Your state, your rules.

Connecticut is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) licenses all major trades through its Occupational and Professional Licensing Division. The Heating, Piping, Cooling, and Sheet Metal Examining Board handles HVAC; separate boards cover electrical and plumbing. License verification is available through eLicense.

Delaware is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) licenses plumbers and HVACR contractors through the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. Electricians are licensed separately through DPR. All applications are processed through DELPROS, the state's online licensing portal.

Maine is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR), within the Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation, administers separate boards for electricians, plumbers, and fuel/HVAC work. Apprenticeship programs are robust, particularly in the electrical trade.

Maryland is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Dept. of Labor's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DLLR) oversees trade-specific boards including the Board of Master Electricians, the Board of Plumbing, and the Board of HVACR Contractors. County-level licenses may also be required.

Massachusetts is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) licenses electricians through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians and plumbers through the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. Sheet metal and refrigeration workers are separately licensed; HVAC installers typically need an electrical or plumbing license depending on scope.

New Hampshire is not right-to-work. The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) administers licensing for electricians, plumbers, and mechanical/fuel gas fitters through separate boards. The Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board covers HVAC and fuel gas fitting.

New Jersey is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Division of Consumer Affairs licenses electricians through the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, plumbers through the Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, and HVACR contractors through the State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors.

New York is a State Apprenticeship Agency state. NYC has its own licensing on top of state requirements. IBEW Local 3 dominates electrical in NYC and is notoriously selective.

Pennsylvania has limited state-level trade licensing — most regulation happens at the municipal level. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have city licenses.

Rhode Island is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. Individual trade licenses (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are issued by the Dept. of Labor and Training's Professional Regulation unit. Contractor firm registration is administered separately by the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB) within the State Building Office.

Vermont is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Dept. of Public Safety's Division of Fire Safety administers trade licensing through the Electrical Licensing Board and the Plumbers Licensing Board. HVAC-related licenses (automatic gas/oil heating, refrigeration and A/C) are also issued through the Division of Fire Safety.

Illinois IDPH handles plumbing licensing. Electricians are licensed at the city/county level (no state license). Strong union presence in Chicago metro.

Indiana is a right-to-work state (since 2012). Plumbing is licensed at the state level through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). Electrical and HVAC licensing is primarily handled at the city and county level, with no statewide individual electrician or HVAC license.

Iowa is a right-to-work state. The Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL) administers the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, which licenses plumbers, HVAC contractors, hydronic technicians, and refrigeration specialists. Electrical licensing is handled by a separate Electrical Board also under DIAL.

Kansas is a right-to-work state. Kansas does not issue state-level licenses for plumbing, HVAC, or general contractors; licensing is handled at the city and county level. Electrical licensing also varies by jurisdiction — major metro areas like Wichita/Sedgwick County have their own licensing programs.

Michigan LARA handles licensing for electricians, plumbers, mechanical contractors, and builders. Strong union presence in southeast Michigan. Michigan repealed its right-to-work law effective February 13, 2024, becoming the first state in nearly six decades to do so.

Minnesota is an SAA state and is not right-to-work — it has strong union density in construction. The Dept. of Labor and Industry (DLI) licenses electricians, plumbers, and mechanical contractors at the state level. License lookup and applications are available through DLI's online licensing system.

Missouri became a right-to-work state in 2017 but voters repealed the law via referendum in 2018 — Missouri is not right-to-work. Electrical contractors are licensed at the state level through the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (Division of Professional Registration). Plumbing and HVAC licensing is primarily managed at the city and county level.

Nebraska is a right-to-work state. Electrical licensing is the only trade licensed at the state level, administered by the Nebraska State Electrical Division. Plumbing and HVAC licensing is handled by individual cities and counties — Douglas (Omaha) and Lancaster (Lincoln) counties have the most developed programs.

North Dakota is a right-to-work state. Plumbing is licensed by the North Dakota State Plumbing Board and electricians are licensed by the North Dakota State Electrical Board. There is no state-level HVAC license; HVAC contractors are regulated at the local/municipal level.

Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) handles state-level licensing for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration contractors. Apprentices/journeymen are not separately licensed at the state level.

South Dakota is a right-to-work state. Electricians and plumbers are licensed at the state level through the South Dakota Electrical Commission and Plumbing Commission, both under the Dept. of Labor and Regulation. There is no state HVAC license; HVAC contractors are regulated at the city/municipal level.

Wisconsin is a right-to-work state and an SAA state. The Dept. of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) licenses electricians, master plumbers, and HVAC contractors through separate credential programs. Wisconsin has strong union apprenticeship programs in the Milwaukee metro area despite right-to-work status.

Alabama is a right-to-work state. Trade licensing is split across several boards: the Electrical Contractors Board for electricians, the Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board for plumbing, and the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors for HVAC. The Licensing Board for General Contractors handles larger commercial work.

