Delaware Plumber Verification of Employment: Forms, W-2 Alternatives, and Uncooperative Employers

Why This Form Stalls More Applications Than the Exam

The Verification of Employment form is the most common reason Delaware plumber license applications get delayed or abandoned. The Board of Plumbing Examiners requires proof that you worked under a licensed master plumber for the required period — two years post-apprenticeship or seven years on the bypass path — and that proof must come in a specific format.

Each supervising master plumber who oversaw your work needs to complete and sign the physical form. If you worked for three different masters over seven years, you need three separate signed forms. The form requires the supervisor's signature, and depending on the circumstances, a notary seal or company stamp may also be required.

The Problem: Former Supervisors Who Will Not Cooperate

Plumbing is a field where people change jobs, companies close, and professional relationships end badly. Any of these situations can leave you unable to get a supervisor's signature:

• Your former employer went out of business and you cannot locate them
• A supervisor passed away
• You left on bad terms and the supervisor refuses to sign out of spite
• The company was sold and the new owner has no records of your employment

Whatever the reason, the standard form becomes impossible to complete. And without it, the Board has no way to verify your experience.

The Board-Approved Alternative: W-2s and Affidavits

Delaware's administrative code provides a documented workaround. If you cannot obtain a standard Verification of Employment form, you may substitute:

W-2 tax forms for the employment period in question. These prove you were employed by the plumbing contractor and show the dates and employer name.

IRS Schedule C filings if any of your experience was self-employed work under a master plumber's supervision.

An employer-officer affidavit — if the original supervisor is unavailable but another officer or manager at the company can verify your employment, their signed affidavit can substitute.

In every case, you must also include a signed written statement explaining why the standard supervisor-signed form cannot be obtained. The statement should be specific: name the supervisor, describe the circumstance (deceased, uncooperative, company dissolved), and confirm the dates and nature of the work you performed.

How the Board Evaluates Alternative Proof

Alternative documentation is not automatically accepted. The Board reviews these substitutions at their monthly meetings and retains sole discretion over whether to approve them. In practice, W-2 forms paired with a clear, honest explanatory statement are the strongest substitute — they are government-issued records that independently confirm employment.

A vague statement like "my former employer won't help" is weaker than "John Smith, Master Plumber License #12345, refused to sign on March 15, 2026 after a wage dispute. I was employed at Smith Plumbing LLC from 2019 to 2024 as documented by the attached W-2 forms."

Mailing Requirements

Physical forms with supervisor signatures, notary seals, or company stamps must be mailed to the Board office in Dover. DELPROS routinely rejects digital uploads of these documents. W-2 copies and your written explanatory statement can be uploaded through the portal, but confirm with DPR staff before assuming any document is upload-eligible.

Timing This Around the 180-Day Clock

Your DELPROS application has a 180-day submission window. Chasing down uncooperative supervisors can easily consume weeks or months. Start gathering employment verifications well before you open your DELPROS draft — ideally four to six weeks in advance.

If you already know that a supervisor will be a problem, prepare your W-2 alternative package before you start the application. The Delaware Plumber License Guide includes an experience verification toolkit that walks through the alternative documentation process step by step, including a template for the required written statement.

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