Trade Licenses

Trade Licenses are issued for the purpose of verifying an individual's qualifications for performing trade work. Trade Licenses are issued to individuals, not to companies.

All license applications must be submitted through the OneStopPGH platform linked here, or in-person at the OneStopPGH counter at 412 Boulevard of the Allies.

 

The Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections issues the following Trade Licenses (click on the dropdown for information specific to the license):

 

Additional Applicant Information

In order to obtain permits, trade license holders must provide the documents listed below in addition to those required by their license application:

  • General Liability Certificate of Insurance showing coverage for the applicant at the location where licensed activity will take place, and listing the City of Pittsburgh as the certificate holder and additionally insured. General liability insurance minimums as follows: $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate.
  • Worker’s Compensation Certificate of Insurance showing Worker's Compensation coverage for the applicant business and listing the City of Pittsburgh as the certificate holder. If the business does not have any employees, the department will accept a notarized statement attesting that there are no employees. (You can download that form here.)
  • Tax Compliance Letter from the City Department of Finance, which you can request via email at taxcompliance@pittsburghpa.gov

Fees

The permit and license fees for the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections undergo periodic adjustments. Please consult the current year’s Fee Schedule.

Note – once a license has been issued, refunds are not provided. Expired licenses within the 60 day grace period may incur a late fee.

Continuing Education Units Information

Trade License holders are required to obtain eight (8) continuing education units (CEUs) annually to be eligible for renewal. One CEU is equal to one hour.  A list of accepted Continuing Education Units for Trade License Holders and when they must be completed can be found here: Continuing Education Units for Trade License Holders(PDF, 57KB)

PLI will accept relevant continuing education credits from accredited institutions as listed by:

  • The ICC Preferred Provider’s Directory. For a full list of current providers, visit the ICC website, and then “Providers Directory.”
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s (“PA DLI”) Uniform Construction Code continuing education providers. For a list of current providers, visit the Department of Labor and Industry website, and then “Continuing Education Providers.”
  • For Stationary Power Engineers, relevant trainings provided by the International Union of Operating Engineers (“IUOE”) and relevant Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) courses.
  • If you intend to take a course outside of the acceptable CEU provider lists above, PLI will review requests on a case-by-case basis. Please contact PLIAppTech@pittsburghpa.gov with the course title and content, course instructor and qualifications, and information explaining the course relevance to the trade. A determination will be made within ten (10) business days. This pending determination is not a valid reason for license renewal delays. Licensees are solely responsible for providing PLI with the necessary information to make timely CEU determinations. Licenses that expire or lapse during any determination period will be subject to standard processing as per the Rules and Regulations.

In addition, trainings provided by trade-specific union and apprenticeship programs are accepted.

In determining whether a CEU provider is acceptable, PLI will refer to the lists maintained by the third-parties identified above.

License Expiration

  • All licenses expire 365 days from the date of issuance. If the license is not renewed within thirty (30) days after the expiration date, per the fee schedule, a late fee is incurred on the thirty-first (31st) day following the expiration date.
  • If the license is not renewed within sixty (60) days after the expiration date, then on the sixty-first (61st) day following the expiration date, the license automatically lapses.
  • All licensees that allow their license to lapse must apply for a new license and meet all new license requirements at the time of that new application. Permits related to the licensed activity will be suspended until a valid and current trade license is connected to the permitted work.

last updated: 10/05/2026

Back to top