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An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3462 By: Hays of the House
and
Bullard of the Senate
An Act relating to professions and occupations;
amending 59 O.S. 2021, Sections 1003, 1005, 1006, and
1009, which relate to The Plumbing License Law of
1955; modifying definitions; decreasing certain
prohibited examination period; establishing certain
passing score; allowing Construction Industries Board
to issue licenses to certain persons; requiring
certain plumbing contractors to meet certain
requirements; limiting certain residential plumbers
to certain buildings; updating statutory language;
and providing an effective date.
SUBJECT: Professions and occupations
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1003, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1003. As used in The Plumbing License Law of 1955:
1. “Board” means the Construction Industries Board;
2. “Committee” means the Oklahoma State Committee of Plumbing
Examiners appointed by the Construction Industries Board;
3. “Plumbing Hearing Board” means the State Plumbing Hearing
Board which shall consist of a designee of the Construction
Industries Board, as chair, and the members of the Oklahoma State
Committee of Plumbing Examiners;
ENR. H. B. NO. 3462 Page 2
4. “Apprentice” or “plumber’s apprentice” means any person
sixteen (16) years of age or older who, as the principal occupation
of the person, is engaged in learning and assisting in the
installation of plumbing under the direct supervision of a licensed
journeyman plumber or plumbing contractor;
5. “Journeyman plumber” means any person other than a master
plumber or plumbing contractor who engages in or works at the actual
installation, alteration, repair and/or, or renovation of plumbing
site;
6. “Temporary journeyman plumber” means any person other than a
person permanently licensed as a journeyman plumber, master plumber,
or plumbing contractor in this state who meets the temporary
licensure requirements of Section 1006.1 of this title;
7. “Master plumber” is a term used and defined under laws which
have been repealed. A person formerly known as a master plumber is
henceforth to be known as a “plumbing contractor” as defined in this
section;
8. “Plumbing contractor” means any person who is skilled in the
planning, superintending, and practical installation of plumbing and
who is familiar with the laws and rules governing the same. This
definition may be construed to mean any person who has qualified and
is licensed under The Plumbing License Law of 1955 as a plumbing
contractor, who may operate as an individual, a firm, partnership,
limited liability company, or corporation, or other legal entity to
engage in the business of plumbing, or the business of contracting
to do plumbing, or furnish labor or materials or both for the
installation, repair, maintenance, or renovation of plumbing
according to the requirements of The Plumbing License Law of 1955;
9. 8. “Plumbing” means, and includes:
a. all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances
for, and in connection with, a supply of water within
or adjacent to any building, structure, or conveyance,
on the premises and to the connection with a water
main or other source of supply,
b. all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances
for sanitary drainage or storm drainage facilities,
including venting systems for such facilities, within
or adjacent to any building, structure, or conveyance,
ENR. H. B. NO. 3462 Page 3
on the premises and to the connection with a public
disposal system or other acceptable terminal,
c. the installation, repair, maintenance, and renovation
of all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances
for a supply of water, or for the disposal of waste
water, liquid waste, or sewage within or adjacent to
any building, structure, or conveyance, on the
premises and to the source of supply of water or point
of disposal of wastes, and
d. the installation, repair, and maintenance of radiant-
floor heating system piping in residential homes with
capacities no greater than one hundred thousand
(100,000) BTU’s BTUs using only piping approved by the
most current adopted edition of the International
Mechanical Code; and
9. “Residential journeyman plumber” means any person who is
qualified and licensed, other than a plumbing contractor, to engage
in or work at the actual installation, alteration, repair, or
renovation site of residential plumbing. Residential plumbing shall
be limited to the type and category of journeyman plumbing license
for supervising and performing plumbing work for detached one- or
two-family dwellings and does not include commercial plumbers; and
10. “Variance and Appeals Board” means the Oklahoma State
Plumbing Installation Code Variance and Appeals Board.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1005, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1005. (a) A. Examinations shall be uniform and shall
be practical in nature but sufficiently strict to test the
qualification and fitness of the applicant as a journeyman plumber
or residential journeyman plumber or as a plumbing contractor, as
the case may be. It shall be in whole or in part in writing.
(b) B. Regular examinations shall be held at least twice each
year and special examinations may be fixed by the Oklahoma State
Committee of Plumbing Examiners. Any applicant initially failing to
pass the examination shall not be permitted to take another
examination for a period of thirty (30) days, and thereafter any
such applicant subsequently failing to pass the examination shall
ENR. H. B. NO. 3462 Page 4
not be permitted to take a subsequent examination for a period of
ninety (90) days thirty (30) days.
C. A passing score on all examinations shall be a grade not
less than seventy percent (70%).
