How to Become a Licensed Plumber in Maryland: License Requirements and Guide

In Maryland, you need to be licensed through the state to do any work as a plumber. In this state, the application and licensing process for plumbers are quite differences from the application and process for electricians and contractors. Although sometimes it is so confusing, but it is crucial to follow and in line with the process carefully and correctly. Similar to other states, if you do any plumbing work in this state without a valid license, you will be potentially facing a jail or other legal penalties.

There is lengthy process in order to be a master plumber in Maryland as follow:

Must be a plumbing apprentice for a minimum of 4 years

Apply for journeyman license and then take the journeyman exam
After two years, you can apply for master license and then take the master plumbing exam

However, here are a few more specifics that you have to find out about before you fill out an application or secure an apprenticeship.

In this article, we cover how to get a plumbing license in Maryland including the key requirements as well as license reciprocity. Thus, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

How to Get a Plumbing License in Maryland

Apprenticeship

Similar to other states, before becoming a master and a journey plumber in Maryland, you need first to become an apprentice.

An apprentice is an individual who is licensed by the Board in order to assist a master plumber or holder of limited master plumber to perform the plumbing services that are:

Under the direction and control of the master plumber or holder of the limited master plumber; and
In training to become journey plumber.

You can register as an apprentice with the State Plumbing Board. There are some requirements to be eligible to register as apprentice in Maryland as follow:

Must be at least 16 years old;
Have never been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in any state or federal court;
Have never had this sort of license denied, suspended, or revoked by any jurisdiction.

You also need to pay a $15 program fee.
You can submit your apprentice application online via the Maryland Department of Labor internet site.

Apprentice Jobs for a plumber in Maryland

In Maryland, you can secure a plumbing apprenticeship in several ways. If you want to look for an apprenticeship, you can get resources from the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program (MATP). This program provides you many resources for any apprentice position or opportunities. Their Apprenticeship Locator is usually an easy way to get any available apprentice position in various counties throughout Maryland.

You can also consider apprenticeships offered through any plumbing union, including Local 486 and United Association. There are several websites that you can search for any available apprenticeship opportunities in both union and nonunion. For example, you can find available apprenticeship opportunities through Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor. Just like finding other job, to find and apply for an apprenticeship, you need to look at all available avenues in order to find the right opportunity for you.

Journeyman Plumber in Maryland

In Maryland, in order to become a journeyman plumber, you should be some specific requirements as follow:

At least 4 years as a licensed apprenticeship prior to your application for a journeyman;

Must complete at the least 7,500 hours of training along with the supervision of a licensed master plumber;
Must complete at the least 32 hours of training in backflow prevention device testing;
Journeyman examination must be passed.

You must also submit the necessary supporting application documentation in the above list and pay a $35 License fee.

You may use the same License Application portal which is available at the State Plumbing Board’s website when you apply for a journeyman plumber license.

Journeyman plumber examination

You must pass all required examinations offered by PSI in order to receive a Maryland Journeyman plumber’s license. The exam will take 4 hours to complete all 100 questions. In the journeyman plumbing exam, you will be tested on the following areas:

Plumbing fundamentals and safety;
Plumbing fixtures, fixture fittings, and plumbing devices;
Water supply systems;

Backwater valves, Interceptors, and Traps
Backflow preventions;
Plumbing mathematics.

Specification and uses of material
Gas appliances and piping;

The journeyman exam is an open-book exam. However, during the exam, you are allowed to bring in only the following materials:

National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated;
NFPA 54 – National Fuel Gas Code;
Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters;

Code of Federal Rules – 29 CFR Part 1926, or Code of Federal Regulations – 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI;
Any standard backflow text.

Before taking the exam, you must pay $65 exam fee. In order to pass the journeyman exam, you must get at least 70% of the total score.

Typically, you will receive your journeyman plumbing contractor license in two weeks if you pass the exam and your application has been approved by the State Plumbing Board.

Master Plumbing License in Maryland

In Maryland, the state defines a licensed master plumber as an individual who is licensed by the State Plumbing Board in order to provide any plumbing and natural gas services in the state. In this state, a master plumber gas filter is also included in the definition above.

In order to become a Maryland master plumber, you must meet the following requirements:

Must hold a journey plumbing contractor license for at least two years prior to the submission of your master license application;
Must be under the direction of a licensed master plumber during the 3,750 hours of the training period;
You must pass the written license exam

The application should include all necessary supporting documents required by the State Plumbing Board. You can submit the application online and pay the license fee of $70 at the State Plumbing Board’s License Application portal.

Master Plumber Exam

In Maryland, to get your master plumbing license, you need to need to pass the master plumbing examination offered by PSI. The exam consists of 100 questions and will take 4 hours to complete. Below are the areas that are covered in the master plumbing examination:

Plumbing fundamentals and safety;

Plumbing fixtures, fixture fittings, and plumbing devices;
Water supply systems;
Backwater valves, Interceptors, and Traps

Backflow preventions;
Plumbing mathematics.
Vent system, waste, and Drain

Specification and uses of material
Gas appliances and piping;

Just like the journeyman plumbing exam, the master plumbing exam is an open-book exam and you are allowed to bring with the material the same as the journeyman plumbing examination as covered above.

In order to pass the exam, you will need to get at 70% of the total score. You will need to pay the exam fee of $65. For more information about the examination and schedule, you can visit the PSI Maryland Plumbing Candidate Bulletin.

Maryland License Renewal

The validity of the journeyman plumbing license, as well as the master plumbing license, is 2 years from the issued date. Therefore, to maintain an active license, you need to renew every 2 years. You will receive a notification from the State Plumbing Board about the expiration 60 days prior to the expiration date.

If you fail to renew your license 4 years after the expired date, your license will be withdraw. Thus, you would need to resubmit the application and then retake all the required exams in order to get a new valid license.

Maryland License Reciprocity

In Maryland, the state maintain the license reciprocal only with Delaware. Therefore, if you have master license (Only), you can work at Delaware and via versa.

If you have a license from Baltimore County or WSSC and want to work as a journeyman or master plumber in Maryland, you need to submit the license reciprocal application to the State Plumbing Board.

Below are the supporting documents required to file for the license reciprocal:

Provide verification letter from Baltimore County, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) or State of Delaware;
GAS Fitter verification form;
Certificate of Insurance (your name must appear on the certificate, and the Maryland State Board of Plumbing should be named as the certificate holder);

Copy of current license;
Copy of current master HVACR or master restricted (applicable to understand gas fitter reciprocal licensing only);
Copy of Photo ID or driver’s license;

Backflow Certification; this is applicable for only master and journeyman plumbing/gas filter.