How to get a plumbing license in Colorado: the official requirements
The Journeyworker Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Colorado State Plumbing Board.
In Colorado, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Colorado State Plumbing Board. The Journeyworker Plumber license from the Colorado State Plumbing Board, one of three individual plumber licenses (Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber and Master Plumber). Anyone employed in the plumbing trade without a Colorado plumbing license is a plumbing apprentice. Apprentice or trainee registration: Register as a plumbing apprentice (initial registration is online through DPO Online Services). An apprentice stays registered until actually licensed as a Colorado plumber. Experience and training: 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. Licensing exam: 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. How to apply: Apply online through the DPO Online Services system (Plumbing - Initial License by Examination or Endorsement Method), with Affidavit of Experience Forms from your employers.
Colorado plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Colorado |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyworker Plumber license from the Colorado State Plumbing Board, one of three individual plumber licenses (Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber and Master Plumber). Anyone employed in the plumbing trade without a Colorado plumbing license is a plumbing apprentice. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Register as a plumbing apprentice (initial registration is online through DPO Online Services). An apprentice stays registered until actually licensed as a Colorado plumber. |
| Experience and training | 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. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado State Plumbing Board. |
| Licensing exam | 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. |
| How to apply | Apply online through the DPO Online Services system (Plumbing - Initial License by Examination or Endorsement Method), with Affidavit of Experience Forms from your employers. |
| Background check | If you have a criminal conviction, a regulator may consider it only for three years from the conviction or the end of incarceration, provided you have no other conviction in that period. The plumbing forms include a Felony Conviction Form. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Colorado State Plumbing Board. |
| License term | Two years: plumbing licenses expire on the final day of February of odd-numbered years and must be renewed to keep practicing. |
| Continuing education | At least 8 hours of continuing education in each year (March 1 to February 28) of the two-year license period, taken with a CE provider that has attested to the Board. Plumbers first licensed by exam in the current license period start CE after their first renewal. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
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.
How to get licensed in Colorado
- Register as a plumbing apprentice online before you work in the trade.
- Build up to 4 years (6,800 hours) of practical plumbing experience.
- Get an Affidavit of Experience Form from each current and former plumbing contractor employer.
- Apply online for the initial license by examination through DPO Online Services.
- After approval, schedule with PSI and pass the written exam (70% overall for Journeyworker).
- Renew every two years and complete 8 hours of continuing education each license year.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in ColoradoWhat plumbers earn.
Open →CareerPlumber career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →ResumePlumber resumeHow to present your hours and licenses.
Open →InterviewPlumber interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
How do I get a plumbing license in Colorado?
How many hours of experience do I need for a Colorado plumbing license?
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in Colorado?
Do I need to pass an exam for a Colorado plumbing license?
How long is a Colorado plumbing license good for?
How much does a Colorado plumbing license cost?
How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Colorado State Plumbing Board (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Colorado State Plumbing Board's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- 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.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations, State Plumbing Board, Colorado Plumbing Homepage, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations, Colorado Plumbing Applications and Forms (Plumbing Licensure Requirements), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.