Georgia plumbing license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as a plumber in Georgia, you need the Master Plumber Class I (restricted) license. Georgia has 3 plumbing license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. Workers' comp is required once you have employees. The state does not ask for a bond.

Checked by the Trades by State editor on 2026-09-16 Based on 13 official pages, listed at the bottom Something wrong? Tell us

License you need: Journeyman Plumber Renew Every two years, by November 30 of even-numbered years (late renewal December 1 to 31)
Workers' comp: Required as soon as you hire anyone
Credit score: None. The board rules and the licensing law do not ask for a credit check, net worth, or a financial statement for a plumbing license. or take a 14-hour course

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1 What stands out in Georgia for a plumber What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about Georgia, in a few sentences.

Georgia licenses the person, not the company. The board does not register plumbing businesses. Only a Master Plumber may own one, and a licensed Master Plumber must work there full time and supervise the jobs.
A Class I Master Plumber license stops at single-family homes, one-level homes for up to two families, and commercial buildings up to 10,000 square feet. Class II has no limit, but you must show commercial or industrial plumbing experience to get it.
The state fee to apply is $100 plus a $10 processing fee. The exam fee goes to the testing company, PSI, on top of that.
The board rules, the plumbers FAQ, and the licensing law do not ask for liability insurance or a bond to hold a plumbing license. Several websites say $500,000 of insurance. That figure appears in no official source.
Workers' comp starts at three workers, and company officers or LLC members count toward the three even when they sign themselves out of coverage.
The 30-day Notice to Contractor only applies when the owner filed a Notice of Commencement for the job. The lien itself must be filed within 90 days of your last day of work, and a copy must reach the owner within two business days.

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2 Who issues plumber licenses in Georgia? What is this?

Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master Plumbers and Journeyman Plumbers (run by the Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) issues plumbing licenses in Georgia.

Name	Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master Plumbers and Journeyman Plumbers (run by the Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division)
Website	https://sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-division-master-and-journeyman-plumbers
Look up a license	https://goals.sos.ga.gov/GASOSOneStop/s/licensee-search
The law	O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14
The rulebook	Georgia Rules and Regulations, Department 121 (Chapters 121-2 to 121-6)

Applications, renewals, and the fee schedule are all inside the GOALS portal at goals.sos.ga.gov. The board no longer takes paper applications.

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3 Georgia plumber license requirements and fees What is this?

Georgia has 3 license types that matter to a plumber. The Master Plumber Class I (restricted) needs at least 5 years of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, with at least 2 of those years as a licensed Journeyman Plumber.

Journeyman Plumber

Anyone doing plumbing work for a plumbing business. A journeyman cannot own a plumbing business or qualify one.

What you can work on

Plumbing work under the supervision of a licensed Master Plumber

Experience required

At least 1 year of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code. The year can be hands-on work under a Master Plumber, or related work such as plumbing for a county water department or full-time plumbing inspection.

References you must provide

Three licensed plumbers who can vouch for your experience

Training required

None listed by the board. After two failed exams you must finish a board-approved review course before a third try.

Exam

Yes, a board exam run by PSI. You need a score of 70.

Fees

Application	$100
Processing fee	10
Exam	Not listed yet
Renewal	$100
Late renewal	$100
Getting a lapsed license back	$300
Getting a lapsed license back, after 3 years	$300
What else reinstatement needs	The fee is $300 whether the license lapsed recently or more than 3 years ago. Lapsed more than 3 years, you also have to sit the exam again.

Renewal

Every two years, by November 30 of even-numbered years (late renewal December 1 to 31)

Training hours each year

About training hours

8 hours in the 24 months before the license expires. Under one year licensed, no hours. Between one and two years, 4 hours.

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Master Plumber Class I (restricted)

The license you need to own a plumbing business or be the licensed person behind one, if you only work on homes and small commercial buildings

What you can work on

Single-family homes, one-level homes built for up to two families, and commercial buildings up to 10,000 square feet

Experience required

At least 5 years of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, with at least 2 of those years as a licensed Journeyman Plumber

References you must provide

Three licensed plumbers, and at least one of them must be a licensed Master Plumber

Training required

None listed by the board. After two failed exams you must finish a board-approved review course before a third try.

Exam

Yes, a board exam run by PSI. You need a score of 70.

Fees

Application	$100
Processing fee	10
Exam	Not listed yet
Renewal	$100
Late renewal	$100
Getting a lapsed license back	$300
Getting a lapsed license back, after 3 years	$300
What else reinstatement needs	The fee is $300 whether the license lapsed recently or more than 3 years ago. Lapsed more than 3 years, you also have to sit the exam again.

Renewal

Every two years, by November 30 of even-numbered years (late renewal December 1 to 31)

Training hours each year

About training hours

8 hours in the 24 months before the license expires. Master Plumber courses may also cover environmental or business topics.

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Master Plumber Class II (unrestricted)

The license you need to own or qualify a plumbing business that works on any building, including large commercial and industrial jobs

What you can work on	No limits
Experience required	The same 5 years with 2 as a licensed Journeyman Plumber, plus documented commercial or industrial plumbing experience
References you must provide	Three licensed plumbers, and at least two of them must be licensed Master Plumbers
Training required	None listed by the board. After two failed exams you must finish a board-approved review course before a third try.
Exam	Yes, a board exam run by PSI. You need a score of 70.
Fees	Same as Class I
Renewal	Every two years, by November 30 of even-numbered years (late renewal December 1 to 31)
Training hours each year	4

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4 How much insurance does a plumber need in Georgia? What is this?

What Georgia requires you to carry before you work.

