Plumbing Contractor Permit Requirements in Shreveport, LA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

1. Louisiana State Plumbing Board — Master Plumber License

   Plumbing contractors in Louisiana must hold a Master Plumber License from the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. The ladder runs journeyman first, then master: applicants need qualifying journeyman experience and must pass the state board exam. Active master plumbers must complete 5 hours of continuing professional education annually and renew by December 31. The board's site notes plumbing licensing is scheduled to transition to the LSLBC beginning late 2026 with full implementation in January 2027; that has not taken effect yet.

   Official government source

   $110 application/exam fee, plus $190 for an active license upon passing the exam (or $40 for an inactive license).·Processing may take up to two (2) weeks from the date the application is received; applications are scheduled in the order they are approved, and applicants receive an exam notice by mail with the date, time and location.

   $110 application/exam fee, plus $190 for an active license upon passing the exam (or $40 for an inactive license).

   Processing may take up to two (2) weeks from the date the application is received; applications are scheduled in the order they are approved, and applicants receive an exam notice by mail with the date, time and location.

2. City of Shreveport Revenue Division — Occupational License

   Shreveport requires an Occupational License for all businesses operating within city limits, administered by the Department of Finance (318-673-5500). A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained first. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.·Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.

   Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

3. City of Shreveport Plumbing Permit

   A plumbing permit must be pulled for each job. The City of Shreveport's Division of Permits and Inspections (505 Travis St., Suite 130; plumbing permits 318-673-6116) issues permits for all of Caddo Parish except inside the town limits of Greenwood and Oil City. Apply through mgoconnect.org. Any contractor performing plumbing work in the jurisdiction must first hold a City Registration, renewed annually with current liability insurance. Plumbers must be licensed through the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana; without an additional Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors license, the value of work they may perform is limited to under $7,500. Plumbing subcontractors call in their own first rough, rough and final inspections, and all trade inspections must pass before the building framing inspection. Clearing stoppages and repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures are exempt, but replacing a defective concealed trap, drainpipe or waste or vent pipe counts as new work and requires a permit.

   Official government source

   Calculated from contract value under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1, not a flat per-job fee. Commercial repairs, alterations and renovations are $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price (rounded up to the next $1,000), minimum permit fee $31.50; residential repairs, alterations and renovations are $4.20 per $1,000, same $31.50 minimum. Commercial new construction is $5.25 per $1,000 up to $5,000,000 and $2.63 per $1,000 above that, plus 25 percent of the permit fee for plan review. Each inspection is $68.25 and each reinspection is $68.25. Working without a permit costs double the permit fee plus a $100 penalty.·Not published as a fixed window. The city says application review for simple projects with properly completed plans can often be done in one or two days; large or complex commercial projects go to the State Fire Marshal, which takes approximately three weeks. The permit issues once plans are approved and payment is made through MGO.

   Calculated from contract value under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1, not a flat per-job fee. Commercial repairs, alterations and renovations are $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price (rounded up to the next $1,000), minimum permit fee $31.50; residential repairs, alterations and renovations are $4.20 per $1,000, same $31.50 minimum. Commercial new construction is $5.25 per $1,000 up to $5,000,000 and $2.63 per $1,000 above that, plus 25 percent of the permit fee for plan review. Each inspection is $68.25 and each reinspection is $68.25. Working without a permit costs double the permit fee plus a $100 penalty.

   Not published as a fixed window. The city says application review for simple projects with properly completed plans can often be done in one or two days; large or complex commercial projects go to the State Fire Marshal, which takes approximately three weeks. The permit issues once plans are approved and payment is made through MGO.

Official Sources

• Louisiana State Plumbing Board — Master Plumber License
• City of Shreveport Revenue Division

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