How to get a Plumbing license in New York

How New York plumbing licensing actually works

There is no 'New York State Plumbing License.' You license in the city or county where you'll physically perform work. NYC is by far the largest and hardest — this guide focuses on NYC first, with notes on other major NY jurisdictions.

• New York City: Licensed Master Plumber (LMP) issued by the NYC Department of Buildings. 7 years of experience under an LMP required, plus written and practical exams.
• Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse: each city issues its own Master Plumber license, typically requiring 4–7 years of experience and city-specific exams.
• Nassau County & Suffolk County: separate county-level plumbing licenses required for Long Island work. Reciprocity between the two exists.
• Westchester County: individual towns license separately — Yonkers, White Plains, and New Rochelle each have their own boards.
• Upstate rural counties: some don't require licensing at all; local building permit is the only requirement.

Step-by-step: how to become a Licensed Master Plumber in NYC

Plan on 8+ years total. The bureaucratic paperwork alone at the end takes 6–12 months.

• Log 7 years (14,000 hours) of full-time plumbing experience under an active NYC LMP. Every hour must be verified by the LMP with pay records.
• File Experience Verification with DOB. The LMP you worked under must sign notarized affidavits detailing your work.
• Pass the NYC LMP written exam: 100 multiple-choice questions, 4 hours, covering NYC Plumbing Code (Chapter 27, subchapter 16 of admin code), NYC Fuel Gas Code, DEP water/sewer rules, and administrative law. 70% to pass.
• Pass the NYC LMP practical exam: hands-on demonstration of pipe joining (lead-wiped joints on cast iron, soldering, threading), fixture installation, and trap/vent setting. Roughly 4 hours.
• Post a $25,000 bond and get $1M/$2M GL insurance naming the City of New York as additional insured.
• Pay $1,000 license fee. Fingerprint via NYC Business Integrity Commission.
• Once issued, the LMP can pull DOB and DEP permits under their own license number.

NYC LMP exam: what's on it

The NYC exam is famously difficult. It's administered by DOB directly (not PSI) at 280 Broadway in Manhattan, typically only offered a few times per year.

Written portion: NYC Plumbing Code (heavy on DFU calculations, storm drain sizing, backflow, medical gas), NYC Fuel Gas Code, cross-connection control, DEP water main and sewer connection rules, NYC Construction Code administrative provisions, and standpipe/sprinkler basics for combination systems.

Practical portion: candidates must demonstrate lead-wiped joints on 4-inch cast iron (still tested despite modern practice), copper soldering, black pipe threading and cutting, and correct fixture-with-trap-and-vent setups. Practical failure rates run 40–60% on first attempt.

NYC LMP fees & ongoing costs (2026)

Getting the license costs $2,000–$4,000 in fees alone. Insurance and bond are the ongoing burden.

• DOB application fee: $525.
• Written exam fee: $200.
• Practical exam fee: $260.
• License issue fee: $1,000.
• Fingerprint / BIC background: $75.
• Bond: $25,000 face value; premium $250–$500/year.
• GL insurance $1M/$2M naming NYC as additional insured: $2,500–$5,000/year.
• License renewal: every 3 years, $500 fee, 8 hours DOB-approved CE per year.
• Every job requires a DOB plumbing permit ($200–$2,000+ depending on scope) and often a DEP water/sewer permit on top.