A detailed article in Newsweek pointed out that, "Reporters working on profiles soon discovered that Wurzelbacher didn’t actually have a state or local license to work as a plumber in the Toledo area, and despite Wurzelbacher’s insistence that he didn’t need one, local officials and building inspectors in Toledo insisted he did. On Friday, those officials said a letter was being mailed to Wurzelbacher’s employer warning him to get into compliance with city codes or face the loss of the company’s license."[71] Wurzelbacher's former employer, A. W. Newell, is licensed by the State of Ohio and the City of Toledo.[11][18]

An MSNBC article further elaborated on the requirement for Joe to legally work, "...anyone working under Newell should have a journeyman’s plumbing license or an apprenticeship license, officials said."[72] Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics, whose national membership endorsed Obama, stated that Wurzelbacher has not yet completed the apprentice program he began in 2003.[73]