Massachusetts Sheet Metal License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

Massachusetts sheet metal licenses (apprentice, journeyperson, master, instructor, business and school) are issued by the Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers, part of the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL). Individual licenses renew every two years and expire on the 28th day of your birth month; a business license renews every two years on the anniversary of its issue date. You renew online through DOL's eLIPSE platform, and the board lists renewal fees of $40 for an apprentice, $80 for a journeyperson and $100 for a master. No continuing education is currently required. An individual license renewed within two years of expiring costs the current fee plus a late fee; after two years, you apply for re-issuance, and a journeyperson or master license requires a retest.

At a glance

Who needs it: Everyone performing sheet metal work on projects and in shops in Massachusetts, and everyone manufacturing and fabricating sheet metal work for commercial duct and exhaust systems in Massachusetts, including those fabricating for resale only. Apprentices need their own license and proper supervision
License types: Apprentice (Class A), journeyperson (Class J-1 unrestricted or J-2 restricted), master (Class M-1 or M-2), instructor, business (Class B) and school
Renews every: Two years, for individual and business licenses alike
Expires: An individual's first license is valid for at least 12 months and expires on the 28th day of your birth month; each two-year renewal falls on the anniversary of that date. A business license is valid for 24 months from its date of issue and renews on that anniversary. Go by the expiration date on your license
Deadline: Submit the renewal application and fee before the expiration date. Renewals received after the due date are charged a late filing fee
Renewal fees: Listed on the board's renewal page: apprentice $40, journeyperson $80, master $100, instructor $50, business $225, school $300. All fees are non-refundable
Renew: Online through DOL's eLIPSE platform, with a MyMassGov account linked to your license. You upload any required documents there, including a DOL CORI form, and pay in eLIPSE. DOL's Welcome Center (617-701-8895, 9:00am to 5:00pm, One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston) can walk you through it by phone or in person; if you need a reasonable accommodation, or help applying by mail or email, contact the board
Continuing education: None currently required: 271 CMR 4.00 says the board anticipates adding a requirement in the future, by a separate regulation change announced in future renewal documents
Keep your address current: It's on you to give the board a mailing address where you reliably get its mail: without one, you may not receive the renewal notice or your license card. Report a change of name or address within 30 calendar days
Business licenses: A business with sheet metal worker employees needs a Sheet Metal Business License, unless their only sheet metal work is for premises the business owns or operates; partnerships, LLCs and other entities fabricating sheet metal work for commercial duct and exhaust systems in Massachusetts need one too. Its renewal is submitted by the Responsible Craftsman, the master who is personally responsible for making sure all its sheet metal work is done by individuals with valid, current licenses
Working while expired: Performing sheet metal work with an expired license is a violation of the board's regulations, and employees and employers are equally responsible for keeping licenses current. An apprentice gets no credit for hours worked with an expired license. A business with an expired license can't do sheet metal work business, advertise it, apply for or keep sheet metal permits, or bid on future sheet metal projects
If it expires: Within two years of expiration, an individual license is brought back by paying the fee for the current licensure period and one late fee. After two years, you apply for re-issuance under the requirements in force then and pass the appropriate examination: the board's renewal page says a journeyperson or master license will require a retest. If you can show extenuating circumstances, you may petition the board to waive some or all of this. You may also face disciplinary action if you worked while it was expired
Expired business license: Within two years: the current period's fee and one late fee. Between two and four years: every renewal fee you skipped, the current period's fee and one late fee. After four years: you apply for re-issuance
Questions: Sheetmetalboard@mass.gov or 617-701-8708

An individual license and a business license run on separate cycles: yours follows your birth month, the business's follows the day it was issued. Track both.

Masters employing apprentices must make sure each apprentice keeps their license current, so an apprentice's lapsed license is the shop's problem too.

