Michigan plumber license: requirements, reciprocity & renewal

The master license in Michigan

Master Plumber: Hold a journey plumber license + gain 4,000 hours of experience in work as a journey plumber over a period of not less than 2 years immediately preceding the application + pass the master examination (MCL 339.6113(1)(d)). Master exam fee $100 and master license fee $300 under MCL 339.6121(5)(b) and (7)(b); master licenses are issued/renewed for 3-year periods.

A licensed master plumber shall represent only 1 plumbing contractor at any given time (MCL 339.6113(3)) and must notify the department in writing within 30 days after ceasing to represent that contractor.

Master exam fee: $100

Renewal & lapse in Michigan

A license not renewed within 60 days of expiration can only be relicensed by applying to the Board and paying back fees plus a relicensure fee (journey $50; master/contractor $100). Within 3 years there is no re-examination; after more than 3 consecutive years the applicant must again meet the experience requirements and take the examination (MCL 339.6121(3), (4) and (8); see also MCL 339.411).

Reinstatement: Up to 3 years after expiration: relicensure without re-examination on payment of the annual renewal fee for each year the license was not renewed plus the relicensure fee ($50 journey / $100 master or contractor). A 60-day late-renewal window applies first (fee + late fee).

Past the line: Expired more than 3 consecutive years: the applicant must meet the experience and other requirements in force and take (and pass) the examination for the class of license requested — effectively a restart (MCL 339.6121(4)).

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Opening a plumbing company in Michigan

The seat: Master Plumber representing the plumbing contractor. A plumbing contractor license requires a licensed master plumber: the applicant must hold a master license or employ a master who represents the contractor, and that master may represent only 1 plumbing contractor at a time (MCL 339.6111 / 339.6113(3)). Permits issue only to licensed plumbing contractors. Michigan's skilled-trades statute imposes no surety-bond or liability-insurance condition for the plumbing contractor license itself.

Licensing is statewide under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407, Article 11), but some Michigan cities historically retained authority to require state-licensed tradespeople to also register locally — check the jurisdiction where the work is performed.

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Sources

Rules as published by Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — State Plumbing Board and the statutes it administers, checked October 22, 2026. Board: https://www.michigan.gov/lara

• MCL 339.6115 — Journey plumber's license; issuance; requirements (6,000 hours / 3 years)
• MCL 339.6113 — Master plumber's license (4,000 hours / 2 years; represents only 1 contractor)
• MCL 339.6121 — Fees (journey license $40/yr, exam $100, master/contractor $300, relicensure and 3-year re-examination rule)
• MCL 339.411 — Failure to renew; conditions to relicensing (60-day late renewal; relicensure within 3 years)