State rules
Maryland
Maryland regulates who may certify the installation and testing of mechanical cross-connection devices through the Board of Plumbers and the Business Occupations and Professions Article. COMAR 09.20.04.01 defines a certified technician as a person certified to install, test, repair, and make reports on a mechanical cross-connection or backflow prevention device or assembly after successful completion of a 32-hour certification program approved by the Board. COMAR 09.20.04.02 says an individual may install, test, or certify a mechanical cross-connection device when that person is certified and holds a master or journey plumber license. The Board’s course page says enrollment itself does not require a plumber license.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Drinking-water agency
- The Maryland Board of Plumbers approves cross-connection and backflow certification programs and limits who may certify installation and testing.
- Who may test an assembly
- A person who completed a Board-approved 32-hour program and who holds a master or journey plumber license may install, test, or certify a mechanical cross-connection device.
- Official program page
- Official page →
The 1998 enrolled Senate Bill 691 says any master plumber, journey plumber, or apprentice holding a valid license is eligible to participate in a Board-approved cross-connection and backflow prevention certification program. Only a master plumber or journey plumber possessing certification shall be authorized to certify the installation and testing of mechanical cross-connection control devices. A local jurisdiction may adopt qualifications comparable to or more stringent than that certification limit. COMAR repeats the master or journey limit for the person who installs, tests, or certifies the device, and it says an apprentice may assist.
COMAR 09.20.04.02 says a program may be approved if it can teach the mechanical devices and assemblies necessary for compliance with listed ASSE standards, including ASSE 1013, 1015, 1020, and others named in the regulation. Instructor qualifications may include ASSE instructor accreditation, the University of Florida TREEO Center, or the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross-Connection Control. Those names appear as training and instructor standards. The Board’s approved-course page lists the IAPMO Backflow Prevention Institute as the provider shown on the page retrieved for this research. It says people do not have to hold an apprentice or journeyperson plumber license to enroll.
A county or local inspector of these devices must have completed a Board-approved program. That is an inspector qualification, not a substitute for the master or journey plumber license when the work is certifying installation and testing. No statewide dollar fee is stated on the course page used here. A customer should ask for both the Board-approved backflow certification and the master or journey plumber license before hiring someone to certify a test.
Official resources in Maryland
Approval standards for backflow programs and the master or journey plumber limit on certifying tests.
Defines a certified technician as someone who completed a Board-approved 32-hour program.
Says a plumber license is not required to enroll, and lists the approved course provider shown on the page.
Key facts for Maryland
- A certified technician, as defined, has completed a Board-approved 32-hour cross-connection and backflow prevention program.
- Installing, testing, or certifying a mechanical cross-connection device requires Board certification and a master or journey plumber license.
- Apprentices may participate in training and may assist, but the statute reserves certification of installation and testing to a certified master or journey plumber.
- Local jurisdictions may set comparable or more stringent qualifications.
- COMAR names ASSE device standards and names ASSE, TREEO, and USC among instructor credentials.
- The Board course page says a plumber license is not required merely to enroll in training.
What to do next
- Ask for both the backflow certification and a current master or journey plumber license.
- Do not hire an apprentice to sign the certification of the test.
- Ask the county whether it imposes a stricter local qualification.
- Training enrollment is not the same thing as authority to certify a test.
Looking for your city or county in Maryland?
We haven't found official program-level pages for Maryland we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Maryland, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Maryland Board of Plumbers backflow courses
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Maryland Manual: county governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Maryland page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- What a backflow test is
- Who is allowed to test a backflow assembly
- Why utilities require annual backflow testing
- Tester and cross-connection specialist