Alabama Plumber & Gas Fitter Certificate Renewal (PGFB)

Last reviewed November 2026 · 8 min read

Alabama master and journeyman plumber and gas fitter certificates, apprentice registrations and plumbing and gas fitting business registrations are issued by the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB) and all expire on December 31 every year. Renewal season runs from October 1 to December 31, online through the Board's renewal portal or with the Board: $175 for a master, $75 for a journeyman, $35 for an apprentice registration. Master and journeyman certificate holders need 4 hours of approved continuing education every year, reported to the Board by October 31; without it, you can't renew until you've sent the Board a CE deficiency plan (before December 30), paid a $100 fee and finished the hours. A renewal received after December 31 pays a late penalty equal to the renewal fee.

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who contracts, engages in, offers to engage in or conveys the impression of being certified in plumbing, gas fitting or medical gas piping in Alabama needs a Board certificate or registration in force (Code of Ala. 34-37-6). Companies doing the work register with the Board, with a separate principal master for each trade
Expires: December 31 every year, for every certificate and registration (Code of Ala. 34-37-9 and Rule 720-X-9-.01)
Renewal season: October 1 to December 31. Renew online through the Board's online renewal portal (individuals and businesses each have their own login) or with the Board
Deadline: The renewal fee must reach the Board's office by the close of business on December 31, or be paid online by 11:59 pm that night
Renewal fee: Master level $175, journeyman level $75, apprentice registration $35, medical gas pipe fitter $25, business registration $25
Late penalty: A renewal received after December 31 (after the office closes, or after 11:59 pm online) pays a penalty equal to the renewal fee: $175 master, $75 journeyman, $35 apprentice, $25 business. Fees for any earlier unpaid years are due too
Continuing education: 4 hours of Board-approved CE a year for master and journeyman plumbers and gas fitters, as the Board's CE page and its FAQ for 2027 renewals (the ones due by December 31, 2026) set it out. Plumbing certificates only: 4 hours of plumbing CE. Gas fitting only: 4 hours of gas fitting CE. Both: 2 hours of plumbing and 2 of gas fitting. Business and law courses can count towards any of the hours
CE rule change: An amended Rule 720-X-21-.02, operative January 1, 2027, asks 4 hours of CE per certification held: a master plumber who is also a master gas fitter would need 4 hours of plumbing CE and 4 of gas fitting CE a year. Check with the Board which renewal it first applies to before you plan next year's hours
CE deadline: Your provider must have reported your hours to the Board by the end of the business day on October 31: CE must be done before you renew. Without it by November 1, you can't renew until you've sent the Board a CE deficiency plan (before December 30, Rule 720-X-21-.03) and paid the $100 deficiency fee; finish the hours and renew before December 31 to avoid the late penalty
Getting credit: Your approved provider reports your hours to the Board, and gives you a certificate of completion within 7 days of the course: keep it. Courses can be in person or online (with a quiz); one hour is at least 50 minutes, you can't repeat a course in the same year, and extra hours don't carry over
Check your hours: Log in to your online profile: hours on record show under "CE History". If clicking "RENEWAL" brings up no CE message, your hours or exemption are entered and you can renew. The Board can't upload hours itself or enter them from a third-party provider, so if credit is missing, contact the provider; for a Board-offered class, email ce@pgfb.alabama.gov with your name, the class date and location, and the classes you attended
CE exemptions: Age 65 or older before January 1 of the year you renew in: if you turn 65 in 2026, you still need CE for your 2027 certificate and are exempt from your 2028 certificate on. Send the Board's age exemption form, with proof of your birth date, once, from January 1 after you turn 65; the form asks for it by September 1 of the year the exemption is to begin, so your certificate can renew from October 1. A journeyman's first certificate in the year it's issued, and a first certificate issued through reciprocity or another jurisdiction's license, in that year. The Board's FAQ limits the first-year exemption to someone who held no certificate needing CE before: an apprentice who becomes a journeyman qualifies, a journeyman who becomes a master doesn't
Course not on the list: You can ask the Board to accept it with the Non-Traditional CE Request Form and a $25 fee
Inactive status: If you aren't working in plumbing or gas fitting, a notarized inactive status application puts your certificate on inactive status from January 1, for at least a year, through December 31, renewed every year; the fee rule sets the inactive fee at $0 and no CE is due while inactive. To go active again, file the application for active status, finish the 4 CE hours and pay the renewal fee before doing any work
On the job: Carry your current certificate or registration whenever you work and show it on request (Code of Ala. 34-37-8). A registered business shows its name on two sides of each service or construction vehicle, in letters at least two inches high (Code of Ala. 34-37-6)

The fee rule lists renewal fees by level (master, journeyman), not by trade. If you hold both plumbing and gas fitting certificates, check your total in the online renewal portal or with the Board.

Certificates that have lapsed for years owe the unpaid fees for every year missed, plus the late penalty (Rule 720-X-9-.01). You can ask the Board to waive them if you weren't working in plumbing or gas fitting in Alabama then: use its notarized Waiver of Annual Fees/Penalties form, with proof such as W-2s, tax returns or proof of disability. The form says no waiver is granted to anyone found working as a plumber or gas fitter without a current certificate. A delinquent certificate also needs the 4 CE hours before it's renewed.

