Master Plumber

Arkansas Master Plumber License

The Arkansas master plumber license, issued by the Department of Health's Plumbing and Natural Gas Division, is the credential that unlocks permit authority, supervisory scope, and the right to operate a plumbing contracting business in the state. The application fee is $125; annual renewal is $200, with licenses expiring December 31 each year.

Five years of experience — and a journeyman year — before you can test

The experience bar for the master plumber examination is five years of plumbing work, confirmed in both Arkansas statute (A.C.A. §17-38-304) and the Department's current licensing rules. Applicants who earned their Arkansas Journeyman Plumber license through the state pathway must also hold that license for at least one full year before sitting for the master exam. The Committee of Plumbing Examiners can waive the one-year holding requirement in cases of extreme hardship, but the five-year minimum is absolute. Out-of-state applicants may qualify via reciprocity and may not be required to re-examine.

Renewal runs on a calendar year, with a hard February 1 deadline

The license expires December 31 each year, but the renewal deadline is February 1 — not December 31. Missing February 1 adds a $5 per month late penalty. Arkansas requires no continuing education for master plumber renewal; the only obligation is the $200 fee, a clean license record, and the February 1 filing window.

What this license authorizes — and what it doesn't add to the paperwork stack

Master Plumbers may perform and supervise all plumbing work on any project type — residential, commercial, industrial — pull permits, and employ journeyman plumbers and apprentices. The Department of Health does not require a surety bond or general liability insurance for this license; no CE requirement applies either.

Consequences of working without the license

Performing plumbing work in Arkansas without a valid Department of Health license is a misdemeanor under A.C.A. §17-38-102. Fines run $100 to $500 per conviction, and each day of unlicensed work counts as a separate offense.