How to get a plumbing license in Maine: the official requirements
The Journeyman Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board.
In Maine, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board. The Journeyman Plumber license from the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board. A journeyman plumber installs plumbing and drainage under the employment and direction of a master plumber, or does plumbing repair work as a regular part-time occupation. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with a Trainee Plumber license, which lets you assist with plumbing installations under the direct supervision of a journeyman or master plumber; you do not need to pass a test, only send a completed application. A Journeyman-in-Training license (4 years, non-renewable) is the other route: it needs a board-approved plumbing course (one year at a community college, a two-year career and technical education program, or a registered Department of Labor apprenticeship) and a passing grade of 70% on the journeyman exam. Experience and training: 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. Licensing exam: 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. How to apply: First send the Board an exam application (online, or the PDF with the application fee). Once the Board approves it and you pass, you can apply for the license through the online licensing system 24 hours later, or on the paper licensure application.
Maine plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Maine |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyman Plumber license from the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board. A journeyman plumber installs plumbing and drainage under the employment and direction of a master plumber, or does plumbing repair work as a regular part-time occupation. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Start with a Trainee Plumber license, which lets you assist with plumbing installations under the direct supervision of a journeyman or master plumber; you do not need to pass a test, only send a completed application. A Journeyman-in-Training license (4 years, non-renewable) is the other route: it needs a board-approved plumbing course (one year at a community college, a two-year career and technical education program, or a registered Department of Labor apprenticeship) and a passing grade of 70% on the journeyman exam. |
| Experience and training | 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. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board. |
| Licensing exam | 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. |
| How to apply | First send the Board an exam application (online, or the PDF with the application fee). Once the Board approves it and you pass, you can apply for the license through the online licensing system 24 hours later, or on the paper licensure application. |
| Background check | A criminal background check is part of the license application; the Board lists a fee for it. |
| State fees | Journeyman Plumber license fee: $200; criminal background check fee: $21; biennial renewal: $200. Trainee Plumber license fee: $100. |
| License term | Two years: the journeyman license runs every two years from the first licensure date and is renewed biennially. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board. |
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 Maine
- Get a Trainee Plumber license (no test) and work under the direct supervision of a journeyman or master plumber.
- Log at least two years and 4,000 hours of plumbing installation work under a licensed master plumber.
- Send the Board the Journeyman Plumber exam application, with the application fee.
- After Board approval, take the computer-based exam with Prov and score at least 70%.
- Apply for the license online 24 hours after passing.
- Renew the license every two years.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salaryWhat 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 Maine?
How many hours of experience do I need for a Maine plumbing license?
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in Maine?
Do I need to pass an exam for a Maine plumbing license?
How long is a Maine plumbing license good for?
How much does a Maine plumbing license cost?
How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Maine Plumbers' Examining 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.
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), Licensing - Individual Licenses, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Frequently Asked Questions - Journeyman Plumbers, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Frequently Asked Questions - Trainee Plumbers, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Examinations, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.