Plumbing license · by state

Plumbing license requirements by state

Plumbing licenses come from each state's plumbing licensing authority. We publish a state only after reading its official requirements.

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Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Requirements: each state's plumbing licensing authority or its rules

Quick answer

Plumbers are licensed state by state, and what it takes differs: the license levels, the hours of supervised experience, the exam and the application. Of the 35 states and DC verified so far: a state apprentice or trainee license or registration is issued in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. A state licensing exam is required in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The statewide plumbing license is a contractor license in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada and Ohio. The table shows each state's license, experience requirement and exam.

By state

Plumbing license requirements by state

Data

Plumbing license requirements, verified states
State	License	Experience and training	Licensing exam
Alabama	Journeyman Plumber certificate	At least two years as a registered apprentice, or a Board-approved apprentice training program combined with registered apprentice time equal to two years; the experience must be current. Two years of apprentice-level experience gained other ways can be submitted with a Board Appearance Request.	The Journeyman Plumber exam: computerized and open book, given by the Board's contractor Prov, and based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code. After the Board approves your application you schedule with Prov.
Alaska	Plumber Journeyman Certificate of Fitness	8,000 hours of qualifying, documented work experience, worked for a contractor with valid credentials, on code work, under the direct supervision of a journey-level tradesperson; maintenance work does not count. Vocational or military hours may cover up to half (4,000 hours). Your employer records hours on Experience Verification Forms.	An examination scheduled by the Section once it validates your application packet; a score of 70% or more lets the Section issue your journey-level certificate.
Arizona	Plumbing Contractor License (C-37, R-37 or CR-37)	The Qualifying Party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience in the type of work being licensed, with at least two of those years within the last ten years. Accredited technical training may count for up to two of the four years.	The Qualifying Party must pass the required exams with at least 70%: the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) and a trade exam for the classification, unless the trade exam is waived. Trade exams are taken online or at a testing center through PSI.
Arkansas	Journeyman Plumber license	At least four years of experience, or its equivalent, for the journeyman exam. Applicants without a license document at least four years of experience in all phases of plumbing and natural gas; the Committee of Plumbing Examiners accepts affidavits, evidence from licensing agencies, or former employers who can attest to your work as a plumber. Completing an Arkansas plumber apprenticeship is the other route.	The Arkansas Journeyman Plumber Examination: four sections (a drawing section, fifty code and law questions, a gas pipe section and code illustrations), with four hours to complete all four.
California	C-36 Plumbing Contractor License	At least four full years of experience in the classification within the ten years before applying, at journey level or as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor or owner-builder. A journeyman is a fully qualified worker who can do the trade without supervision, or someone who has completed an apprenticeship. A qualified person who observed your work must certify the experience.	The Law and Business examination and the trade examination, scheduled and paid for directly with PSI after CSLB accepts your application. You have 18 months after acceptance to pass.
Colorado	Journeyworker Plumber	Up to 4 years (6,800 hours) of practical experience for the Journeyworker Plumber license; one month of full-time experience counts as 163 hours. Experience is verified with an Affidavit of Experience Form from current and former employers (plumbing contractors); you cannot verify your own experience.	A multiple-choice written exam given in English through PSI after your application is approved, based on the International Plumbing Code, the International Fuel Gas Code and the Board's rules. Journeyworker examinees need an overall score of 70% to pass.
Delaware	Master Plumber	With a journeyman certificate from a federally approved plumbing apprenticeship program (such as the Delaware Department of Labor's), you need at least two years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee after receiving the certificate. Without a journeyman certificate, you need at least seven years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee. Supervisors complete the Verification of Employment form.	The Board must approve you to sit for the master examination. If you qualify on experience alone (no journeyman certificate), you first pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam with at least 70% after the Board approves your experience. The licensure exams are given by the testing vendor ProV; the minimum passing score is 70%.
District of Columbia	Journeyman Plumber	At least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years as an apprentice plumber or gasfitter; or an accredited mechanical engineering degree plus at least 2 years of practical plumbing or gasfitting experience verified by a licensed master; or experience or education the Board deems equivalent. Prove it with employment verification letters signed by the master, detailing how long you worked and your experience.	The journeyman exam, based on the International Plumbing Code (2012) and International Fuel Gas Code (2012); it is open book, and to sit for it you must show the required experience. Exams are scheduled with PSI online or by phone. With proof of completing a nationally certified apprenticeship program you may waive the journeyman exam.
Florida	Certified Plumbing Contractor	Have at least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker who learned it through an apprenticeship, or as a foreman, with at least 1 year as a foreman. Other routes combine a related 4-year degree with 1 year of experience, or foreman and skilled-worker years with accredited college credits. A full year counts as at least 2,000 person-hours.	Pass the appropriate examination approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and certified by the Department to establish competency for statewide contracting.
Georgia	Journeyman Plumber	At least one year of experience in plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code; it may be primary experience (direct installation under the supervision of a licensed Master Plumber) or secondary experience (related work or training, such as maintenance plumbing for a public works department). Three licensed plumbers must attest to your plumbing experience.	The plumbing examination (minimum score 70), given by the testing vendor PSI after the Board approves you to sit for it. If you fail twice, you must complete a Board-approved review course before testing again.
