Do you need a plumbing license in Michigan?
Yes, for most plumbing work. Michigan law says a person may not work as a plumbing contractor, master plumber, journey plumber, or apprentice plumber without the corresponding license or registration. Only a licensed master or journey plumber may perform plumbing unless a statutory exception applies. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6107 lists the rule and exceptions.
The exceptions matter. The statute allows minor repairs, certain permitted sewer or water-service work, qualifying water-treatment installations, and a homeowner doing plumbing in the homeowner's own single-family dwelling after securing a permit. It also allows medical-gas piping under a licensed plumbing contractor. Minor repair is narrowly defined and does not include backflow preventers, air-admittance valves, or work that is part of a larger renovation.
For the normal career path, think of Michigan credentials as two tracks that meet at the top:
- Individual trade track: apprentice registration → journey plumber → master plumber.
- Contracting track: plumbing contractor. A contractor is a licensed master plumber or a person that employs a licensed master plumber full-time to directly supervise plumbing installation as the representative. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6103 defines that structure.
That distinction drives who may perform plumbing, supervise work, contract with customers, and obtain permits.
Michigan plumbing license tiers
| Credential | What it means | Main limit or condition |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice plumber | A registered worker learning and assisting with plumbing installation | Must work under direct, on-site, in-person supervision of a journey or master plumber |
| Journey plumber | An individual licensed for practical plumbing installation | Must qualify through experience and examination |
| Master plumber | An individual licensed to plan and supervise plumbing installation | Must first hold a journey license and satisfy the recent-experience rule |
| Plumbing contractor | An eligible individual licensed to engage in the plumbing business | Must be a master plumber or employ a licensed master plumber full-time as the representative |
An apprentice must register no later than 30 days after employment. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6117 also requires direct, on-site, in-person supervision.
Michigan defines a journey plumber as an individual qualified for practical plumbing installation and licensed at that level. A master plumber is licensed to plan and supervise plumbing installation. Those definitions appear in §339.6101 and §339.6103.
A plumbing contractor is not simply the company name on a truck. The law defines the contractor as a licensed master plumber or a person that employs a licensed master plumber full-time to directly supervise plumbing installation as the representative. The contractor applicant must be a sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer, or limited-liability-company member. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6111 sets those eligibility rules.
How do you become a journey plumber?
The standard path has five steps:
- Get employed as an apprentice and register on time. The registration deadline is 30 days after employment.
- Work under the required supervision. An apprentice must learn and assist under direct, on-site, in-person supervision by a journey or master plumber.
- Document the experience. A journey applicant needs at least 6,000 hours of practical plumbing-installation experience over at least three years as an apprentice under a master plumber.
- Apply and establish eligibility. Michigan requires applicants to establish the applicable experience requirement or its equivalent through notarized statements from current and past employers and master plumbers. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6109 sets this examination-eligibility condition.
- Pass the examination and pay the required fee. The plumbing statute requires an examination but does not support treating prior experience alone as a license.
A standard journey applicant must be at least 18 and have at least 6,000 hours of experience over at least three years as an apprentice plumber. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6115 contains the full rule and a separate military-experience route.
There is also a deadline many older guides miss. An apprentice registration becomes invalid five years after initial registration unless the apprentice applies for and takes the journey examination. A registration remains valid while a timely journey application is pending, and the board may grant an extension when the apprentice requests one. This provision was amended by 2024 Act 172 and took effect April 2, 2025; see §339.6117.
Do not wait until year five to reconstruct employment records. Keep dates, employers, supervising licensees, and hours organized from the start. For a broader view of the sequence, see our guide to how to get a plumbing license.
What changes at the master and contractor levels?
A master license is the next individual credential. A master applicant must be at least 18, hold a Michigan journey plumber license issued under the current or former act, and document 4,000 hours as a journey plumber over at least two years immediately before applying. The applicant must also submit the application, pass the examination, and pay the required fees. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6113 states those requirements.
The plumbing contractor license authorizes the contracting side of the operation. To qualify, the applicant must either hold a master plumber license or employ a licensed master plumber full-time as the representative. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6103 defines the full-time supervision requirement. The applicant must also be a sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer, or limited-liability-company member. The application, contractor examination, and license fee are separate requirements under §339.6111.
The master-contractor relationship carries operating rules:
- A master plumber may represent only one plumbing contractor at a time.
- If the representative master leaves, the contractor has 30 days to designate another licensed master and notify the department in writing.
- Each branch office needs a licensed master plumber in charge of supervision.
- The business entrance must display the business name plus the representative master's name and license number in letters at least three inches high.
The current statute does not list an insurance policy as a condition in the plumbing-contractor licensing section. Do not add an insurance requirement to the state-license checklist unless a separate contract, customer, or local rule makes it relevant.
