Q.How do we check that a plumber is licensed in Maryland?

A.A Maryland plumber license lookup takes a few minutes, once you know which license applies: the State Board's for most of Maryland, WSSC's in Montgomery and Prince George's, Baltimore County's own there.

Here's the thing most people miss: Maryland doesn't have one plumbing license. It has at least three main systems, plus local licences in a couple of places, and the right one depends on where the house sits, not where the plumber's truck is parked.

So the first step isn't the search box. It's working out which licensing body covers your address, then asking for the license number and checking it there before anyone opens a wall.

Which Maryland plumber license lookup applies to us?

The Maryland State Board of Plumbing, part of the Maryland Department of Labor, licenses plumbers and gas fitters for most of the state. Baltimore County and the area WSSC Water serves each run their own licensing and has its own plumbing code.

In practice, that means Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick and Baltimore City jobs call for a State license, while Montgomery and Prince George's jobs need WSSC's, and Baltimore County jobs need the county's. Anne Arundel adds a wrinkle: its License Division also licenses journeyman, master and restricted plumbers and gasfitters.

How do you use the State search?

The State Board runs an online licensee search for active licensees. You can search by the person's name or by license number. A number is more reliable than a name, since common names return several people.

Look for three things in the result: the license is active, the name matches the person or company owner you're dealing with, and the level fits the job. Journey and apprentice training happens under a licensed master's direction, and in Baltimore City only a master can be issued a plumbing permit.

What about WSSC and Baltimore County?

In Montgomery and Prince George's, WSSC's homeowner information page says you can verify a plumber's WSSC license number by phoning its Licensing Office. WSSC's sewer backups page adds that anyone clearing sewers or doing plumbing in either county needs WSSC registration, and that only a registered WSSC Master Plumber may dig up or repair underground sewer pipe.

Baltimore County runs its own system. Its plumbing permit page limits permit applications to contractors holding a county plumbing or gasfitting license, so ask for the county license number and confirm it with the county's permits department.

What do the license levels mean?

The State's license requirements set a ladder. An apprentice must be at least 16. A journey plumber needs at least four years as a licensed apprentice, 7,500 hours of training under a master, and 32 hours of backflow-testing training. A master needs at least two years as a journey plumber and 3,750 more hours under a master. The Board also issues natural gas fitter licenses to qualified non-plumbers.

What should a plumber's own page tell you?

A solid company page names the services it actually does, says where it works, and shows license information you can check. Here's one example of that layout:

Which jobs need a licensed plumber?

More than you might think. In the WSSC area all gas work is licensed-only, and homeowners can't do gasfitting even with a homeowner permit. A gas water heater after a flood is a job for a licensed pro, as are backwater valves and ejector systems for a basement bathroom. Who issues the permit varies; see who issues plumbing permits.

Check a plumber in five minutes

1. Work out which system covers your address: State, WSSC or Baltimore County.
2. Ask for the license number in writing, and the license holder's name.
3. Search the number in the State tool, or call WSSC or Baltimore County.
4. Confirm the level fits the job and the license is active.
5. Ask who will pull the permit, and keep the permit number.

After a gas appliance job in WSSC territory, look for the green APPROVED sticker that WSSC's gas appliance FAQ says the inspector attaches. That's the sign the inspection actually happened.

The bottom line

Find the right licensing body first: the State Board for most of Maryland, WSSC in Montgomery and Prince George's, Baltimore County for its own jobs. Get the license number in writing, check it, and make sure a permit is pulled for work that needs one.

Readers also ask

Is a State license enough to work in Montgomery County?

Not by itself. The State Board says the WSSC area issues its own licenses, and WSSC says plumbers must be WSSC-registered to work there.

Can a drain cleaning company clear our sewer line in Prince George's County?

Only if it's WSSC-registered. WSSC also accepts blockage reports only from registered plumbers.

Does a gas fitter have to be a plumber?

No. The State Board issues natural gas fitter licenses to qualified people who aren't plumbers.

Who can pull a plumbing permit in Baltimore City?

The City building code reserves plumbing permits for masters (plumbers or gas fitters) licensed to do business there.

How do we know a gas appliance was inspected in the WSSC area?

WSSC's inspector attaches a green APPROVED sticker to the appliance when the installation passes.