Do you need a state license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania 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.
Some of Pennsylvania's municipalities license plumbers, so check with the city or township where you work. Philadelphia, for example, issues a Master Plumber license: you need one year as a registered Philadelphia journeyman plumber, a passing score on the Philadelphia Master Plumber exam given by the International Code Council, $500,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 auto liability and workers comp. The license fee is $303 and renewal is $253.
How to get set up in Pennsylvania, step by step
- Ask the city or township where you will work whether it licenses plumbers.
- In Philadelphia, register as a journeyman plumber and work at least one year.
- In Philadelphia, pass the Master Plumber exam given by the International Code Council.
- Get the insurance the city requires and apply for the license online.
- If you do home improvement work of $5,000 or more a year, register with the Attorney General.
What it costs in Pennsylvania
There is no state license fee for plumbing work in Pennsylvania. Ask the city or county where you work about any local fees.
Good to know in Pennsylvania
- Master plumbers who do home improvement work on private homes must also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General as home improvement contractors.
- State law still lets towns keep testing based licensing for electricians and plumbers that was in effect on July 1, 2009.
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 Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry 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.