How to renew

Find the expiration date on your license (for an individual, the 28th of your birth month) and put a reminder two months ahead of it.
Make sure the board has your current mailing address, so the renewal notice and your new license card reach you.
Log in to eLIPSE with your MyMassGov account. Linking your license the first time? Read DOL's Linking Your License guide before you create the account.
Upload any documents eLIPSE asks for, including the DOL CORI form, and pay the renewal fee: $40 apprentice, $80 journeyperson, $100 master.
Renew before the expiration date: after it, you can't do sheet metal work on that license, and a late filing fee applies.

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

60 days outCheck the board has your current mailing address, and that your MyMassGov account is linked to your license in eLIPSE.
30 days outRenew in eLIPSE: upload the DOL CORI form and any other document it asks for, and pay the fee.
14 days outCheck the renewal went through. Still pending? Call DOL's Welcome Center or the board.
Expiration dayDon't do sheet metal work on an expired license: it's a violation, and an apprentice gets no credit for hours worked on their own expired license.

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 Sheet Metal Business License, which runs on its own two-year cycle from its issue date
Your apprentices' licenses: their hours worked on an expired license don't count
Your refrigeration technician license, if you hold one (it renews on its own date)
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 does a Massachusetts sheet metal license expire?

An individual license expires on the 28th day of your birth month and renews every two years on that date. A business license renews every two years on the anniversary of its issue date.

How much does it cost to renew a Massachusetts sheet metal license?

The board's renewal page lists $40 for an apprentice, $80 for a journeyperson, $100 for a master, $50 for an instructor, $225 for a business and $300 for a school. All fees are non-refundable.

Do Massachusetts sheet metal workers need continuing education?

Not currently. 271 CMR 4.00 says no continuing education is required, and that a future requirement would come by a separate regulation change announced in future renewal documents.

How do I renew my Massachusetts sheet metal license?

Online through DOL's eLIPSE platform with a MyMassGov account, uploading any required documents including a DOL CORI form and paying there. DOL's Welcome Center can help by phone or in person.

What if my Massachusetts sheet metal license expired?

For an individual license: within two years of expiration, you pay the fee for the current licensure period and one late fee. After two years, you apply for re-issuance and pass the appropriate examination: the board says a journeyperson or master license will require a retest. A business license has its own rules: between two and four years late it pays every renewal fee it skipped, the current period's fee and one late fee.

Official sources

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

Massachusetts Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers, Renew Your Sheet Metal License

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Massachusetts guides

All Massachusetts guides on one page

HVAC guides for other states

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 HVAC techs

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet

Massachusetts Sheet Metal License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

At a glance

Who needs it: Everyone performing sheet metal work on projects and in shops in Massachusetts, and everyone manufacturing and fabricating sheet metal work for commercial duct and exhaust systems in Massachusetts, including those fabricating for resale only. Apprentices need their own license and proper supervision
License types: Apprentice (Class A), journeyperson (Class J-1 unrestricted or J-2 restricted), master (Class M-1 or M-2), instructor, business (Class B) and school
Renews every: Two years, for individual and business licenses alike
Expires: An individual's first license is valid for at least 12 months and expires on the 28th day of your birth month; each two-year renewal falls on the anniversary of that date. A business license is valid for 24 months from its date of issue and renews on that anniversary. Go by the expiration date on your license
Deadline: Submit the renewal application and fee before the expiration date. Renewals received after the due date are charged a late filing fee
Renewal fees: Listed on the board's renewal page: apprentice $40, journeyperson $80, master $100, instructor $50, business $225, school $300. All fees are non-refundable
Renew: Online through DOL's eLIPSE platform, with a MyMassGov account linked to your license. You upload any required documents there, including a DOL CORI form, and pay in eLIPSE. DOL's Welcome Center (617-701-8895, 9:00am to 5:00pm, One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston) can walk you through it by phone or in person; if you need a reasonable accommodation, or help applying by mail or email, contact the board
Continuing education: None currently required: 271 CMR 4.00 says the board anticipates adding a requirement in the future, by a separate regulation change announced in future renewal documents
Keep your address current: It's on you to give the board a mailing address where you reliably get its mail: without one, you may not receive the renewal notice or your license card. Report a change of name or address within 30 calendar days
Business licenses: A business with sheet metal worker employees needs a Sheet Metal Business License, unless their only sheet metal work is for premises the business owns or operates; partnerships, LLCs and other entities fabricating sheet metal work for commercial duct and exhaust systems in Massachusetts need one too. Its renewal is submitted by the Responsible Craftsman, the master who is personally responsible for making sure all its sheet metal work is done by individuals with valid, current licenses
Working while expired: Performing sheet metal work with an expired license is a violation of the board's regulations, and employees and employers are equally responsible for keeping licenses current. An apprentice gets no credit for hours worked with an expired license. A business with an expired license can't do sheet metal work business, advertise it, apply for or keep sheet metal permits, or bid on future sheet metal projects
If it expires: Within two years of expiration, an individual license is brought back by paying the fee for the current licensure period and one late fee. After two years, you apply for re-issuance under the requirements in force then and pass the appropriate examination: the board's renewal page says a journeyperson or master license will require a retest. If you can show extenuating circumstances, you may petition the board to waive some or all of this. You may also face disciplinary action if you worked while it was expired
Expired business license: Within two years: the current period's fee and one late fee. Between two and four years: every renewal fee you skipped, the current period's fee and one late fee. After four years: you apply for re-issuance
Questions: Sheetmetalboard@mass.gov or 617-701-8708