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1006, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1006. A. The Construction Industries Board shall issue
licenses to persons who have been certified by the Board as having
successfully passed the examination for journeyman plumber or,
plumbing contractor, or residential journeyman plumber, as the case
may be, and who have paid the fees and have otherwise complied with
the applicable requirements of The Plumbing License Law of 1955.
B. Plumbing contractors shall meet the same requirements as
applicants for the journeyman plumber examination with an additional
one (1) year of experience. Plumbing contractors shall notify their
surety of any municipalities wherein plumbing work will be performed
and may operate as an individual, firm, partnership, limited
liability company, or corporation, or other legal entity to engage
in the business of plumbing, or the business of contracting to do
plumbing.
C. Residential plumbers shall be limited to engage in work on
one- and two-family dwelling units in a singularly constructed
structure that have a maximum of two dwelling units for each
structure, and have a minimum of five (5) feet of separation of
construction to any other dwelling unit or structure regardless and
independent of firewalls, such as a single independent residential
home or duplex. Residential plumbers shall not engage in work on
dwelling units or structures that include occupancies of more than
two dwelling units such as apartments, motels, and multifamily
townhomes.
D. A residential journeyman plumber license shall entitle the
licensee to install plumbing as defined in OAC 158:30-1-2. To
engage in the act of residential plumbing, a residential journeyman
plumber shall be employed and supervised by a licensed plumbing
contractor. A residential journeyman plumber shall not contract or
furnish labor and materials. If a residential journeyman plumber
performs plumbing work in commercial industrial plumbing, he or she
shall be employed by a licensed plumbing contractor and maintain an
apprentice plumber registration, as defined in OAC 158:30-5-1.
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E. Applicants for a journeyman plumber examination shall be
eighteen (18) years of age or older and have:
1. Three (3) years of experience in the plumbing trade while
employed by a licensed plumbing contractor; or
2. Three (3) years of experience in the plumbing trade while
serving in the United States Armed Forces.
F. Applicants for a residential journeyman plumber examination
shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older and have:
1. Two (2) years and four thousand (4,000) verified hours of
work experience in the plumbing trade while employed by a licensed
plumbing contractor;
2. An associate’s degree or vocational diploma certifying
completion of a formal plumbing education program approved by the
Oklahoma State Committee of Plumbing Examiners consisting of a
minimum of one thousand (1,000) classroom hours from an educational
institution approved by the Committee and three thousand (3,000)
verified hours of work experience in the plumbing trade while
employed by a licensed plumbing contractor; or
3. Two (2) years of experience in the plumbing trade while
serving in the United States Armed Forces and three thousand (3,000)
verified hours of work experience in the plumbing trade while
employed by a licensed plumbing contractor.
G. A verifiable out-of-state plumbing license may be used to
expedite processing of the requirements or be considered for
reciprocity pursuant to OAC 158:30-5-4 if there is a written
reciprocity agreement with that state, the license is currently in
good standing, and the licensee meets the requirements set forth in
subsections E and F of this section.
H. All licenses shall be nontransferable. It shall be unlawful
for any holder of a license under The Plumbing License Law of 1955
to loan or allow the use of such license by any other person, firm
or corporation, except as specifically provided in The Plumbing
License Law of 1955.
C. I. The Board shall adopt procedures and rules to review and
accept proof and documentation of an applicant’s qualified training
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and experience as a journeyman plumber or, plumbing contractor, or
residential journeyman plumber while on active duty with the armed
forces Armed Forces of the United States when such service member
has been honorably discharged from active duty within one (1) year
of the application for examination or licensure in this state as a
journeyman plumber or, plumbing contractor, or residential
journeyman plumber.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1009, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1009. A. No license shall be issued for longer than
one (1) year and all licenses shall expire on the last day in the
birth month of the licensee and shall be in alignment with
continuing education requirements. Such licenses may be renewed
upon application and payment of fees within thirty (30) days
preceding or following the date the license renewal is due. No
journeyman or contractor license shall be renewed unless the
licensee has completed the required hours of continuing education as
determined and approved by the Oklahoma State Committee of Plumbing
Examiners.
B. The Committee may renew licenses upon application made more
than thirty (30) days following the date of expiration only upon
payment of the renewal and additional fee prescribed and upon
compliance with any applicable continuing education requirements as
established by the Construction Industries Board and this act The
Plumbing License Law of 1955. Provided, that no penalty for renewal
shall be charged to any holder of a license which expires while such
holder is in military service if application is made within one (1)
year following discharge from the military service.
C. Apprentice registration certificates expire one (1) year
after date of registration, at which time the apprentice may
reregister.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
ENR. H. B. NO. 3462 Page 7
Passed the House of Representatives the 6th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 4th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________