Hawaii	Journey Worker Plumber	5 years but not less than 10,000 hours of plumbing work in compliance with the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Each licensed plumber you trained under completes and signs a notarized Experience Verification form. Hawaii does not reciprocate with any other jurisdiction.	Hawaii's licensure exam; the plumbers exam is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code. You must be qualified by the Board before you take it; after approval you send an Examination Registration Form to the testing contractor, PSI Services.
Illinois	Plumber's License	At least 4 years employed as an Illinois licensed apprentice plumber under supervision before you apply for the exam (the Department describes the apprenticeship as 48 to 72 months working under a licensed plumber).	The state plumbing licensing exam, taken after the apprenticeship. If you must retake it, you file the Department's examination retake form with the fee.
Indiana	Journeyman Plumber	Indiana residents need at least four years in an apprenticeship program approved by the Commission, or a notarized statement showing at least four years of experience in the plumbing trade in qualifying employment. On the trade route, your employer submits an Affidavit of Experience in Plumbing Trade. You must be at least 18.	The journeyman plumber examination: the Plumbing Commission must review and approve your eligibility before you register, and you register for the exam with the testing vendor PROV.
Iowa	Journeyperson Plumbing License	At least four years of practical experience as an apprentice; since January 1, 2010 it must come from an apprenticeship program registered by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, and you must have graduated from the program. Experience as a helper does not count. (A master license in the same discipline from another jurisdiction is the alternative route.)	The Iowa journeyperson examination for each trade discipline, given by the Board's approved provider, Kirkwood Community College, after you receive an Exam Approval Letter; approval lasts one year. Apprentices may apply to test up to 6 months before completing the 48 months of required apprentice credit.
Kentucky	Journeyman Plumber	Two consecutive years of experience in the plumbing trade, verified with W-2 forms, an affidavit from the Kentucky-licensed master plumber who employs you, or a plumbing license from another state.	The journeyman plumber examination, with a written portion and a practical portion (up to 2 1/2 hours each). Regular exams are held in February, May, August and November.
Louisiana	Journeyman Plumber	As a registered apprentice: 7,000 hours of manual plumbing labor if you are an indentured apprentice enrolled in a Louisiana Workforce Commission approved program, or 8,000 hours if you are unindentured, in both cases under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a Board-licensed journeyman or master plumber. Hours are shown with official payroll documentation or 4 W-2s from full-time work for a licensed plumbing company.	The Board's Journeyman Plumber exam: an 80-question, 3-hour written exam based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and 2021 International Residential Code, plus a 1-hour practical (hands-on) portion. You need at least 70% in each exam category. Exams are held in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.
Maine	Journeyman Plumber	At least two years and 4,000 hours of plumbing installation work as a licensed trainee plumber under a licensed master plumber; or at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman-in-training under a licensed master plumber, gained within four years of getting the journeyman-in-training license. A journeyman-in-training applies with an affidavit from the supervising master plumber attesting to at least one year and 2,000 hours.	The journeyman plumber exam, a computer-based exam taken with Prov (at a testing center or by remote proctor) after the Board approves your exam application; you need 70% to pass. Scores from an exam taken before Board approval are void.
Maryland	Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter	Hold an apprentice plumber/gas fitter license for at least four years and complete 7,500 hours of training under the control and direction of a licensed master plumber.	A comprehensive written examination. After you pass, you have one year from the exam date to apply for the license.
Minnesota	Journeyworker Plumber	To qualify for the journeyworker exam: at least four years of recorded practical plumbing experience as a DLI-registered unlicensed plumber (7,000 hours, including 2,000 hours of water distribution, 2,000 hours of drain, waste and vent and 1,000 hours of fixture installation), or a completed DLI-registered apprenticeship program. One year counts as at least 1,750 hours, and no more than 1,750 hours are credited per calendar year. Experience must be certified by the licensed master plumber responsible for the work.	A written exam, which you must pass before you can apply for the journeyworker plumber license. You apply online to take the exam; once approved you receive instructions for scheduling it. If you do not pass, you wait 30 days before reapplying.
Mississippi	Plumbing Contractor License	You must show experience in the classification you apply for: list at least 3 completed jobs in that classification, and state the construction experience of the owner, officers and qualifying party.	Every applicant takes the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam. The Plumbing classification also requires a trade exam, and the Residential Plumbing classification requires the Residential Plumbing exam. All exams are administered by PSI and are open book.
Nevada	Plumbing and Heating Contractor License (Classification C-1)	The contractor, or a qualifying individual who represents the contractor, needs at least 4 years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification applied for, within the 15 years before the application. Training at an accredited college, university or equivalent program accepted by the Board can count for up to 3 of those years. Work experience documentation goes in with the application.	The qualifying individual passes the written Business and Law exam and, for classifications that have one, a trade exam for the trade applied for, unless a waiver applies. PSI administers the exams; after your experience is verified the Board mails an Examination Eligibility Letter with your Candidate ID number for scheduling.
New Mexico	Journeyman Plumber Certificate of Competence (JP)	Two years. Under the statute you can sit the exam after two years' experience in the trade (or the equivalent as determined by the commission), or after completing a course in the trade approved by the vocational education division of the state department of public education. The Division's rule says the mechanical-plumbing journeyman classifications require two years of experience unless otherwise specified, documented within the 10 years before you apply; accredited training counts as half a year of experience per year, for no more than half of the requirement.	A Division-approved exam on the rules governing the trade and your technical knowledge, administered by PSI. You can test only after your work experience documentation is accepted; the passing score is 75 percent.