Someone serving in the armed forces doesn't pay back years for a renewal certificate during the calendar year they're released from active duty (Code of Ala. 34-37-9).

Tell the Board in writing within 30 days when your home or business address or business name changes (Code of Ala. 34-37-14).

A Board certificate is accepted statewide: no city, town or county can require another competency certificate or exam of plumbers or gas fitters (Code of Ala. 34-37-8).

Questions: the Board is at 205-945-4857, and CE questions can go to ce@pgfb.alabama.gov.

How to renew

Finish your 4 hours of Board-approved CE (plumbing, gas fitting or both, as your certificates need) early enough for your provider to report them by the end of the business day on October 31, and keep each certificate of completion.
From October 1, once your CE hours are on record, renew online through the Board's online renewal portal: $175 for a master, $75 for a journeyman, $35 for an apprentice registration.
Businesses: renew the plumbing or gas fitting business registration ($25) through the business login, between October 1 and December 31.
Make sure the Board has your payment by the close of business on December 31, or online by 11:59 pm. After that, the late penalty doubles what you pay.
Missed the CE deadline? Send the Board a deficiency plan before December 30, pay the $100 fee, and finish the hours and renew before December 31.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

By SeptemberBook your 4 CE hours (plumbing, gas fitting or both) with a Board-approved provider. Turned 65 before January 1? Send the age exemption form by September 1.
October 1Renewal season opens: renew your certificate and your business registration online.
October 31Your provider must have reported your CE hours to the Board by the end of the business day. From November 1 you need a deficiency plan (before December 30) and a $100 fee before you can renew.
December 31Certificates and registrations expire. Pay by the close of business, or online by 11:59 pm, to avoid a penalty equal to the renewal fee.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your company's plumbing or gas fitting business registration (every December 31)
Your apprentices' registrations (every December 31)
Medical gas pipe fitter certificates (the medical gas certification behind them must be current, Code of Ala. 34-37-6)
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Alabama plumber and gas fitter certificates expire?

December 31 every year, for every certificate and registration. Renewal season runs from October 1 to December 31.

How much does it cost to renew an Alabama plumbing or gas fitting certificate?

Master level $175, journeyman level $75, apprentice registration $35, medical gas pipe fitter $25 and business registration $25. A renewal received after December 31 pays a penalty equal to the renewal fee.

How many CE hours do Alabama plumbers and gas fitters need?

4 hours of Board-approved CE a year for master and journeyman plumbers and gas fitters, for the 2027 renewals due by December 31, 2026. If you hold both plumbing and gas fitting certificates, 2 hours must be plumbing and 2 gas fitting. An amended rule, operative January 1, 2027, asks 4 hours per certification held, so check with the Board before you plan next year's hours.

When is the Alabama plumbing CE deadline?

Your provider must have reported your hours to the Board by the end of the business day on October 31. Without them by November 1, you can't renew until you've sent the Board a CE deficiency plan (before December 30) and paid the $100 deficiency fee; finish the hours and renew before December 31 to avoid the late penalty.

Do Alabama plumbers over 65 need continuing education?

Not from the year after you turn 65: if you turn 65 in 2026, you still need CE for your 2027 certificate and are exempt from your 2028 certificate on. Send the Board's age exemption form, with proof of your birth date, once, from January 1 after you turn 65.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB), Continuing Education

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Alabama guides

All Alabama guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

2027 license renewal deadlines, month by month

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet

Alabama Plumber & Gas Fitter Certificate Renewal (PGFB)

