GED and must score 5.0 or better on an aptitude test ($35 fee). [11]

• School

  Tri-C Certificate of Proficiency in Plumbing

  Cuyahoga Community College credit courses for apprentices already accepted into a union plumbing apprenticeship, taught at the training centers during a five-year apprenticeship. [12]

• School

  Owens Community College Pipefitting/Plumbing Certificate

  A certificate program in piping systems, plumbing, blueprints, hydraulics and welding basics that can lead into apprenticeships. [14]

• State program

  ApprenticeOhio

  Ohio's registered apprenticeship site, including a statewide registered apprenticeship dashboard. [15]

• Other

  Apprenticeship.gov Apprenticeship Finder

  The U.S. Department of Labor's search tool for registered apprenticeship openings, including non-union plumbing programs in Ohio. [16]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask