New Jersey Licensing
Who Is Legally Allowed to Work on Your Well Pump in New Jersey
About 150 people in the whole state hold this licence. Here is what it covers, what it takes to get, and how to check the person standing in your basement.
Lead with the number
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says: "There are approximately 530 licensed well drillers and 150 licensed pump installers in New Jersey; only properly licensed individuals are permitted to install, service and decommission wells and pumps."
About 150 people in the whole state. New Jersey has roughly nine million residents. That is the context most homeowners don't have when they call a handyman about a well pump.
What a New Jersey pump installer licence covers
The pump installer class permits the holder to install, maintain, disinfect, winterize or replace well pumping equipment and its appurtenances, storage tanks and their appurtenances, and the connecting lines between a well and the storage tank — and to perform yield and drawdown testing of wells.
Getting one takes two years of experience working under the supervision of qualified licensed installers or well drillers, plus three state examinations — Water Systems General, one water systems category exam, and a New Jersey Regulations examination for pump installers. Licensing is administered by NJDEP together with the New Jersey State Well Drillers and Pump Installers Examining and Advisory Board, and the general provisions for each licence type are in N.J.A.C. 7:9D-1.7.
A pump installer licence is not a well driller licence
Sunrise is a pump and water treatment company, not a drilling company. The split matters:
- •Constructing a well requires a licensed well driller of the proper class, and a well permit obtained by that driller before construction begins.
- •New Jersey defines a well as a hole deeper than ten feet or wider than four inches drilled, bored, driven or otherwise constructed for water and certain other purposes.
- •Permanently sealing a well also requires a licensed well driller of the proper class. Under N.J.S.A. 58:4A-4.1 the property owner is responsible for the wells on their property and for decommissioning them at the end of their life.
- •The well driller licence classes in New Jersey are Master, Journeyman, Journeyman (Class B), Environmental Resource and Geotechnical, Dewatering, Vertical Closed Loop Geothermal, and Elevator Borehole. There are no A, B, C or D letter classes.
See our page on sealing an old well in New Jersey.
So can my plumber replace my well pump?
NJDEP says only properly licensed individuals are permitted to install, service and decommission wells and pumps. This is a licensing question for the person doing the work. Plenty of good plumbers also hold a pump installer licence, and the right move is not to guess but to ask for the number.
How to check somebody
- 1Ask for the pump installer licence number and the name it's held under. The licence is held by a person, not a company.
- 2Ask whether it's current, and when it expires.
- 3If the job involves drilling or sealing a well, ask for a well driller licence and the class, because those are different.
- 4Ask NJDEP. Licensing questions go to the Technical Assistance and Licensing Unit at wdpilicensing@dep.nj.gov. Well permitting questions go to wellpermitting@dep.nj.gov.
- 5Ask for a certificate of insurance with your own name on it as the certificate holder.
And ask us
Ask any contractor for their New Jersey pump installer licence number before they touch your system, and ask us too. We will hand it over, and so should anybody else.
Questions we get on this one
Is a pump installer licence the same as a plumbing licence?→
No. They are separate licences administered under different rules. A plumber may also hold a pump installer licence, and some do, but the plumbing licence alone does not authorise installing, servicing or replacing well pumping equipment. That is why the right question is to ask for the pump installer licence number specifically.
Does the licence belong to the company or the person?→
The licence is held by a person, not a company. When you ask for a licence number, ask for the name it is held under too. A business can employ a licensed individual, but the credential itself belongs to that individual.
Do I need a permit to replace my well pump?→
In New Jersey, permits attach to constructing a well, and replacing a pump in an existing well is repair work. That said, the requirement for a specific job can depend on the work and the local jurisdiction, and it should be confirmed with NJDEP rather than assumed from a website. We confirm it for the job in front of us rather than stating a blanket rule.
Who enforces this?→
Licensing of well drillers and pump installers is administered by NJDEP together with the New Jersey State Well Drillers and Pump Installers Examining and Advisory Board. Licensing questions go to the Technical Assistance and Licensing Unit at wdpilicensing@dep.nj.gov.
What happens if unlicensed work was done on my well?→
That is a question for NJDEP's licensing unit and, depending on the situation, for your attorney. The point of asking for the licence before the work starts is to avoid finding out afterwards. Ask for the number, ask whether it is current, and confirm it with NJDEP.
Can I work on my own well?→
New Jersey requires properly licensed individuals to install, service and decommission wells and pumps. Whether an owner may perform particular work on their own well is a question for NJDEP and your local health department, not something to assume from a website. Ask before you start.
Questions about your own well?
Call (862) 276-0328Last reviewed September 2026. Rules change, and these pages summarise what the agencies say rather than giving legal advice. Confirm anything that matters with the agency named on the page.