NEW-YORK · plumber
NYC Master Plumber (no statewide license)
NYC Department of Buildings — Licensing & Exams Unit →No Statewide License
New York State does not issue a statewide plumber license. The New York State Department of State licenses a range of occupations, but plumbing is regulated at the municipal level, primarily by New York City's Department of Buildings and by examining boards in individual upstate cities. An applicant's required credential depends entirely on where the work is performed. Source: NYS Department of State Licensing Services (https://dos.ny.gov/licensing).
NYC Master Plumber
Within New York City, NYC Admin Code Article 408 requires a Licensed Master Plumber to perform, or directly and continuously supervise, plumbing work on NYC projects. The NYC Department of Buildings issues the license through its Licensing & Exams Unit. Applicants must have at least 7 years of total experience in the installation and design of plumbing systems within the 10 years prior to application, under the direct and continuing supervision of a United States Licensed Master Plumber, with at least 2 of those 7 years completed as a New York City registered Journeyman Plumber. Plumber's helper or approved plumbing-training time counts at the reduced rate of 6 months of credited experience per calendar year, capped at 2 years total credit. Source: NYC DOB, Obtain a Master Plumber License (https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/obtain-a-master-plumber-license.page) and NYC Admin Code § 28-408.1.
Examinations and Fees
NYC DOB administers both a written and a practical Master Plumber examination. Current fees posted by DOB are $585 written-exam application, $530 practical-exam application, and a $50 seal fee at license issuance. The process is completed through DOB NOW: Licensing; a background investigation (including fingerprinting) is part of the application. Source: NYC DOB Licensing Fees (https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/licensing_fee_chart.pdf).
Journeyman Registration
NYC does not issue a standalone Journeyman Plumber license; it maintains a Journeyman Plumber registration under NYC DOB. The registration requires at least 1 year of qualifying NYC plumbing experience and is the required intermediate credential that must be held for 2 years before the Master Plumber pathway opens. Source: NYC DOB, Journeyman Plumber Registration (https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/obtain-a-journeyman-plumber-fire-suppression-piping-installer-registration-or-gas-work-qualification.page).
Helper Tracks
Plumber's helper and apprentice hours are logged through employer affidavits uploaded to DOB NOW: Licensing, and credited at 50% toward Journeyman eligibility, capped at 2 years. A registered apprenticeship is the most common documented helper track in NYC.
Upstate Municipalities
Outside NYC, cities set their own plumbing licensure. Buffalo's Examining Board of Plumbers requires 6,000 hours of journeyman experience under a licensed master plumber and a master-plumber exam (posted fee $210), administered through the Department of Permit and Inspection Services. Source: Buffalo City Code Chapter 213 (https://ecode360.com/13624415). Rochester requires a Certificate of Competency from its Examining Board of Plumbers before a city plumbing license is issued. Source: City of Rochester Examining Board of Plumbers (https://www.cityofrochester.gov/departments/neighborhood-and-business-development/examining-board-plumbers). Syracuse, Yonkers, and other cities run similar municipal boards. Verify locally before accepting work outside NYC.
Union Pathway
UA Local 1 (Plumbers & Gas-fitters, NYC) operates a NYS-registered 5-year apprenticeship that combines roughly 10,000 hours of on-the-job training with approximately 1,070 hours of classroom instruction. Source: UA Local 1 Training Center (https://www.ualocal1.org/training.aspx). Non-union employer pathways using individually registered apprenticeships or direct employment by a licensed master plumber are also recognized by NYC DOB.
Scope Limitations
A registered Journeyman Plumber in NYC cannot pull plumbing permits; permits are pulled by a Licensed Master Plumber of record. Work outside the Journeyman's employer's Master of record, or contracting with a property owner, requires the Master Plumber license.
Verification Advice
Always confirm current fees, experience rules, and exam windows on the DOB page linked above, and for work outside NYC confirm with the local city's examining board before any work is performed or advertised.