Arkansas is a right-to-work state. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (under the Dept. of Labor and Licensing) licenses general and specialty contractors, including electrical and mechanical. HVACR licensing and testing is administered separately through the Dept. of Labor's HVAC-R division. Plumbing licensing is overseen by the State Committee of Plumbing Examiners.

Florida DBPR handles trade licensing. Strong residential service market; lots of HVAC work due to climate.

Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board (SCILB) licenses electrical, plumbing, low voltage, and conditioned air contractors. Class I (residential) and Class II (unrestricted) tiers.

Kentucky is a right-to-work state. The Dept. of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) is the central licensing authority for electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, and other building trades. DHBC operates distinct divisions for each trade.

Louisiana is a right-to-work state. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) in Baton Rouge licenses commercial mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors. Residential licenses fall under the State Licensing Board for Contractors as well. The state follows the Louisiana State Plumbing Code.

Mississippi is a right-to-work state. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) licenses specialty contractors including electricians, plumbers, HVACR contractors, and mechanical contractors. Both commercial and residential licensing flows through the MSBOC.

North Carolina has separate boards for electricians (NCBEEC), plumbing/HVAC (NCBEEC for plumbing, NCBEC for HVAC), and general contractors. Multiple license tiers per trade.

Oklahoma is a right-to-work state. The Construction Industries Board (CIB) licenses electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and roofing contractors at the state level. License verification is available through the CIB's online portal.

South Carolina is a right-to-work state. The Dept. of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) oversees two relevant boards: the Contractor's Licensing Board for commercial mechanical and specialty contractors, and the Residential Builders Commission for residential electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work.

Tennessee is a right-to-work state. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (under the Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) licenses general contractors, specialty contractors, HVAC contractors, and issues Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) and Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP) credentials. Full journeyman/master electrician licensing occurs locally in some jurisdictions.

Texas splits trades across two boards: TDLR handles electricians and HVACR; TSBPE handles plumbing separately. No state-level general contractor license — that's handled by individual cities.

Virginia is a right-to-work state and has been an SAA state since 2019. The Dept. of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) licenses tradesman through its Tradesmen Program covering electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas fitting, and other building trades. The Board for Contractors handles contractor-level licenses.

West Virginia is a right-to-work state. The Division of Labor's Contractor Licensing Board handles general contractor and HVAC licensing. Electrical contractors are regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The Division of Labor also oversees certified plumber and HVAC technician registrations.

Alaska is an SAA state with its own apprenticeship system. It is not a right-to-work state, and unions have a significant presence in construction. Mechanical trade licensing (plumbing, HVAC, gas piping) falls under the Department of Labor's Mechanical Inspection Section; electrical and general contractor licensing is handled by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL).

Arizona is a right-to-work state and runs its own SAA apprenticeship system. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses all trades — electricians, plumbers, and HVAC — under a unified contractor licensing framework covering both residential and commercial work.

California is a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) state — administers its own apprenticeship system through DAS. CSLB licenses contractors. Strict prevailing wage rules on public work.

Colorado is an SAA state. Plumbing and electrical licensing are regulated at the state level by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) — Division of Professions and Occupations. HVAC is licensed at the local/municipal level; there is no state HVAC license. Colorado is not a right-to-work state.

Hawaii is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. Trade licensing is administered by the Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) through two boards: the Board of Electricians and Plumbers, and the Contractors License Board. Hawaii does not issue individual journeyman/master trade licenses; all work is performed under a company's licensed contractor classification.

Idaho is a right-to-work state. The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) administers separate boards for electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors at the state level. Right-to-work status contributes to lower union density in the state.

Montana is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Dept. of Labor and Industry's Business Standards Division administers licensing for electricians through the Montana State Electrical Board, and for plumbers through the Montana Board of Plumbers. HVAC contractors are licensed through the same department, although no separate state HVAC examination is required.

Nevada is a right-to-work state and an SAA state. The Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) licenses electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors under a unified contractor licensing system. The Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners issues journeyman and master plumbing licenses separately.

New Mexico is an SAA state and is not right-to-work. The Regulation and Licensing Dept.'s Construction Industries Division (CID) issues journeyman certificates for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) trades. The CID also handles inspections and code enforcement.

Oregon is an SAA state and is not right-to-work — it has strong union density in construction. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) registers all contractors; electrical licensing is administered through the Dept. of Consumer and Business Services Building Codes Division separately. Oregon uses the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).

Utah is a right-to-work state and an SAA state. The Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), part of the Utah Dept. of Commerce, issues licenses for electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors at the state level. A licensed master is required to qualify a contractor's license in each trade.

Washington is an SAA state and is not right-to-work — unions have strong density in construction. The Dept. of Labor and Industries (L&I) licenses electrical contractors and certifies electricians and plumbers statewide. HVAC contractors register through L&I. Washington uses the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) rather than the IPC.

Wyoming is a right-to-work state and an SAA state. Electrical licensing is administered by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office. Wyoming does not issue state-level plumbing or HVAC licenses — those are handled at the local/municipal level by individual cities such as Cheyenne and Casper.