Georgia — plumbing code & licensing

Partially verified

Partially verified. The effective date is in conflict between the Department of Community Affairs' own pages: the amendment packet (rev. Jan 1, 2026) marks the amendments effective January 1, 2026, while DCA's announcement states the same adoption is effective January 1, 2027. The date is left blank until DCA clarifies which controls.

The code

Code family	Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code (IPC with Georgia State Amendments)
Edition in force	2024 IPC with Georgia State Amendments
Effective date	not defined in documentation
Adopted by	Board of Community Affairs (Georgia Department of Community Affairs), under O.C.G.A. Sec. 8-2-23
Adoption source	https://dca.georgia.gov/community-assistance/construction-codes/current-state-minimum-codes-construction
State amendments	State amendments at their own official document — https://dca.georgia.gov/document/document/ipc-2026-amendment-packet/download

Licensing

Model	state individual licensing (Master and Journeyman)
Authority	State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Georgia Secretary of State)
Licensing source	https://rules.sos.ga.gov/GAC/121-3
License classes	https://rules.sos.ga.gov/GAC/121-3

Permits & inspections

Georgia amendments delete IPC Chapter 1 (Scope and Administration) entirely, leaving it as a reference guide for local governments to develop their own administrative procedures; permitting administration is therefore local.

How this record was verified

Adoption	Sources conflict
Amendments	Verified
Licensing	Verified
Permits & inspections	Verified

Why partial: two dates are on record and haven't been reconciled.

Working notes

OPEN GATE - effective date conflict between DCA's own official pages, so code_effective_date is left BLANK: DCA's current-codes page lists the 2024 IPC with Georgia Amendments as a current mandatory code and the amendment packet (rev. Jan 1, 2026) marks amendments effective Jan 1, 2026, while DCA's Dec 9, 2025 announcement (updated Sep 21, 2026) states the same adoption is effective Jan 1, 2027. Do not wire an effective date until DCA clarifies which date controls on 2026-10-31. License classes (GAC 121-3-.02): Statewide Class II Master Plumber (unrestricted); Statewide Class I Master Plumber (single-family and one-level dwellings up to two families, and commercial structures up to 10,000 sq ft); Journeyman Plumber.

Compiled from the official sources above; retrieved 2026-10-31. Record basis: official page read firsthand.

Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.