With the passage of HB953, now Act 908, of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, the plumbing and natural gas fitter licensing regulation will be transferred to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Information provided here is updated as available.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors held an open discussion on August 5th at their board room. The FAQs below have been updated to capture information shared. The Board will hold two additional meetings on October 27, 2026 and November 24, 2026.
This law will not change any current rules or laws, and the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana still has authority over the licenses until the January 1 effective date. All requirements for registration of apprentices, holding current 2026 licenses, and related laws are still in effect.
You may still contact the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana the remainder of this year. The administrative offices will move to the Contractors Board office in downtown Baton Rouge September 1, 2026. However, all examinations will still be held at the SPBLA office locations through the end of the year.
Yes, you will still renew your license when the renewal period opens in October. You will need to make sure you renew, as the law requires, by December 31, 2026 to ensure no disruption in your license with the transition. Any renewals outstanding on January 1, 2027 will be addressed with the Contractors Board.
Exact fees have not been determined, but the board will be requiring fees for renewals for the 2028 year.
When you renew your license for 2027 with SPBLA, this license will be in effect until your birthdate in 2028. Then, moving forward, your license renewal will be your birthdate instead of the end of they year.
SPBLA will be distributing the renewals for 2027 in October as has been done in the past. You will receive a notice by USPS mail. It is important that you update your email information on your renewal this year as that will be the only way that the Contractors Board will communicate to you after January 1st.
Moving forward, under the Contractors Board regulation, you WILL NOT receive notice to renew your license. It will be your responsibility to renew as appropriate based on your birthdate. The board will not notify you if you do not renew. Failure to renew will place you in violation of law. All renewals are only processed online through the board's website.
Yes, you still need to complete CE for 2026. While we do not know what the framework of the educational requirements will be after January 1, the law does require completion of annual continuing education. Do not delay in making sure that you have this completed by mid-December to ensure no disruption in your license renewal by December 31st with the transition.
PHCCLA recommends that until more information is available to continue without disruption with your apprenticeship enrollment. While the OJT hours have been reduced, the law still requires a completion of an "apprenticeship," as yet to be defined. As we have more information on this, we will provide to all current apprentices and apprentice employers.
Apprentices not enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program should continue tracking their hours as normal. While the OJT hours have been reduced, the law still requires a completion of an apprenticeship, as yet to be defined.
A journeyman or master plumber may not contract any work with the public without the company for which they work holding a contractors license. More information will be available on this process and requirement leading into January 1, 2027.
Yes, medical gas will still require the additional endorsement for installers and verifiers. While the bill did not account for this endorsement, we understand it will be addresssed with sub-classifications of licensure. More information will be released as we know more.
Yes, backflow prevention will still require the additional endorsement for installers and testers. While the bill did not account for this endorsement, we understand it will be addresssed with sub-classifications of licensure. More information will be released as we know more.
The intent of the law is that residential-limited plumbers will be journeyman plumbers. However, the two boards are reviewing the requirements of both licenses' tests and qualifications to properly transition licenses. A journeyman exam MAY be required, but is not yet determined.
Yes, at this time, the board has indicated that you will not have to work an additional 1,000 hours under the new license regulation if you can provide verifiable hours as a Journeyman.
The new law does not recognize an "inactive" master plumber. The exact process is being clarified as to how these licensees should renew.