Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Kentucky?

Yes. In Kentucky, nobody may do plumbing or work at the plumbing trade without a master plumber’s or journeyman plumber’s license from the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, and a person or firm doing plumbing must carry at least $250,000 of general liability insurance. The chapter applies in every county of the state but not to farmsteads. Proof of the insurance and of compliance with workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance law must be submitted before the master plumber license is issued or renewed, and the insurance requirement does not apply to an employee. This is KRS 318.010, 318.015, 318.030.

WhatKentucky
Plumber licenseState master or journeyman plumber license (HBC)

Source

KRS 318.010, 318.015, 318.030

Read the statute in the Kentucky Revised Statutes (Kentucky General Assembly): apps.legislature.ky.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps each license with its issuing state, its expiry date and the last four digits of its number, and the business is warned before one lapses — on the website and both phone apps. A customer finding a pro on Seayora sees whether a license is on file.

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