Last reviewed November 2026 · 8 min read

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who contracts, engages in, offers to engage in or conveys the impression of being certified in plumbing, gas fitting or medical gas piping in Alabama needs a Board certificate or registration in force (Code of Ala. 34-37-6). Companies doing the work register with the Board, with a separate principal master for each trade
Expires: December 31 every year, for every certificate and registration (Code of Ala. 34-37-9 and Rule 720-X-9-.01)
Renewal season: October 1 to December 31. Renew online through the Board's online renewal portal (individuals and businesses each have their own login) or with the Board
Deadline: The renewal fee must reach the Board's office by the close of business on December 31, or be paid online by 11:59 pm that night
Renewal fee: Master level $175, journeyman level $75, apprentice registration $35, medical gas pipe fitter $25, business registration $25
Late penalty: A renewal received after December 31 (after the office closes, or after 11:59 pm online) pays a penalty equal to the renewal fee: $175 master, $75 journeyman, $35 apprentice, $25 business. Fees for any earlier unpaid years are due too
Continuing education: 4 hours of Board-approved CE a year for master and journeyman plumbers and gas fitters, as the Board's CE page and its FAQ for 2027 renewals (the ones due by December 31, 2026) set it out. Plumbing certificates only: 4 hours of plumbing CE. Gas fitting only: 4 hours of gas fitting CE. Both: 2 hours of plumbing and 2 of gas fitting. Business and law courses can count towards any of the hours
CE rule change: An amended Rule 720-X-21-.02, operative January 1, 2027, asks 4 hours of CE per certification held: a master plumber who is also a master gas fitter would need 4 hours of plumbing CE and 4 of gas fitting CE a year. Check with the Board which renewal it first applies to before you plan next year's hours
CE deadline: Your provider must have reported your hours to the Board by the end of the business day on October 31: CE must be done before you renew. Without it by November 1, you can't renew until you've sent the Board a CE deficiency plan (before December 30, Rule 720-X-21-.03) and paid the $100 deficiency fee; finish the hours and renew before December 31 to avoid the late penalty
Getting credit: Your approved provider reports your hours to the Board, and gives you a certificate of completion within 7 days of the course: keep it. Courses can be in person or online (with a quiz); one hour is at least 50 minutes, you can't repeat a course in the same year, and extra hours don't carry over
Check your hours: Log in to your online profile: hours on record show under "CE History". If clicking "RENEWAL" brings up no CE message, your hours or exemption are entered and you can renew. The Board can't upload hours itself or enter them from a third-party provider, so if credit is missing, contact the provider; for a Board-offered class, email ce@pgfb.alabama.gov with your name, the class date and location, and the classes you attended
CE exemptions: Age 65 or older before January 1 of the year you renew in: if you turn 65 in 2026, you still need CE for your 2027 certificate and are exempt from your 2028 certificate on. Send the Board's age exemption form, with proof of your birth date, once, from January 1 after you turn 65; the form asks for it by September 1 of the year the exemption is to begin, so your certificate can renew from October 1. A journeyman's first certificate in the year it's issued, and a first certificate issued through reciprocity or another jurisdiction's license, in that year. The Board's FAQ limits the first-year exemption to someone who held no certificate needing CE before: an apprentice who becomes a journeyman qualifies, a journeyman who becomes a master doesn't
Course not on the list: You can ask the Board to accept it with the Non-Traditional CE Request Form and a $25 fee
Inactive status: If you aren't working in plumbing or gas fitting, a notarized inactive status application puts your certificate on inactive status from January 1, for at least a year, through December 31, renewed every year; the fee rule sets the inactive fee at $0 and no CE is due while inactive. To go active again, file the application for active status, finish the 4 CE hours and pay the renewal fee before doing any work
On the job: Carry your current certificate or registration whenever you work and show it on request (Code of Ala. 34-37-8). A registered business shows its name on two sides of each service or construction vehicle, in letters at least two inches high (Code of Ala. 34-37-6)

The fee rule lists renewal fees by level (master, journeyman), not by trade. If you hold both plumbing and gas fitting certificates, check your total in the online renewal portal or with the Board.

Someone serving in the armed forces doesn't pay back years for a renewal certificate during the calendar year they're released from active duty (Code of Ala. 34-37-9).

Tell the Board in writing within 30 days when your home or business address or business name changes (Code of Ala. 34-37-14).

A Board certificate is accepted statewide: no city, town or county can require another competency certificate or exam of plumbers or gas fitters (Code of Ala. 34-37-8).

Questions: the Board is at 205-945-4857, and CE questions can go to ce@pgfb.alabama.gov.

How to renew

Finish your 4 hours of Board-approved CE (plumbing, gas fitting or both, as your certificates need) early enough for your provider to report them by the end of the business day on October 31, and keep each certificate of completion.
From October 1, once your CE hours are on record, renew online through the Board's online renewal portal: $175 for a master, $75 for a journeyman, $35 for an apprentice registration.
Businesses: renew the plumbing or gas fitting business registration ($25) through the business login, between October 1 and December 31.
Make sure the Board has your payment by the close of business on December 31, or online by 11:59 pm. After that, the late penalty doubles what you pay.
Missed the CE deadline? Send the Board a deficiency plan before December 30, pay the $100 fee, and finish the hours and renew before December 31.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

By SeptemberBook your 4 CE hours (plumbing, gas fitting or both) with a Board-approved provider. Turned 65 before January 1? Send the age exemption form by September 1.
October 1Renewal season opens: renew your certificate and your business registration online.
October 31Your provider must have reported your CE hours to the Board by the end of the business day. From November 1 you need a deficiency plan (before December 30) and a $100 fee before you can renew.
December 31Certificates and registrations expire. Pay by the close of business, or online by 11:59 pm, to avoid a penalty equal to the renewal fee.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your company's plumbing or gas fitting business registration (every December 31)
Your apprentices' registrations (every December 31)
Medical gas pipe fitter certificates (the medical gas certification behind them must be current, Code of Ala. 34-37-6)
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Alabama plumber and gas fitter certificates expire?

December 31 every year, for every certificate and registration. Renewal season runs from October 1 to December 31.

How much does it cost to renew an Alabama plumbing or gas fitting certificate?

How many CE hours do Alabama plumbers and gas fitters need?

When is the Alabama plumbing CE deadline?

Do Alabama plumbers over 65 need continuing education?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (PGFB), Continuing Education

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Alabama guides

All Alabama guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

2027 license renewal deadlines, month by month

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet