The Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Board) licenses those working in the plumbing, hydronic, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), and refrigeration disciplines. It issues trade licenses, specialty licenses and medical gas piping installation certifications. It began to issue contractor licenses on November 1, 2012, and anyone working in these disciplines in Iowa is required to be licensed with the Board. Senate File 427, signed into law on April 26, 2013 and incorporated into Iowa Code ยง 105, contains several significant changes to the licensing program which will be implemented in stages throughout the next 3 years.
One of the first changes is that all licenses issued by the Board with expiration dates between January 1, 2014 and June 29, 2014 will be extended to a single expiration date of June 30, 2014. Each licensee with a renewal that falls within this time frame should have received a letter in May advising them of the extension. During the transition period, any license within this timeframe will be given an automatic extension to June 30, 2014 at no cost, and renewal fees and proof of continuing education courses will be due beginning July 1, 2014. In turn, any license with an expiration date later than June 30, 2014 will be eligible to renew beginning July 1, 2014 in order to align all license expiration dates.
The Board confirmed that additional changes that were mandated in Senate File 427 are still in the rule making process and that announcements will be made as implementation details are developed. Expected changes are:
- New disciplines will be added that include sheet metal and mechanical
- HVAC and refrigeration disciplines will be combined into a new HVAC-R license
- State Mechanical Code is now under the authority of the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board
- Iowa Division of Labor Contractor Registration and Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Contractor License Application will combine in 2017
- All licenses will be moving to a common expiration date on June 30, 2017
Stay tuned.
Additional Resource, Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Memo: Notice of Legislative Changes