North Carolina	Plumbing Technician License (Class I or Class II)	A total of 3,000 hours of experience in installation, maintenance, service or repair to sit for a technician examination. Trade courses at a college, community college or technical institute can count for 50%. Each licensee who verifies your hours must hold the qualification you are seeking, and W2s and/or 1099s must support the verification.	The technician examination, scheduled with the exam provider after the Board approves your application; it must be taken within 90 days of the eligibility notice. The business and law exam is for contractor licenses, not technicians.
North Dakota	Journeyman Plumber	Four years and 7,600 hours of experience as an Apprentice Plumber working for a licensed Master Plumber. Graduates of a plumbing program of at least nine months at an accredited school may be granted hourly credit toward the apprenticeship.	The North Dakota Journeyman Plumber Exam: five parts with five hours allowed, covering multiple-choice questions and drain, waste and vent and water pipe sizing. The journeyman passing grade is 70 percent; after a failed exam you wait six months to retest.
Ohio	Plumbing Contractor	At least five years as a tradesperson in the plumbing trade immediately before you apply, shown with the last five consecutive years of tax documents (W-2s or Schedule C) plus one of: a permit for each of the last five years pulled by the licensed contractor you worked under (sewer service, water service, gas service and drain cleaning permits do not count), an active journeyman's card, an approved apprenticeship completion certificate, or 40 hours of OCILB-approved code continuing education. Alternatives: an Ohio registered professional engineer with three years of business experience in the trade, or five years as an Ohio government inspector in the trade.	The OCILB licensing exam, taken after the Board approves your application. Approved candidates receive a PSI Candidate Information Bulletin explaining how to schedule; exams are computer-based by appointment, and you must pass both sections.
Oklahoma	Plumbing Journeyman	Be 18 or older with three years of experience in the plumbing trade while employed by a licensed plumbing contractor (or equivalent verifiable U.S. military plumbing experience, or a current out-of-state plumbing license in good standing). Oklahoma experience counts only while you hold an apprentice registration. An approved plumbing program of at least 1,000 classroom hours may replace two years of experience, and one of at least 500 hours may replace one year.	The Oklahoma Plumbing exam, which every applicant must pass. Once the Board approves your application, it forwards your information to its national testing provider, PSI, and you contact PSI to schedule.
Oregon	Journeyman Plumber license	Either 3,850 hours of lawful commercial and 3,850 hours of lawful residential on-the-job experience as an apprentice or journeyman plumber (with the classroom training below), or 7,700 hours each of commercial and residential work while holding a license with a similar scope in another jurisdiction. The division counts at most 2,000 hours of work experience per year, and each employer completes an experience verification form.	The state journeyman plumber licensing exam. After your application is approved, the division mails a letter of authorization explaining how to schedule it; results come by mail within two weeks, and if you pass the license is mailed to you.
Rhode Island	Journeyperson Plumber	8,000 hours of on-the-job training as a registered apprentice plumber, employed as an apprentice plumber in Rhode Island for the whole of those hours. Employer affidavits (or other evidence the Board accepts) show the plumbing work you did as an apprentice.	A written examination approved by the Board, which sets the passing score. Examinations are given at least three times a year; if you fail, you may retake the exam on paying the fee again.
South Dakota	Plumber	Four years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours in each of those years. Military plumbing earns one year of credit for each two years in the military, up to five years of credit. Experience must be verified or signed off by a licensed plumbing contractor you worked under; you cannot verify your own experience.	The state plumber exam, administered by the Commission. Your application and exam fees must be submitted and you must be approved before you schedule it; exams are held in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants sign up.
Tennessee	Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP)	At least one year of plumbing experience, proved with a copy of a local plumbing license or a notarized verification with a list of your experience. The Board checks experience references.	The LLP trade exam; you attach a copy of your score (or evidence of a plumber exam passed with a Tennessee local government) to the application. Exam information is on the PSI Exams website.
Texas	Journeyman Plumber	At least 8,000 hours of experience in the plumbing trade under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber, earned while registered as a Plumber's Apprentice or licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited, proven on the Employer's Certification Form.	The Journeyman Plumber Examination, which includes a computer-based test given by Pearson VUE after the Board approves your application, followed by a practical exam where applicable.
Vermont	Journeyman Plumber	Document a plumbing apprenticeship that includes both instruction and practice in work processes, verified by the Vermont Apprenticeship Council, or equivalent training and experience in or out of Vermont acceptable to the Board.	A Board examination, at least partly in writing, covering the theory and practice of plumbing and knowledge of State laws and the rules of the Departments of Health and of Environmental Conservation. You pay an examination fee, and you may retake a failed exam on paying the fee again.
Virginia	Journeyman Plumber (tradesman license)	Practical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade.	If the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam.
Washington	Journey Level Plumber (PL01) certificate	Four years or more (at least 8,000 hours) working as a plumber trainee under the supervision of a certified journey level plumber, with at least two years (4,000 hours) in commercial or industrial installations. Trainees report supervised hours at least once a year on notarized affidavits of experience.	The Washington state plumber examination, the final step to certification. It is administered by PSI and based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code with Washington amendments; the journey level exam is closed book.
West Virginia	Journeyman Plumber	Master and Journeyman applicants must certify their experience (and take a written exam).	A written journeyman plumber exam on the International Plumbing Code; you need a score of at least 70%. The written test is given by ProV, Inc.
Wisconsin	Journeyman Plumber	To qualify for the exam, complete a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wisconsin Statute chapter 106 or by the federal Department of Labor, and upload a letter from the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards confirming you met its requirements.	The Journeyman Plumber exam: open book, with a passing score of 70%. Exam instructions are sent once you meet the qualifications for the exam.

