DELPROS License Search: How to Verify a Delaware Plumber License

Why You Should Verify Before Hiring

Hiring an unlicensed plumber in Delaware is not just risky for the quality of work — it can void your insurance coverage if something goes wrong and leave you personally liable for code violations during inspections. The Delaware Division of Professional Regulation maintains a free, public license verification tool through the DELPROS portal that takes about 30 seconds to use.

Every licensed plumber in Delaware — apprentice registrations excluded, since those go through the Department of Labor — appears in the DELPROS database. The lookup covers Master Plumber licenses (the "Plumber" credential issued by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners), contractor registrations, and any disciplinary actions on file.

How to Use the DELPROS License Lookup Tool

The verification tool lives at delpros.delaware.gov under the "Verify a License" section. You do not need an account to search — it is a public-facing lookup available to anyone.

Step-by-step search process:

1. Navigate to the DELPROS verification page
2. Select "Plumbing" from the profession dropdown menu
3. Enter the practitioner's last name (first name is optional but helps narrow results)
4. Click "Search" to pull matching records

The results page shows the license holder's name, license number, license type, issue date, expiration date, and current status. Active licenses display a status of "Active" with the next renewal deadline — for plumbers, that falls on October 31 of even-numbered years during the biennial renewal cycle.

If you already have the plumber's license number, you can search by number instead of name for a faster lookup.

What the License Record Tells You

Each DELPROS record contains several fields worth checking beyond just the "Active" status flag.

License type confirms the credential level. A "Plumber" designation means Master Plumber — the only tier that authorizes independent contracting, permit pulling, and crew supervision. If someone claims to be a master plumber but the record shows a different license type, that is a red flag.

Expiration date matters because plumber licenses expire on October 31 of even-numbered years. An expired license cannot be used to pull permits. Starting with the October 2026 renewal cycle, all active licensees must complete 5 hours of Board-approved continuing education to renew — so an active status after that date also confirms CE compliance.

Discipline history shows any formal complaints, Board actions, suspensions, or revocations on file with the Division of Professional Regulation. A clean record means no public disciplinary actions exist. If a practitioner has been disciplined, the record typically includes the violation type and the Board's disposition.

When a Search Returns No Results

A blank result does not automatically mean the person is unlicensed. There are a few common reasons the search might come up empty:

Name spelling variations are the most frequent cause. Try searching by last name only with no first name filter, or try common alternate spellings. Hyphenated names and suffixes (Jr., III) can also throw off exact matches.

Journeyman-level plumbers will not appear in DELPROS because their credential — the Journeyperson Certificate — is issued by the Delaware Department of Labor, not DPR. The DOL does not maintain a public online verification tool. To verify a journeyman, you would need to contact the DOL Office of Apprenticeship and Training directly.

Out-of-state plumbers working in Delaware under a reciprocity arrangement should still have a Delaware-issued license in DELPROS. If they claim reciprocity but have no Delaware record, they may not have completed the application process yet — and they should not be pulling permits without an active Delaware credential.

Verifying a Plumber for a Specific Job

Confirming that someone holds an active Master Plumber license is the first step, but it is not the only credential that matters on a real job site.

For permitted work, the plumber also needs to be registered with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction. In New Castle County, that means a current contractor registration with the Department of Land Use. In Wilmington, the Department of Licenses and Inspections requires its own local trade license. Dover and other municipalities have their own registration requirements.

The plumber's contracting business also needs valid general liability and property damage insurance — Delaware requires $100,000 per occurrence general liability and $300,000 per occurrence property damage — and a current Delaware business license through the Division of Revenue. DELPROS confirms the individual professional license; it does not verify insurance, local registrations, or business licensing.

For the complete checklist of what to verify before hiring a plumber or starting your own contracting operation in Delaware, the Delaware Plumber License Guide walks through every credential layer from state licensure through local permitting.

Checking Your Own License Status

If you are a licensed plumber checking your own record, DELPROS is also where you monitor your renewal status, confirm that your continuing education hours have been recorded, and check whether you have been selected for the random CE audit (the Board audits 5% of renewals, and 100% of late renewals).

Your DELPROS account dashboard shows more detail than the public lookup — including your CE completion records, application history, and any pending Board actions. If your public-facing record shows anything incorrect, contact DPR's administrative staff in Dover to request a correction before your next renewal cycle.

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