An individual license and a business license run on separate cycles: yours follows your birth month, the business's follows the day it was issued. Track both.

Masters employing apprentices must make sure each apprentice keeps their license current, so an apprentice's lapsed license is the shop's problem too.

How to renew

Find the expiration date on your license (for an individual, the 28th of your birth month) and put a reminder two months ahead of it.
Make sure the board has your current mailing address, so the renewal notice and your new license card reach you.
Log in to eLIPSE with your MyMassGov account. Linking your license the first time? Read DOL's Linking Your License guide before you create the account.
Upload any documents eLIPSE asks for, including the DOL CORI form, and pay the renewal fee: $40 apprentice, $80 journeyperson, $100 master.
Renew before the expiration date: after it, you can't do sheet metal work on that license, and a late filing fee applies.

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

60 days outCheck the board has your current mailing address, and that your MyMassGov account is linked to your license in eLIPSE.
30 days outRenew in eLIPSE: upload the DOL CORI form and any other document it asks for, and pay the fee.
14 days outCheck the renewal went through. Still pending? Call DOL's Welcome Center or the board.
Expiration dayDon't do sheet metal work on an expired license: it's a violation, and an apprentice gets no credit for hours worked on their own expired license.

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 Sheet Metal Business License, which runs on its own two-year cycle from its issue date
Your apprentices' licenses: their hours worked on an expired license don't count
Your refrigeration technician license, if you hold one (it renews on its own date)
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 does a Massachusetts sheet metal license expire?

An individual license expires on the 28th day of your birth month and renews every two years on that date. A business license renews every two years on the anniversary of its issue date.

How much does it cost to renew a Massachusetts sheet metal license?

The board's renewal page lists $40 for an apprentice, $80 for a journeyperson, $100 for a master, $50 for an instructor, $225 for a business and $300 for a school. All fees are non-refundable.

Do Massachusetts sheet metal workers need continuing education?

Not currently. 271 CMR 4.00 says no continuing education is required, and that a future requirement would come by a separate regulation change announced in future renewal documents.

How do I renew my Massachusetts sheet metal license?

Online through DOL's eLIPSE platform with a MyMassGov account, uploading any required documents including a DOL CORI form and paying there. DOL's Welcome Center can help by phone or in person.

What if my Massachusetts sheet metal license expired?

Official sources

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

Massachusetts Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers, Renew Your Sheet Metal License

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Massachusetts guides

All Massachusetts guides on one page

HVAC guides for other states

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 HVAC techs

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet