Plumbing license lookup: how to check a plumber in 14 states
In some states plumbers are licensed by a different board than other contractors, so the usual contractor search may not show them. Find your state below and use its official lookup before you hand over a deposit.
Each row comes from our verified state data, checked against official state sources on 24 to 28 October 2026. Click a state name for its full plumbing license page, or use our contractor license lookup to find any state's board.
See the full checklist for hiring a contractor
Plumbing license lookups by state
| State | Who needs a license | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| California | Plumbing contractors in California need the C-36 license for jobs of $1,000 or more. Check any C-36 license free on the CSLB website. (source: CSLB class description: C-36 Plumbing Contractor (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for California (opens in a new tab). Search by license number (digits only), business name or person name. For "John Smith Construction" type "Smith John Con". (source: CSLB Check a License (opens in a new tab)) |
| Colorado | Colorado plumbers are licensed by DORA's State Plumbing Board. (source: DPO: Plumbing (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Colorado (opens in a new tab). For electricians and plumbers, use DORA's license lookup linked from that page. For general contractors and roofers, check your city or county. (source: DORA: Home & Repair (opens in a new tab)) |
| Florida | Plumbing contractors in Florida must be certified (CFC, statewide) or registered (RF, local) through DBPR. (source: Florida Statutes 489.105 (opens in a new tab)) (source: DBPR: Understanding DBPR codes (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Florida (opens in a new tab). Search by name, license number, city or county, or license type. "Certified" means statewide; "registered" means local only. (source: DBPR license search (opens in a new tab)) (source: DBPR Construction Industry FAQs (opens in a new tab)) |
| Hawaii | Hawaii plumbing contractors need a C-37 license. (source: Requirements for License, Sole Proprietor (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Hawaii (opens in a new tab). Request a license verification from the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, and check the classification fits the job. (source: Hawaii Contractors License Board (opens in a new tab)) |
| Illinois | Illinois plumbers are licensed by IDPH. You work as a licensed apprentice under a licensed plumber, then pass the state exam. (source: Illinois Department of Public Health: Plumbing (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Illinois plumbers (opens in a new tab). Plumbers are licensed by IDPH, not IDFPR. Use IDPH's Plumbing License Verification, linked from the IDPH Plumbing page. (source: Illinois Department of Public Health: Plumbing (opens in a new tab)) |
| Indiana | Indiana plumbers are licensed by the IPLA Plumbing Commission, the only state-licensed construction trade. (source: IPLA: Plumbing Licensing Information (opens in a new tab)) (source: IN.gov: Business Owner's Guide (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Indiana (opens in a new tab). Search Indiana's license verification site for the plumber's name or license number. (source: Indiana license verification (opens in a new tab)) |
| Louisiana | Louisiana plumbing projects over $10,000 need an LSLBC license. (source: LSLBC: Types of Licenses (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Louisiana (opens in a new tab). Search the LSLBC contractor database by name, license number, city, parish or qualifying party. (source: LSLBC: Types of Licenses (opens in a new tab)) |
| Maryland | Maryland plumbers are licensed as journey or master plumber/gas fitter. A journey license needs 4 years as an apprentice and 7,500 hours. (source: Maryland plumbing license requirements (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Maryland plumbers (opens in a new tab). Search the Plumbers Public Query by name, city or ZIP code, or license registration number. It lists active licensees only. (source: Maryland State Board of Plumbing: Plumbers Public Query (opens in a new tab)) |
| Mississippi | Mississippi residential plumbing subcontractors must be licensed by MSBOC. (source: MSBOC FAQ (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Mississippi (opens in a new tab). Search MSBOC's contractor database and check the name and classification match your contract. (source: MSBOC (opens in a new tab)) |
| Ohio | Ohio commercial plumbing contractors need an OCILB license. (source: OCILB Examination Application (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Ohio (opens in a new tab). Choose the OCILB license type (EL, HV, HY, PL or RE), then search by credential number or name. (source: Ohio eLicense lookup (opens in a new tab)) |
| South Carolina | Commercial plumbing is a CLB Mechanical Contractor classification in South Carolina. (source: SC CLB: Licensure Information (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for South Carolina (opens in a new tab). Use SC LLR Licensee Lookup - Contractors for commercial work, or the Residential Builders Commission lookup for home builders. (source: SC CLB: General Information (opens in a new tab)) (source: SC Residential Builders Commission (opens in a new tab)) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee issues a Limited Licensed Plumber license through the Board for Licensing Contractors. (source: TN BLC: Fees (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Tennessee (opens in a new tab). Use the state Verify a License search and check the license is active and its classification and monetary limit fit your job. (source: Tennessee Verify a License (opens in a new tab)) (source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (opens in a new tab)) |
| Texas | Plumbers in Texas are licensed by TSBPE, not TDLR. License types are Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman, Master and Plumbing Inspector. (source: TSBPE license types (opens in a new tab)) | Check on the TSBPE website for Texas plumbers (opens in a new tab). Plumbers are licensed by TSBPE, not TDLR, so the TDLR license search is the wrong place to look. (source: TSBPE license types (opens in a new tab)) |
| Utah | Utah plumbing contractors need a DOPL P200 or P201 license with a Master-licensed qualifier. (source: DOPL: General Contractor (opens in a new tab)) | Official lookup for Utah (opens in a new tab). Use DOPL's Verify a License search and check the license is active and the classification covers the job. (source: DOPL: Contracting (opens in a new tab)) |
Cities and counties can add their own rules. Each state page lists what we have verified. States we have not listed here are ones where our verified data does not yet name a plumbing lookup.
What to check when you look up a plumber
Finding a name in the results is a start, but it does not tell you the plumber can take your job. Look at these before you sign.
- The license is active. In Utah, use DOPL's Verify a License search and check the license is active and the classification covers the job. (source: DOPL: Contracting (opens in a new tab))
- It is a plumbing license. Ohio's lookup asks you to pick a license type first, and PL is the plumbing one. (source: Ohio eLicense lookup (opens in a new tab)) In Florida, a certified plumbing contractor (CFC) can work statewide, while a registered one (RF) is only good in the area where it is registered. (source: Florida Statutes 489.105 (opens in a new tab)) (source: DBPR: Understanding DBPR codes (opens in a new tab))
- Check the job size fits the license. California requires the C-36 plumbing license for jobs of $1,000 or more. (source: CSLB class description: C-36 Plumbing Contractor (opens in a new tab)) Louisiana plumbing projects over $10,000 need an LSLBC license. (source: LSLBC: Types of Licenses (opens in a new tab)) Tennessee's lookup lets you check the classification and the monetary limit on the license. (source: Tennessee Verify a License (opens in a new tab)) (source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (opens in a new tab))
- Make sure the name matches your contract. In Mississippi, search MSBOC's contractor database and check the name and classification match your contract. (source: MSBOC (opens in a new tab))
Plumber or plumbing contractor?
Some states license the person and the business separately. Texas licenses plumbers as Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman or Master, plus Plumbing Inspector. (source: TSBPE license types (opens in a new tab)) Indiana issues Plumbing Contractor and Journeyman Plumber licenses, and apprentices are enrolled in an approved program. (source: IPLA: Plumbing Licensing Information (opens in a new tab)) Utah's plumbing contractor licenses, P200 for general plumbing and P201 for residential, each need a qualifier who holds a Master license. (source: DOPL: General Contractor (opens in a new tab))
If you are hiring a company, look up the company. If one plumber is quoting the job, ask whose license the work will be done under and check that name too.
When the state license is for commercial work
In some states the license we found is aimed at commercial or larger jobs. Ohio's OCILB licenses commercial plumbing contractors, and in South Carolina commercial plumbing falls under the CLB Mechanical Contractor classification. (source: OCILB Examination Application (opens in a new tab)) (source: SC CLB: Licensure Information (opens in a new tab)) Mississippi, on the other hand, licenses residential plumbing subcontractors through MSBOC. (source: MSBOC FAQ (opens in a new tab)) For a home job in a state where the license is commercial, ask your city or county what applies.
Common questions
Can I look up a plumber by name?
Often, yes. Florida lets you search by name, license number, city or county, or license type. Louisiana's LSLBC database searches by contractor name, license number, city, parish or qualifying party, and California's CSLB search takes a business name or a person's name.
Is the plumbing lookup the same as the general contractor lookup?
Not always. Texas plumbers are licensed by TSBPE rather than TDLR, and Colorado's plumbers are licensed by DORA's State Plumbing Board even though Colorado has no state license for general contractors. In Indiana, plumbing is the only construction trade the state licenses.
What does certified or registered mean on a Florida license?
On Florida's DBPR lookup, certified means the license is good statewide, and registered means it is local only.
Sources
Every row links to the official page it came from. Our state data was last verified on 24 to 28 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the board before you hire.