Do you need an Oklahoma plumbing license to work as a plumber?
Yes, you need a license from the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB) to work as a plumber in the state. The CIB offers four types of licenses:
- Apprentice: For those just starting
- Journeyman: For experienced plumbers
- Contractor: The highest level
The typical path for licensure starts as a registered apprentice working under a licensed professional, then advancing to journeyman, with the opportunity to become a plumbing contractor as you gain experience. Keep in mind that some cities, like Oklahoma City, require you to register your state license locally before starting work.
Insurance requirements for an Oklahoma plumbing license
Protecting your plumbing business is just as important as doing quality work. Here’s what you need to know about plumbing insurance in Oklahoma.
Workers’ Compensation insurance
Workers’ comp insurance is required if your plumbing business has full-time or part-time employees. It helps cover medical costs and lost wages if an employee gets hurt on the job.
Learn more about workers’ compensation for contractors.
General Liability insurance
General liability insurance helps protect your business if you accidentally damage someone’s property or a customer gets injured.
Oklahoma plumbing contractors must carry at least $50,000 in coverage to maintain an active license. The individual license holder’s name must be on the certificate of insurance. The Certificate holder is the Construction Industries Board.
Learn more about general liability insurance for contractors.
Commercial Property insurance
If you have a shop or storage space, commercial property insurance helps protect it in the event of damage or vandalism. This coverage extends to your inventory, equipment and other business property.
Business Owner’s Policy
A business owner’s policy, or BOP insurance, provides broad coverage of general liability and commercial property policies combined in a cost-efficient bundle. It can help cover damage that you or your employees may inadvertently cause to another person’s property and help protect your business equipment in the event of a fire or other covered event.
Tools and Equipment insurance
Your tools are essential to your trade, which is why tools and equipment insurance exists. It helps cover your damaged, stolen or lost gear while you’re getting the job done.
Commercial Auto insurance
Moving between jobs means time on the road. Commercial auto insurance helps cover your work vehicles and any accidents or damage you accidentally cause while heading to your next call. It’s mandatory to have auto coverage in Oklahoma. Minimum coverage amounts are:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 per accident
- $25,000 for property damage
How to get plumbing license in Oklahoma
Knowing how to get your plumbing license in Oklahoma starts with submitting your apprentice application to the CIB. You’ll need to be at least 16 years of age and sign a notarized affidavit that you’re a U.S. citizen or provide a copy of a valid immigration document.
Your Oklahoma plumbing apprentice license registration is good for one year, and you’ll need to renew it annually while you gain verifiable experience. The good news? Every hour you work as an apprentice plumber counts toward your journeyman requirements. Most plumbers spend about three years as apprentices before moving up.
Journeyman license
To become a journeyman plumber, you’ll need to be at least 18 and show proof of either:
- Three years working for a licensed contractor; or
- Equivalent military experience; or
- A current out-of-state license in good standing
You can also substitute some experience requirements with education. For instance, a 1,000-hour approved plumbing program counts for two years, while a 500-hour program equals one year.
Once you pay a license and application fee of $75 and your journeyman license application is approved, you can take the journeyman licensing exam (administered by PSI). The exam is open-book, and you must score at least 70% to pass. After passing the plumbing exam, you can start working as a licensed journeyman.
Plumbing contractor license
Your next (and final) step involves becoming a licensed plumbing contractor. This is the highest-level plumbing license Oklahoma offers. The contractor license requires everything we mentioned for a journeyman, plus an extra year of experience in the plumbing trade.
After applying for the contractor license and paying your licensing fee of $330, you will become eligible to take the contractor exams. You’ll need to take two exams: a business and law exam and a trade exam. PSI also administers these.
After passing your plumbing contractor exam, you’ll need two more things before your license becomes active: a $5,000 bond and a $50,000 commercial general liability policy, which can be part of your Oklahoma business insurance coverage.
Bond requirements for licensed Oklahoma plumbers
Licensed contractors must have a $5,000 surety bond. The bond must be in the license holder’s name.
How to renew your Oklahoma plumbing license
Before submitting your Oklahoma plumber license renewal application, the key thing to remember is that you need six hours of continuing education. You’ll want to complete those within the 36 months before your license expires, and the CIB has a list of approved plumbing courses you can choose from.
Is reciprocity available for plumbing licenses in Oklahoma?
Plumber licensing requirements by state are different, and the state of Oklahoma doesn’t have reciprocity agreements with other states. But you don’t have to start from scratch if you’re licensed as a plumber somewhere else. Oklahoma considers your out-of-state plumbing license as proof of plumbing experience when you apply, as long as your license is valid and in good standing.
