How to get a plumbing license in Louisiana: the official requirements
The Journeyman Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana.
In Louisiana, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. The Journeyman Plumber license, issued by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. A journeyman installs, repairs and maintains new and existing plumbing systems under the direct or indirect supervision of a Licensed Louisiana Master Plumber. Anyone doing plumbing or natural gas work in Louisiana who is unlicensed must be registered as an apprentice. Apprentice or trainee registration: Register with the Board as an apprentice (indentured, in a Louisiana Workforce Commission approved program, or unindentured, working for a master company). Apprentices work under the direct, constant on-the-job supervision of a licensed plumber or gas fitter. You submit the Apprentice Application to the Board's office with the fee and renew the registration every year by December 31. Experience and training: 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. Licensing exam: 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. How to apply: Submit the notarized Journeyman Plumber Application, with all documentation and the fee, to the Board at least 30 days before the exam date. After you pass, complete the Initial Journeyman License form and return it with the license fee.
Louisiana plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Louisiana |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyman Plumber license, issued by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. A journeyman installs, repairs and maintains new and existing plumbing systems under the direct or indirect supervision of a Licensed Louisiana Master Plumber. Anyone doing plumbing or natural gas work in Louisiana who is unlicensed must be registered as an apprentice. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Register with the Board as an apprentice (indentured, in a Louisiana Workforce Commission approved program, or unindentured, working for a master company). Apprentices work under the direct, constant on-the-job supervision of a licensed plumber or gas fitter. You submit the Apprentice Application to the Board's office with the fee and renew the registration every year by December 31. |
| Experience and training | 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. |
| Classroom hours | Indentured apprentices are in a Department of Labor approved training program, completing classroom hours while working in the trade. |
| Licensing exam | 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. |
| How to apply | Submit the notarized Journeyman Plumber Application, with all documentation and the fee, to the Board at least 30 days before the exam date. After you pass, complete the Initial Journeyman License form and return it with the license fee. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. |
| State fees | Exam application: $135 ($125 exam fee plus $10 processing charge). First journeyman license: $50. Apprentice registration: $20. Optional journeyman temporary work permit until your exam date: $75 (one per lifetime). |
| License term | One year: licenses are renewed every year with the Board before December 31. |
| Continuing education | Continuing education every year through a Board-approved provider. |
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 Louisiana
- Register with the Board as an apprentice (indentured or unindentured) and work under a licensed journeyman or master.
- Log 7,000 hours (indentured) or 8,000 hours (unindentured) of supervised plumbing labor.
- Submit the notarized Journeyman Plumber Application with your payroll records or W-2s at least 30 days before an exam date.
- Pass the written and practical Journeyman Plumber exam with at least 70% in each category.
- Return the Initial Journeyman License form with the $50 license fee.
- Renew every year before December 31, with continuing education through an approved provider.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in LouisianaWhat plumbers earn.
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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 State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana'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.
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana, Licenses (Becoming Licensed, Apprentice and Journeyman Plumber), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana, Journeyman Plumber Application and Candidate Bulletin, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.