Pittsburgh Plumber License: Allegheny County ACHD Requirements and Exam Dates

If you search for a "Pittsburgh plumber license," you will not find one issued by the City of Pittsburgh. Plumbing in the Pittsburgh metro area — including the city itself and surrounding suburban boroughs — is licensed through the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Plumbing Program. This is a county-level system, distinct from Philadelphia's city-level program, and it comes with its own exam schedule, fees, and renewal cycles.

The ACHD Licensing Tiers

Apprentice

Apprentices register with the ACHD to receive an Apprentice Plumber's card. The card allows hands-on plumbing work, but only when a licensed journeyman is physically present on the job site. All apprentice cards expire annually on September 30th, regardless of when you received yours — so a card issued in August gives you about one month before the first renewal.

Journeyman

ACHD requires four years of employment as a registered apprentice under a registered master plumber, combined with a minimum of 576 technical classroom hours. Those classroom hours typically break down to 72-hour semesters over four years through a state-approved trade school curriculum.

After meeting the experience threshold, you sit for the Journeyman exam. The exam fee is $133, and upon passing, you receive a Health Permit Number. Annual renewal costs $125 and falls on your birthday — not on a fixed calendar date.

Master

To qualify for the ACHD Master Plumber Examination, you need at least two full years of supervised field work as a licensed journeyman. The master exam fee is $265. Once licensed, annual renewals cost $375, also due on your birthday.

Exam Dates and Registration

Unlike Philadelphia's year-round Pearson VUE testing, ACHD administers exams just twice a year — Spring and Fall — over a two-day testing period. For the 2026 spring cycle, the scheduled exam was April 13-14, 2026, with applications and notarized work statements due by March 16, 2026. Use ACHD's current schedule for the next exam window.

All exam registrations go through the Accela Citizen Access Portal. Paper submissions are not accepted. Your application package must include a notarized work statement from your supervising master plumber, which means you need to secure that signature well before the submission deadline.

Testing takes place at the Cherry City Volunteer Fire Company, 309 Davis Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15209. The exam covers technical and administrative knowledge based on the 2022 version of Allegheny County Article XV ("Plumbing and Building Drainage").

Landlord Restriction

One regulation that surprises newcomers: under Article XV, landlords are strictly prohibited from performing any plumbing installations or repairs on their rental properties — even if they are personally licensed. All rental unit plumbing work in Allegheny County must be performed by a licensed ACHD master plumber under an approved permit. Homeowners can still perform repairs on their own primary residence.

Coverage Area

The ACHD Plumbing Program covers all of Allegheny County's municipalities. This means your ACHD credential works across the county — unlike Philadelphia, where the credential is city-specific. However, your ACHD license has no automatic standing outside Allegheny County. Neighboring counties and municipalities evaluate credentials on a case-by-case basis.

The Pennsylvania Plumber License Guide walks through the full ACHD application process, Accela portal navigation, and the notarized work statement requirements so you can submit a complete package the first time.

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