How to get a plumbing license in Indiana: the official requirements
The Journeyman Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission.
In Indiana, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission. The Journeyman Plumber license, issued after the Plumbing Commission approves your eligibility and you pass the examination; a person who wants to be licensed as a journeyman plumber becomes eligible on successfully taking the exam. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with a Plumbing Apprentice license: you must be at least 17, and an approved apprenticeship program sponsor completes the Approved Apprenticeship Program Sponsor Certification, with the supervising Journeyman Plumber or Plumbing Contractor's name and license number. Experience and training: 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. Licensing exam: 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. How to apply: Apply online through the Professional Licensing Agency's online services, with the application fee and either the Plumbing Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion (apprenticeship route) or the employer's experience affidavit (trade route).
Indiana plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Indiana |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyman Plumber license, issued after the Plumbing Commission approves your eligibility and you pass the examination; a person who wants to be licensed as a journeyman plumber becomes eligible on successfully taking the exam. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Start with a Plumbing Apprentice license: you must be at least 17, and an approved apprenticeship program sponsor completes the Approved Apprenticeship Program Sponsor Certification, with the supervising Journeyman Plumber or Plumbing Contractor's name and license number. |
| Experience and training | 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. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission. |
| Licensing exam | 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. |
| How to apply | Apply online through the Professional Licensing Agency's online services, with the application fee and either the Plumbing Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion (apprenticeship route) or the employer's experience affidavit (trade route). |
| Background check | If you answer "Yes" to any of the application's questions, you must explain fully in a statement (violation, location, date, cause number and disposition) and submit court documents for each instance. |
| State fees | Journeyman Plumber: $30 application fee and a $30 even-year (or $15 odd-year) issuance fee; renewal $30. Plumbing Apprentice application: $10. All application fees are nonrefundable. |
| License term | Journeyman Plumber licenses expire on December 31 of every odd-numbered year; renewal notices are sent about 90 days before expiration. Apprentice licenses expire October 1 of every even-numbered year. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission. |
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 Indiana
- Get a Plumbing Apprentice license (age 17 or older) through a Commission-approved apprenticeship program.
- Complete at least four years in an approved apprenticeship program (or document four years of qualifying plumbing-trade experience).
- Apply online for the Journeyman Plumber license with your certificate of completion or employer's experience affidavit.
- Once the Plumbing Commission approves your eligibility, register for the exam with PROV.
- Renew before the license expires on December 31 of each odd-numbered year.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in IndianaWhat 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.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Commission'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.
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Licensing Information (application instructions, renewal, fee schedule), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Plumbing Home (Plumbing Commission), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.