How to get a plumbing contractor license in Delaware: the official requirements
The Master Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners.
In Delaware, the statewide plumbing license is a contractor license, issued by the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. The Master Plumber license, issued by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. The Board issues master-level licenses; a Master Plumber can design, install, repair and alter the pipes, fixtures and apparatus that bring water into a building and remove liquid and water-carried wastes, and can install and connect gas piping. Experience and training: With a journeyman certificate from a federally approved plumbing apprenticeship program (such as the Delaware Department of Labor's), you need at least two years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee after receiving the certificate. Without a journeyman certificate, you need at least seven years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee. Supervisors complete the Verification of Employment form. Licensing exam: The Board must approve you to sit for the master examination. If you qualify on experience alone (no journeyman certificate), you first pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam with at least 70% after the Board approves your experience. The licensure exams are given by the testing vendor ProV; the minimum passing score is 70%. How to apply: Apply online through DELPROS, the Division's online licensing system, submitting the application and fee there; the Board reviews complete applications at its next scheduled meeting.
Delaware plumbing contractor license requirements
| Requirement | Delaware |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Master Plumber license, issued by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. The Board issues master-level licenses; a Master Plumber can design, install, repair and alter the pipes, fixtures and apparatus that bring water into a building and remove liquid and water-carried wastes, and can install and connect gas piping. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. |
| Experience and training | With a journeyman certificate from a federally approved plumbing apprenticeship program (such as the Delaware Department of Labor's), you need at least two years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee after receiving the certificate. Without a journeyman certificate, you need at least seven years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee. Supervisors complete the Verification of Employment form. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. |
| Licensing exam | The Board must approve you to sit for the master examination. If you qualify on experience alone (no journeyman certificate), you first pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam with at least 70% after the Board approves your experience. The licensure exams are given by the testing vendor ProV; the minimum passing score is 70%. |
| How to apply | Apply online through DELPROS, the Division's online licensing system, submitting the application and fee there; the Board reviews complete applications at its next scheduled meeting. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. |
| State fees | Master Plumber application fee: $173. Temporary license: $40. All processing fees are non-refundable; the renewal fee amount is given at renewal. |
| License term | Licenses expire on October 31 of even-numbered years; a renewal notice is emailed a few months before, and you renew online in DELPROS. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Delaware
- Work under the supervision of a master licensee: two years after a journeyman certificate from an approved plumbing apprenticeship, or seven years without one.
- Create a DELPROS account and submit the application and fee online, with Verification of Employment forms from your supervisors.
- If you have no journeyman certificate, pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam with at least 70% once the Board approves your experience.
- When the Board approves you, take the master licensure exam with ProV and score at least 70%.
- Renew the license by October 31 of each even-numbered year.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salaryWhat plumbers earn.
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Open →InterviewPlumber interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the contractor license named above. Specialty, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners (board page), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing and HVACR Examiners, Master Plumber Licensure, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing and HVACR Examiners, Examinations, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing and HVACR Examiners, Fee Schedule, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing and HVACR Examiners, License Renewal, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.