A person carrying on, conducting or transacting a plumbing business may not maintain any suit or action in any of the courts of this state to recover for the performance of plumbing work without alleging and proving that the person was duly licensed as a plumbing contractor at the time of the work. [Amended by 1955 c.548 § 8; 1973 c.835 § 227; 2005 c.758 § 14]