Minimum liability insurance	Not listed yet
Type of policy	None found. The board rules (Department 121), the plumbers FAQ, and O.C.G.A. 43-14-8 do not ask for liability insurance to get or keep a plumbing license.
Who this applies to	Not applicable at state level. Cities and counties may ask for a certificate before they issue permits, and most customers and builders will ask for it.
Who must be named on the certificate	Not applicable
Why other websites say a different number	Several non-government websites say Georgia requires $500,000 of general liability for a Master Plumber Class II, or a $25,000 bond. The $25,000 bond belongs to the residential and general contractor law (Title 43, Chapter 41), not to plumbers. We could not find the $500,000 figure in any official source, so we do not list it.
Workers' comp required?	Yes, once you regularly employ three or more people, full time or part time
Who can opt out	If your company is a corporation or LLC, officers and members count toward the three even if they opt out. Up to five officers or members can opt themselves out by filing Form WC-10 with their insurance company. A sole proprietor or partner is treated as an employer, not an employee, and is not covered unless they ask the insurer in writing. No state fee for the WC-10 was listed.
Workers' comp: if you skip it	Civil penalties of $500 to $5,000 per occurrence for failing to carry coverage, and possible criminal charges

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5 Does Georgia check your credit for a plumber license? What is this?

Georgia does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you need	None. The board rules and the licensing law do not ask for a credit check, net worth, or a financial statement for a plumbing license.
If your score is lower	Not applicable

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6 Does a plumber need a bond in Georgia? What is this?

Georgia does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.

Does the state require a bond?	No
Amount	Not listed yet

The state does not ask for a bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job) to hold a plumbing license. One exception is tax, not licensing. A contractor with no business location in Georgia must post a tax bond of 10 percent of any contract over $10,000 with the Department of Revenue. Cities may also ask for a bond before they let you pull permits, so check with your city.

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7 Where must a Georgia plumber show the license number? What is this?

In Georgia: no state rule was found that makes a plumber put the license number on ads, quotes, invoices, or trucks. The law does bar anyone who is not licensed from advertising as a plumber. The board rules say you must give the name and license number of the person supervising the work to any customer who reasonably asks, and failing to do so is unprofessional conduct.

The rule	No state rule was found that makes a plumber put the license number on ads, quotes, invoices, or trucks. The law does bar anyone who is not licensed from advertising as a plumber. The board rules say you must give the name and license number of the person supervising the work to any customer who reasonably asks, and failing to do so is unprofessional conduct.
If you forget	Discipline against the license for refusing to disclose the license number when asked. Advertising plumbing without a license is a violation of O.C.G.A. 43-14-8.

Conditioned air (HVAC) contractors do have a display rule, Rule 121-3-.05. It does not cover plumbers.

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8 Does a plumber charge sales tax on labor in Georgia? What is this?

In Georgia, no sales tax on repair or installation labor if you list it as a separate line on the invoice. If you lump labor and parts into one price, the whole amount can be taxed. The rest of the rules are below.

See how this compares in every state: Sales tax on labor for plumbers and HVAC contractors by state

Who pays tax on materials	You. Georgia treats a contractor as the final user of pipe, fittings, fixtures, and water heaters that become part of a building. You pay sales tax when you buy them and you do not charge the customer tax on them. You cannot buy them tax-free with a resale certificate.
Labor	No sales tax on repair or installation labor if you list it as a separate line on the invoice. If you lump labor and parts into one price, the whole amount can be taxed.
Homes versus businesses	No difference. Georgia looks at whether the item becomes part of the building, not at what kind of building it is.
New buildings versus repairs	No difference for materials that become part of the building. You pay tax when you buy them either way.
Things that are not part of the building	A washing machine, a refrigerator ice maker, or anything held in place only by gravity or a plug stays personal property after you install it. For those you can buy tax-free for resale (Form ST-5) and must charge the customer sales tax on the price of the item. Installation labor on those is still tax-free if listed separately.
Registering and filing	Every contractor must register for a sales and use tax number in the Georgia Tax Center and file a return every month, even in months with no sales.
Use tax	If you buy materials where the rate is lower than the rate where the job is, you owe the difference as use tax. If you paid more, there is no refund.
Tax rate	4 percent state, plus local rates. Most counties total 7 to 9 percent.

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9 Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Georgia plumber What is this?

If you are not paid in Georgia, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: within 30 days of the Notice of Commencement being filed or 30 days after your first day of labor or delivery, whichever is later (first delivery on March 1 with the Notice of Commencement already filed means notice by March 31). Send it to the owner and to the contractor.

Who has to send a notice	Anyone who was not hired by the general contractor directly, such as a sub of a sub or a supplier, and only when a Notice of Commencement (a form the owner or contractor files with the county superior court clerk at the start of a job) was filed. If no Notice of Commencement was filed, the Notice to Contractor rule does not apply.
Send your notice to the contractor by	Within 30 days of the Notice of Commencement being filed or 30 days after your first day of labor or delivery, whichever is later (first delivery on March 1 with the Notice of Commencement already filed means notice by March 31). Send it to the owner and to the contractor.
File your lien by	Within 90 days after your last day of work (last day on June 1 means the lien is filed by August 30). File it with the superior court clerk in the county where the property is.
Copy to the owner	Within two business days after you file the lien, send a copy to the owner.
File a lawsuit by	You must sue to collect within 365 days of filing the lien, and file a notice of that lawsuit with the clerk within 30 days of starting it.

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10 How much does it cost to become a plumber in Georgia? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $220 in Georgia. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

Government fees, added up	$220

Government fees only. Does not include the PSI exam fees, insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, city permits, or the trade name filing at the county court.

Our estimate

11Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.