Plumber and Electrician Licensing Moved to DOB NOW
If a license renewal or inspection request goes in the old way this year, expect it to stall. Here is what changed in 2026 and where each request goes now.
What moved, and when
DOB moved three parts of the licensing and inspection process for trade licensees into DOB NOW in 2026:
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| February 23, 2026 | License applications, renewals, card re-issuances and changes to information move to DOB NOW: Licensing |
| June 29, 2026 | Electrical Development Inspections move to DOB NOW: Inspections Plus |
| September 7, 2026 | Taking over another electrician's job requires a Supersede Request in DOB NOW |
License applications and renewals: DOB NOW: Licensing
Since February 23, 2026, Electrician, Master Plumber and Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor license applications, renewals, card re-issuances and changes to information all go through DOB NOW: Licensing. The same move covered Filing Representative and Special Inspection Agency registrations. DOB says in-person requests and emails to the Licensing Unit are no longer accepted for these transactions.
If a new or renewal application was submitted in DOB NOW: BIS Options before February 23, 2026, it had to be finished there, but every later transaction on that license happens in DOB NOW: Licensing.
Who it affects
- Master and Special Electricians renewing a license, replacing a card, or updating business information
- Master Plumbers and Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractors doing the same
- Electrical contractors requesting inspections or taking over another licensee's job
- Owners and general contractors whose jobs depend on those inspections and sign-offs. A stalled renewal or inspection request on the trade side holds up the whole job.
Electrical inspections: DOB NOW: Inspections Plus
Since June 29, 2026, Electrical Development Inspections are requested and managed in the new DOB NOW: Inspections Plus module, not DOB NOW: Inspections. Electrical filings in DOB NOW: Build also have new questions tied to the 2025 NYC Electrical Code. More detail is on our electrical permit filings page.
Taking over another electrician's job: Supersede Request
Since September 7, 2026, if you are taking over another electrician's job, you have to file a Supersede Request in DOB NOW. Once it is submitted, your information populates on the permit. The Licensing Unit no longer does those transfers.
Step by step: renewing in DOB NOW: Licensing
Based on DOB's renewal guide:
- Log in with the right NYC.ID. Go to nyc.gov/dobnow and log in with the NYC.ID email address associated with your license. If you don't have an NYC.ID account, create one first.
- Open Manage License. Hover over DOB NOW: Licensing, select Manage License, then click Renew License and choose the license.
- Say whether anything is changing. Pick "Renewal with Change" if business or other license information is changing.
- Complete the tabs. Review the General Information, Background Information, Qualifications/Experience and Child Support Certification tabs.
- Upload the documents. For Master Plumbers and Master and Special Electricians, DOB lists a LIC62 physical examination form completed within 90 days before renewal, plus the required continuing education certificate (7 hours for Master Plumbers; a Department-approved course of at least 8 hours for electricians).
- Pay, sign and submit. You get an email when the Licensing Unit approves the request, and the new card comes by mail.
Check the current fees and document list on DOB's renewal page for your license type before you file.
Common mistakes
- Logging in with the wrong email. The renewal has to be done from the NYC.ID account tied to the license number.
- Renewing late. DOB charges late fees, and for Master Plumbers it says to submit 30 to 90 days before the expiration date on the card to avoid one.
- An old physical or missing course certificate. The physical exam form has to be recent, and a missing certificate holds up the application.
- An inactive business. DOB says a Master Electrician's corporation or other entity must be active with New York State for the renewal to go through.
- Using the old inspection module. Electrical inspection requests now go through Inspections Plus.
- Waiting on the Licensing Unit for a job transfer. Takeovers now need a Supersede Request.
Where we fit
None of this is hard once you have done it, but the first time through a new module is usually where requests get stuck. You don't have to figure it out on a deadline. As a Class 2 filing representative, we can handle the DOB NOW filing side, such as permits, inspection requests and paperwork when you supersede a job, so you can stay on the work. Plumbers can see what else we file on our permit expediting for plumbers page, including Local Law 152 gas piping certifications. If you are an owner and need a licensed trade, we will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network.
Call 718-833-2333 or email info@sandmexpediting.com