Navigating Continuing Education Requirements for Tradesmen

Maintaining a tradesman license often requires ongoing professional development. This article provides a comprehensive overview of continuing education requirements for tradesmen, with a particular focus on regulations and resources.

The Importance of Continuing Education

Continuing education is crucial for tradesmen to stay current with evolving industry standards, code updates, and best practices. The Board instituted mandatory continuing education in order to ensure that all tradesmen are up-to-date on code changes. These courses cover subjects directly related to the current edition of the code that is specific to your trade.

General Information and Contact Points

For specific inquiries regarding licensing issues, renewal processes, or application status, it is best to contact the Licensing Section at (804) 367-8511. For questions related to continuing education providers or the process of becoming a provider, the Education Section can be reached at (804) 367-2224. The Board office staff members are trained to process all information and answer your questions.

License Renewal

Renewal Forms and Deadlines

Tradesmen are responsible for renewing their licenses on a regular basis. Electricians, gas fitters, HVAC tradesmen, and plumbers need to renew every three years. To renew a license/certificate, tradesmen can complete required education and renew online or, send in the renewal fee, make checks payable to the Treasurer of Virginia, and include their license/certificate number on their check. It is important to note that the date the application or renewal is received, not the postmark date, determines whether it is on time.

Late Renewals and Reinstatement

The Board's regulations provide a 30-day period after the expiration date in which a license may be renewed without penalty. If the renewal fee is received after the due date, a reinstatement fee will be required. The regular renewal and reinstatement regulations apply to fulfillment of the continuing education requirements. You have a 30-day grace period after the expiration date on your license to submit payment and proof of continuing education. Please note that this grace period is to allow extra time for completing the renewal requirements only; your license is still considered expired and you cannot engage in the trade work. If you do not complete both requirements within 30 days of the expiration date on your license, you must pay an additional fee to reinstate your license and complete the continuing education.

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Address and Name Changes

Many Boards allow you to update your ADDRESS using Online Services, so login to your personal profile to see if this is an option for your license type. To report a NAME CHANGE: complete, print, sign, and submit a Name Change Form to the Board office. All name changes must be received by the Board in writing.

Continuing Education Requirements

Mandated Education

Beginning January 1, 2008, all tradesmen must complete continuing education in order to renew their licenses. Tradesmen with the trade designation of plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and/or gas fitting must complete continuing education. All continuing education requirements must be fulfilled during the two-year term of the license. If your license expires December 31, 2012, you must complete the required continuing education hours for your license before December 31, 2012.

Specific Hour Requirements

The number of hours you need depends entirely on the license type you have. State code mandates that during each renewal cycle, you need three hours of continuing education. Electricians (ELE), Plumbers (PLB), and HVAC Tradesman are required to complete 3 hours of Continuing Education, while Journeyman and Master Gas Fitters, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Fitters, and Natural Gas Fitters are required to complete 1 hour of continuing education to renew their license.

Course Content

The continuing education course must cover a subject directly related to the current edition of the code that is specific to your trade. Tradesmen can’t just pop into any classroom for the hours they need. What’s more, your hours need to relate to the applicable building code.

Approved Providers and Course Availability

The course must be completed through a Board-approved provider. A list of the Board-approved providers is available on the Board web page Education & Exams tab. While the Board-Approved Provider List shows the location of each of the providers, that is not necessarily the location of the course. Some of the providers travel to various locations, while others offer their courses online or through correspondence courses. You would need to contact the individual providers to find out the locations of their courses. Also, if you have several months or more before your license expired, you may wish to wait to take the course because the list is continuously being updated as new providers are approved by the Board. By waiting a few months, you may find a provider has been approved that is closer to your area.

Only approved courses offered by approved providers count toward the continuing education requirement. If you have a provider that you have taken courses through that you would like to see on the list, you should contact that provider and encourage them to apply for approval. The course must cover code updates, and the provider must meet the Board's requirements.

Course Formats and Testing

Only correspondence and online providers must offer a test at the end of their courses.

Roster Submission and Record Keeping

All Board-approved providers are required to transmit rosters electronically from each course to the Board office. This information is then transferred to your license record to document that the continuing education requirements have been completed. Providers have seven days after course completion to transmit course rosters to the Board office. Once received, it takes several days for Board staff to process the rosters. Therefore, it may be two to three weeks before the Board has record of your course. It is recommended not to contact the Board office to check on continuing education progress immediately after completing a course.

Additional Considerations

Grandfathering and Exemptions

There is no grandfather provision for continuing education.

Multiple Licenses

If you have, for example, a journeyman electrical and master electrical license, you only have to complete three (3) hours of continuing education on the National Electrical Code.

Course Length and Content

It is up to the provider how long to make the class. Some providers choose to do a more extensive overview, or choose to include additional topics in their curriculum. The Board requires a minimum of 3 contact hours (or 1 hour for gas fitters), and only grants 3 credit hours (or 1 credit hour for gas fitters), regardless of how long the course is.

Provider Accessibility

Some providers choose to offer classes only to their employees or to members of a specific organization. If you contacted one of the providers and the phone was disconnected or it did not appear they were still offering classes, please contact another provider on the list to find a provider who offers a course that you can take, but also please notify the Board office so that staff can attempt to contact the provider to determine whether or not they should be removed from the list.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Your license will not be renewed if you do not complete the continuing education.

Inactive or Retired Status

The Board does not have an "inactive" or "retired" status for its licenses.

Resources for Tradesmen in Specific States

Oregon

Oregon Journeyman Plumbers need 24 hours of continuing education in order to renew their license. Plumbers in Oregon who take this course will learn about workplace safety standards and common concerns. This four-hour course explains how Oregon plumbers can design, install, and maintain efficient sanitary drainage systems in residential and commercial settings. This comprehensive online training provides essential content on water heaters, a central topic for plumbers in Oregon.

This course defines 2023 NEC terms and requirements for commercial and industrial electrical installations. This online course is approved for LEA and LEB licensees and reviews 100 of the most important changes to the 2023 National Electrical Code. This online course is approved for Oregon electricians and reviews the first 100 of the most important changes to the 2023 National Electrical Code. This online course is approved for Oregon electricians reviews the last 100 of the most important changes to the 2023 National Electrical Code. Get a detailed room-by-room overview of the 2023 NEC installation requirements for residential dwelling units with this course. Safely install electrical service in residential and commercial buildings with this online course for Oregon electricians. This class provides four credits of electrical continuing education. This online course is approved for LRT and SIG licensees. The course reviews 50 of the most important changes to the 2023 National Electrical Code. This course is designed to help Oregon electricians pass their commercial or residential inspections by reviewing the installation codes electrical inspectors check for. Course topics include 2023 NEC installation practices for rooftop wiring, transformer grounding, and more. This four-hour course is the first part of a series that covers the 2024 NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace manual. In this second course, Oregon electricians will finish their look at the 2024 NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace code. This online course is approved for LME licensees and reviews 25 of the most important changes to the 2023 National Electrical Code.

Virginia

Virginia Tradesman licensed through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), must complete Continuing Professional Education during each license renewal cycle to maintain licensure.

Benefits of Online Courses

Online, on-demand courses offer flexibility for tradesmen with busy schedules. They can be completed at your own time and pace. All material you need to refer to within our Virginia Tradesman CE Courses is included. This means you won't have to spend any time waiting for books to ship before you can get started completing your online course.

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