How Do I Renew or Update a Plumbing & Mechanical Systems License?

Create an account, and renew, or update online using our online portal.

Alternatively, you may submit a paper application for renewal, along with the correct fee for each license.

Licensees have a one-month grace period (for most licenses until the end of July) to renew their license without paying additional penalties or late fees. 

After the grace period, the following late fees apply:

• For renewal during the month of August (or 2 months after the expiration date if your license expired prior to June 30), licensees must submit an additional $60 late penalty fee in addition to meeting the other requirements for renewal.  The late fee is applied to each license that has not been renewed in a timely manner. 
• For renewal during the month of September (or 3 months after the expiration date if your license expired prior to June 30) and up to one year late,  licensees must submit an additional $100 late penalty fee in addition to meeting the other requirements for renewal.  The late fee is applied to each license that has not been renewed in a timely manner.   The license is not valid for practice.
• If your license is more than one year past its expiration date, the license is also not valid for practice in Iowa and you must meet the requirements for reinstatement of the license.   Licensees will be required to pay the full 3-year renewal fee and shall not be entitled to a pro-rated reduced renewal fee.

To renew a license, applicants must submit an application for renewal (either online or via a paper application), pay the renewal fee, and meet the continuing education requirements for renewal.

Continuing education hours must be completed during the renewal term of the license to be eligible.

If your license expired over 365 days ago reinstatement requires either retesting or retaking all continuing education hours. 

If your license expired more than one year ago and was not renewed (including those that expired June 30th, 2020, but remained valid due to COVID-19 related extensions), you must meet the requirements for reinstatemement

A license that has been expired for one year or more becomes a lapsed license. 

A licensee has two options for reinstatement once a license has become lapsed:  

1. Retake and successfully complete all continuing education requirements. The appropriate license renewal fee must also be paid, and board rules specify that a licensee shall not be entitled to a prorated, reduced renewal fee. 
2. Retake and successfully pass the applicable licensing examination. 

Reinstate by retaking continuing education

You must provide evidence of taking the reqired number of continuing educaiton courses for each license you are seeking to reinstate. The courses must be taken at least one year after the license expiration date to qualify. 

• For example, if your license expired on June 30, 2020, only courses taken after June 30, 2021, will qualify for reinstatement of your license.  

If your license has been lapsed for more than on renewal cycle (e.g. not renewed in 2017 or before), you must provide CEUs for each renewal cycle in which the license was lapsed. 

• For example, to reinstate a single plumbing license that expired June 30, 2017 and became lapsed June 30, 2018, you will need a total of 16 hours of CEUs: 8 CEUs for the 2017 renewal and 8 CEUs for the 2020 renewal. 

* Beginning March 31, 2021 the same course cannot be repeated for CEU credit for reinstating a lapsed license.

 Continuing education type and hours for each license type.

Reinstate by retaking the applicable licensing exam

Submit an Exam Candidate Application and select reinstatement as the basis for the application. The application must be submitted along with the fee of $35 for each examination. Upon approval, you will be sent information on scheduling your examination through Kirkwood Community College.  A testing fee of $95 per examination must be paid directly to Kirkwood.

After you have successfully completed your examination OR continuing education, submit  an application for renewal, along with the correct fee for each license you are reinstating.

For licensees that currently hold a HVAC/R and a hydronics license at the same level of master or journeyperson, you may elect to combine these licenses into a single mechanical license.

Renewal fees will be assessed as a single license if converting to the mechanical license. No fee is charged to combine licenses when it is done at renewal.  

If you are renewing into the new mechanical license, there are special instructions when doing this via the public portal. In the instructions for individual renewals, see the section marked Combine to Mechanical.

Allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing all applications.

Paper applications must be submitted with a $25 processing fee.

Late renewal is subject to an additional late penalty fee.

• If you submit your renewal application more than one month late, but less than two months late, include an additional $60 late penalty fee for each trade discipline license being renewed late.
• If you submit your application more than two months late, but less than one year late, include an additional $100 late penalty fee for each trade discipline license being renewed late.

If your license renewal term is less than the full three years, renewal fees will be prorated using a one-sixth deduction for each six-month period of the renewal cycle. However, if you are reinstating your license, you are not entitled to a prorated, reduced renewal fee.