Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Vermont's official board.
Plumbing licensing sits with the Division of Fire Safety, not the Office of Professional Regulation. Scope is driven by building type: the rules apply to all public buildings and to any building connected to a public water or sewage system, and a license is not required for work performed by an owner or the owner's regular employees in an owner-occupied freestanding single-family dwelling. A validated work notice must be filed with the department before plumbing work begins. The rules text published on the Division's site is the edition effective July 1, 2015; a 2025 revision has been referenced but is not posted, so confirm fee-sensitive details with the Division.
| Requirements | Master Plumber: documentation of having held a valid Vermont journeyman plumber's license for at least 12 months, or equivalent training and experience in or outside the state acceptable to the board, then passing the examination. Journeyman Plumber: documentation of a plumbing apprenticeship including both instruction and work processes as verified by the Vermont apprenticeship council, or equivalent training and experience acceptable to the board, then passing the examination. Specialist: apprenticeship verified by the apprenticeship council or completion of acceptable instruction, training and experience, plus a separate examination for each specialty field sought. An apprentice must be registered with the Vermont Apprenticeship Council and supervised on the job by a master or journeyman. Fees, which are also the two-year renewal fees: Master $120, Journeyman $90, Specialist $50 per field, license certificate $10. An applicant who fails three times must appear before the board before a fourth attempt. |
| Reciprocity | The rules provide licensure without examination to a person previously issued a master, journeyman or specialist plumber's license by another state or municipality that maintains equivalent standards, on satisfactory proof of bona fide status, but only where that state or municipality grants a like exemption to Vermont licensees. No named list of reciprocal states is published. |
| Renewal | Every 2 years. Renewal requires 8 board-approved hours of continuing education within the previous 24 months, at least 2 of them code review, and a course may count for only one renewal. A lapsed license may be renewed within 90 days with a $15 reinstatement fee; after that the licensee must apply for reinstatement and appear before the board. Licenses issued or renewed after July 1, 2021 also require completion of an educational module. |
| Notes | Plumbing licensing sits with the Division of Fire Safety, not the Office of Professional Regulation. Scope is driven by building type: the rules apply to all public buildings and to any building connected to a public water or sewage system, and a license is not required for work performed by an owner or the owner's regular employees in an owner-occupied freestanding single-family dwelling. A validated work notice must be filed with the department before plumbing work begins. The rules text published on the Division's site is the edition effective July 1, 2015; a 2025 revision has been referenced but is not posted, so confirm fee-sensitive details with the Division. |
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Sources: firesafety.vermont.gov, firesafety.vermont.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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