- Journeyman: age 18 and three years of plumbing experience under a licensed contractor. Contractor: the journeyman requirements plus one more year. A year counts as 2,000 hours, and approved school hours can replace up to two years.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- $5,000 surety bond (or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit) for an active plumbing contractor.
- Every year, by the end of your birth month. Journeymen and contractors need 6 hours of continuing education in the 36 months before renewal.
Do you need a state license in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Oklahoma license types for plumbing work
Oklahoma splits the work into 3 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Unlimited Plumbing Contractor | Contract for and do all plumbing work |
| Residential Plumbing Contractor | One and two family homes and townhouses up to three stories |
| Journeyman Plumber (unlimited or residential) | Does plumbing work while employed by a licensed contractor; cannot contract |
Steps to get licensed in Oklahoma
- Register as a plumbing apprentice with the CIB and log your hours under a licensed contractor.
- After three years of experience, apply for and pass the journeyman exam.
- After one more year, apply for the contractor license and pay the $30 application fee.
- Pass both the trade and the business and law parts of the PSI contractor exam.
- File a $5,000 bond and proof of $50,000 general liability insurance to activate the license.
- Renew every year and keep up 6 hours of continuing education every 36 months.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Journeyman: age 18 and three years of plumbing experience under a licensed contractor. Contractor: the journeyman requirements plus one more year. A year counts as 2,000 hours, and approved school hours can replace up to two years.
The license to apply for. Plumbing Contractor (unlimited or residential).
Oklahoma plumbing exams
Trade exam. Yes. The contractor exam has a trade part and a business and law part, given through PSI. You need 75 percent on each part.
Business and law exam. Yes. Contractors must also pass the business and law part of the exam.
What it costs in Oklahoma
The board lists 5 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Contractor application | $30 |
| Initial contractor license | $300 |
| Contractor renewal (yearly) | $200 |
| Journeyman application | $25 |
| Initial journeyman license | $50 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Active contractors need general liability of at least $50,000, with the CIB listed as certificate holder.
Bond. $5,000 surety bond (or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit) for an active plumbing contractor.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every year, by the end of your birth month. Journeymen and contractors need 6 hours of continuing education in the 36 months before renewal.
Reciprocity. Oklahoma has a plumbing reciprocity agreement with Arkansas for journeyman licenses. Other states need a written agreement with Oklahoma.
Good to know in Oklahoma
- Your contractor license number must appear on all ads, contracts and bids.
- Apprentices must register with the CIB every year for their hours to count toward a license.
- If you fail an exam, you can retest after 30 days the first time and 90 days after that.
After you are licensed
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 Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB) and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how plumbing companies run on Koira.