How to get a plumbing license in Minnesota: the official requirements
The Journeyworker Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
In Minnesota, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. The Journeyworker Plumber license from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). A journeyworker plumber works as an employee of, or under the direction of, a master plumber, and the license covers plumbing work statewide. Apprentice or trainee registration: Register with DLI as a registered unlicensed plumber (formerly called an apprentice): no work experience is needed to register. You apply online. A registered unlicensed plumber works only under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyworker plumber and must be a W-2 employee of a licensed plumbing contractor or registered plumbing employer. Registrations expire June 30 each year. Experience and training: 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. Licensing exam: 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. How to apply: Apply online through iMS, DLI's online application and renewal system: first apply to take the exam, and after you pass you are told how to pay for your license.
Minnesota plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | Minnesota |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyworker Plumber license from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). A journeyworker plumber works as an employee of, or under the direction of, a master plumber, and the license covers plumbing work statewide. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Register with DLI as a registered unlicensed plumber (formerly called an apprentice): no work experience is needed to register. You apply online. A registered unlicensed plumber works only under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyworker plumber and must be a W-2 employee of a licensed plumbing contractor or registered plumbing employer. Registrations expire June 30 each year. |
| Experience and training | 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. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. |
| Licensing exam | 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. |
| How to apply | Apply online through iMS, DLI's online application and renewal system: first apply to take the exam, and after you pass you are told how to pay for your license. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. |
| State fees | Exam application: $50. Registered unlicensed plumber registration: $14 initial fee. Journeyworker renewal: $53 ($20 late fee added for late renewals). |
| License term | Journeyworker licenses expire on December 31 of odd-numbered years. |
| Continuing education | To renew the license, complete 16 hours of DLI-approved continuing education, at least eight of them on the State Plumbing Code. Registered unlicensed plumbers complete two hours of code-related continuing education by June 30 each year. |
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 Minnesota
- Register online with DLI as a registered unlicensed plumber (no work experience needed) and work under a licensed master or journeyworker plumber.
- Build four years and 7,000 hours of practical plumbing work in the required categories, or complete a DLI-registered apprenticeship program.
- Renew your registration each June 30 and submit your work experience for the past year.
- Apply online to take the journeyworker exam and pay the $50 exam fee.
- Pass the written exam, then follow the instructions to pay for your license.
- Renew by December 31 of odd-numbered years with 16 hours of continuing education.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become a plumberThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayPlumber salary in MinnesotaWhat 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 Minnesota?
How many hours of experience do I need for a Minnesota plumbing license?
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in Minnesota?
Do I need to pass an exam for a Minnesota plumbing license?
How long is a Minnesota plumbing license good for?
How much does a Minnesota plumbing license cost?
How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry'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.
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Plumbing license basics, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Plumbing license experience requirements, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Registered unlicensed plumbers, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Plumbing license types and credentials, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.