CALIFORNIA · plumber
C-36 Plumbing Contractor
California Contractors State License Board →Scope of Work
A C-36 Plumbing Contractor installs, alters, and repairs water-supply and waste-disposal systems. The California Code of Regulations scope includes complete removal of waste from the premises or the construction and connection of on-site waste-disposal systems; piping, storage tanks, and venting for compressed air, vacuum, medical and dental gases; all gas appliances, flues, and gas-appliance connections for space-heating systems; water and gas piping from the owner-side of the meter to structures; equipment for heating water or fluids, including solar water-heating equipment; and upkeep and replacement of health and safety devices such as gas earthquake valves, gas control valves, backflow preventers, water-conditioning equipment, and regulating valves. Source: CSLB Licensing Classifications Detail, C-36 (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/Licensing_Classifications_Detail.aspx?Class=C36).
Experience and Training
4 years (at least 8,000 hours) of full-time, journey-level experience in the plumbing trade within the last 10 years, documented on CSLB Form 13A-11 by a qualifying verifier. CSLB accepts a mix of direct journey work and documented apprenticeship or vocational training toward the 4-year total; substitution is capped at 3 years (6,000 hours).
Military Crosswalk
CSLB credits verified military plumbing experience under Business and Professions Code § 115.4 and § 115.5. Relevant MOS examples include Navy Utilitiesman (UT), Seabee Construction Mechanic (CM), Army Plumber (12K), and Air Force Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance (3E4X1). DD-214, MOS verification, and the CSLB Military Service form establish the credit.
Exam
2 exams: Law and Business, and C-36 Trade. Both are administered by CSLB. Core C-36 Trade topics include drain, waste, and vent system design; water supply and distribution; fixtures and appliances; gas piping sizing and venting; backflow prevention; medical and laboratory gas systems; water-heater installation and relief-valve discharge; and California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) compliance. The C-36 exam bulletin on the CSLB site is the current reference for item count and passing score.
Reciprocity
CSLB has written reciprocity agreements with Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and North Carolina. Qualifiers from these states may apply without retaking the Trade exam if they have held the equivalent classification for at least 5 of the past 7 years. Source: CSLB Reciprocity (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/Reciprocity/).
RENEWAL
Active licenses renew every 2 years. Sole-owner active renewal is $450 (2026); non-sole-owner is $700. Delinquent fees apply after expiration, with a 90-day retroactive reinstatement window under SB 1474. CSLB does not require continuing education for license renewal. Source: CSLB General Renewal Information (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Maintain_License/Renew_License/General_Renewal_Information.aspx).
Scope Limitations
The C-36 is issued to a business or qualifying individual, not a worker. Medical gas certification and backflow-prevention tester certification are separate credentials required for specific installation and testing work. Natural-gas distribution beyond the meter to the utility side remains under utility jurisdiction, not the C-36 scope. Any work performed while the license is expired is considered unlicensed under California law.
Reciprocity
Accepts from: AZ, LA, MS, NV, NC