Do you need a state license in New York?
New York does not issue a statewide plumbing license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
Each city's examining board of plumbers tests and certifies master plumbers. In New York City, the Department of Buildings licenses master plumbers. It asks for at least seven years of experience within the ten years before you apply, a $585 written exam and a $530 practical exam. NYC master plumber businesses need general liability, workers compensation and disability insurance.
How to get set up in New York, step by step
- Find out which city or county licensing board covers where you will work.
- Get the experience that board requires.
- Apply for and pass the local master plumber exam.
- Get the insurance the city requires and register your business.
- Pull permits under your local license.
What it costs in New York
There is no state license fee for plumbing work in New York. Ask the city or county where you work about any local fees.
Good to know in New York
- Requirements differ by city. Ask the city or county where you will work.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a plumber near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below, checked October 9, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your city or county before you file.
More for your trade: how plumbing companies run on Koira.