Lansing, MI Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must register
- master/journeyman plumbers, contractors
- Registers with
- Building Safety Office
- State license required
- issued by State Plumbing Board
- Registration term
- expires with state license
Summary
Lansing requires plumbers and plumbing contractors to register their state license with the Building Safety Office before doing any plumbing work under the state-adopted plumbing code.
No person shall engage in the business of or perform the work of plumbing contracting, unless the person has first registered his or her license with the Building Safety Office. No person, other than a licensed master or journeyman plumber, or a plumbing apprentice, who is employed by and working under the direction of a holder of a master plumber's license whose business is registered with the City, shall in any manner undertake to execute any plumbing work. Registration forms shall be approved by the Board of Plumbing. A plumbing business license shall be registered with the Building Safety Office only after payment of a fee, as established by resolution of Council. A licensed master plumber shall be registered with the Building Safety Office only after the payment of a fee established by resolution of Council. A licensed journeyman plumber shall be registered with the Building Safety Office only after payment of a fee established by resolution of Council.
The Building Safety Office shall allow to be registered pursuant to this section only those persons with a current journeyman or master plumber's license issued by the State Plumbing Board.
All registrations shall expire on the same date the applicable license expires.
(Ord. No. 912, 3-13-95; Ord. No. 1040, § 1, 10-15-01)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Lansing administers the State approved Michigan Plumbing Code under Section 1422.01, adopted through Public Act 230 of 1972 (MCL 125.1501 et seq.). Section 1422.04 goes further: no person may engage in the business of, or perform, plumbing contracting unless they've first registered their license with the Building Safety Office, and only a licensed master or journeyman plumber, or an apprentice supervised by a City-registered master plumber, may execute plumbing work. The Building Safety Office may register only those holding a current journeyman or master plumber's license issued by the State Plumbing Board, and registration expires when the underlying state license does.
Violations & Fines
Unlicensed or unregistered plumbing work is enforced by the plumbing inspectors and Building Official as a municipal civil infraction under Section 1422.98 and Chapter 203, drawing a civil fine plus costs, with higher fines for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire an unlicensed plumber for work in Lansing?
Does Lansing use its own plumbing code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lansing
Compare Lansing to another location·View the Michigan building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.