For the career itself (what plumbers do, the path and what they earn) see the national guide to becoming a plumber below. Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.

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The career path, nationally.

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What plumbers earn.

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The job, skills and outlook.

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How to present your hours and licenses.

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FAQ

Questions people ask

What are the plumbing license requirements by state?

Do all states require a plumbing licensing exam?

Of the 35 states and DC verified so far, a state licensing exam is required in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Each state page shows what its licensing authority requires.

Method

How this page is built

Each state's requirements come from its plumbing licensing authority or the rules it publishes, read on the dates shown on each state page. The answer and table on this page are computed from the verified states only. Not legal advice; each authority's current instructions govern.

What this page can't tell you

Not legal advice.
Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
States not listed have not been verified yet; they are not shown as having no requirements.
This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.

Sources

Alabama: sources listed on the state page.
Alaska: sources listed on the state page.
Arizona: sources listed on the state page.
Arkansas: sources listed on the state page.
California: sources listed on the state page.
Colorado: sources listed on the state page.
Delaware: sources listed on the state page.
District of Columbia: sources listed on the state page.
Florida: sources listed on the state page.
Georgia: sources listed on the state page.
Hawaii: sources listed on the state page.
Illinois: sources listed on the state page.
Indiana: sources listed on the state page.
Iowa: sources listed on the state page.
Kentucky: sources listed on the state page.
Louisiana: sources listed on the state page.
Maine: sources listed on the state page.
Maryland: sources listed on the state page.
Minnesota: sources listed on the state page.
Mississippi: sources listed on the state page.
Nevada: sources listed on the state page.
New Mexico: sources listed on the state page.
North Carolina: sources listed on the state page.
North Dakota: sources listed on the state page.
Ohio: sources listed on the state page.
Oklahoma: sources listed on the state page.
Oregon: sources listed on the state page.
Rhode Island: sources listed on the state page.
South Dakota: sources listed on the state page.
Tennessee: sources listed on the state page.
Texas: sources listed on the state page.
Vermont: sources listed on the state page.
Virginia: sources listed on the state page.
Washington: sources listed on the state page.
West Virginia: sources listed on the state page.
Wisconsin: sources listed on the state page.