Application, examination, and statutory fees
Start at the MiPLUS licensing portal. MiPLUS says a logged-in user can apply for a license by selecting “Licenses.” Choose the plumbing credential you are eligible for, then document experience before paying for an examination.
The statute says examination eligibility depends on meeting the applicable experience requirement or its equivalent, established to the board's satisfaction through notarized statements from employers and master plumbers. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6109 is the controlling eligibility provision.
The plumbing article lists these fees:
| Item | Statutory fee | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice registration | $15 | Annual initial or renewal fee |
| Journey plumber license | $40 | Annual initial or renewal fee |
| Journey examination | $100 | Examination fee |
| Master examination | $100 | Examination fee |
| Plumbing contractor examination | $100 | Examination fee |
| Master plumber license | Up to $300 initial; $300 renewal | Initial term up to 3 years; off-cycle initial or relicensure fee is prorated by year |
| Plumbing contractor license | Up to $300 initial; $300 renewal | Initial term up to 3 years; off-cycle initial or relicensure fee is prorated by year |
The statutory annual fees are $15 for an apprentice registration and $40 for a journey plumber license. The examination fee is $100 for each of the journey, master, and plumbing contractor examinations. The listed master plumber and plumbing contractor fee is $300, and an initial license may run for up to three years. When an initial-license or relicensure application is made outside April 30 through June 30 of a renewal year, the department prorates the initial license fee by year through the end of that three-year license period. See Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6121. A master who is also a plumbing contractor pays only the contractor initial or renewal fee, not both fees, under §339.6113.
These are state statutory amounts, not a promise that the whole process costs only that much. Local permit or registration charges and business setup expenses can sit outside the licensing fee. Use our contractor license cost guide to build a wider budget without mixing those expenses into the state fee table.
Does an out-of-state plumbing license transfer?
Do not assume an out-of-state license automatically converts to a Michigan credential. For an ordinary out-of-state applicant who does not qualify under one of the exceptions below, the Michigan plumbing article makes examination eligibility depend on proving the applicable experience requirement or an equivalent through notarized statements from current and past employers and master plumbers. Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6109 applies that rule to plumbing contractor, master, and journey applicants.
Michigan also has a discretionary route outside the ordinary plumbing examination path. MCL 339.5203 allows the department to issue a license when an individual demonstrates to the department and board that the ordinary licensure requirements are not a fair and adequate measure of the person’s knowledge and skills, or that the required examination is not an adequate basis for judging competent practice. This is a case-specific “may issue” provision, not automatic reciprocity. (Michigan Compiled Laws §339.5203)
A separate mandatory no-examination provision applies to a qualifying member of the armed forces or uniformed services, veteran, or dependent. MCL 339.5223 requires the department to issue the license or registration without examination when the applicant proves every listed condition. (Michigan Compiled Laws §339.5223) The checklist includes qualifying service-family status; a valid equivalent out-of-state credential held in good standing for at least one year; the other state’s education, work-experience, and any examination requirements; substantially equivalent or higher standards; the specified revocation, surrender, discipline, complaint, allegation, and investigation conditions; applicable fees; good moral character; and the occupation’s age requirement.
An ordinary out-of-state applicant should prepare a clean evidence file rather than rely on the license card alone:
- license history and status;
- dates of employment;
- hours and scope of plumbing work;
- employer and supervising-master statements; and
- any records needed to show equivalence to the Michigan credential sought.
Ask LARA which statutory route applies and obtain an eligibility determination before scheduling around an assumed transfer or exam waiver.
Michigan plumbing license FAQ
How long does it take to qualify for a Michigan journey plumber license?
The standard route requires at least 6,000 hours over at least three years as an apprentice plumber, followed by the required application and examination.
How long must you work as a journey plumber before applying for master?
You need 4,000 hours over at least two years immediately before applying, plus the master examination and application requirements.
Does an apprentice registration last forever?
No. It becomes invalid five years after initial registration unless the apprentice applies for and takes the journey examination. A pending applicant can remain valid as specified in the statute, and the board may grant an extension on request.
Can a master plumber contract under a company without a contractor license?
No. A master license alone is not the plumbing contractor license. The contractor applicant must personally hold a master plumber license or employ a licensed master plumber full-time as the representative, then satisfy the separate application, examination, and fee requirements. The full-time definition appears in Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6103. (Michigan Compiled Laws §339.6111)
Who normally pulls a plumbing permit?
Michigan generally issues the permit to a licensed plumbing contractor. The application records the contractor license number and the designated master plumber license number, subject to the statute's limited exceptions.
Is continuing education always required every year?
The statute ties the approved code-update course to a state construction-code update or change. A journey or master plumber must complete the approved course within 12 months after that update or change as a condition of renewal.