How to get a plumbing license in North Dakota: the official requirements
The Journeyman Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the North Dakota State Plumbing Board.
In North Dakota, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the North Dakota State Plumbing Board. The Journeyman Plumber license from the North Dakota State Plumbing Board. Anyone performing plumbing in North Dakota must be licensed with the Board. Apprentice or trainee registration: Register as an Apprentice Plumber: you must be at least 18 and register within 30 days of starting work, or hours worked after those 30 days are not counted. First-, second- and third-year apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Master or Journeyman plumber. Experience and training: Four years and 7,600 hours of experience as an Apprentice Plumber working for a licensed Master Plumber. Graduates of a plumbing program of at least nine months at an accredited school may be granted hourly credit toward the apprenticeship. Licensing exam: The North Dakota Journeyman Plumber Exam: five parts with five hours allowed, covering multiple-choice questions and drain, waste and vent and water pipe sizing. The journeyman passing grade is 70 percent; after a failed exam you wait six months to retest. How to apply: Complete the fillable Journeyman Plumber Application and email it to ndplumb@nd.gov or mail it to the Board in Bismarck. If your experience is not from another state's license, include notarized statements signed by the supervising Master Plumber showing your dates of employment, hours worked and the work performed.
North Dakota plumbing license requirements
| Requirement | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyman Plumber license from the North Dakota State Plumbing Board. Anyone performing plumbing in North Dakota must be licensed with the Board. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Register as an Apprentice Plumber: you must be at least 18 and register within 30 days of starting work, or hours worked after those 30 days are not counted. First-, second- and third-year apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Master or Journeyman plumber. |
| Experience and training | Four years and 7,600 hours of experience as an Apprentice Plumber working for a licensed Master Plumber. Graduates of a plumbing program of at least nine months at an accredited school may be granted hourly credit toward the apprenticeship. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Dakota State Plumbing Board. |
| Licensing exam | The North Dakota Journeyman Plumber Exam: five parts with five hours allowed, covering multiple-choice questions and drain, waste and vent and water pipe sizing. The journeyman passing grade is 70 percent; after a failed exam you wait six months to retest. |
| How to apply | Complete the fillable Journeyman Plumber Application and email it to ndplumb@nd.gov or mail it to the Board in Bismarck. If your experience is not from another state's license, include notarized statements signed by the supervising Master Plumber showing your dates of employment, hours worked and the work performed. |
| Background check | The application asks whether you have ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a felony. |
| State fees | Journeyman: $150 in total ($50 non-refundable application/exam fee with the application and a $100 license fee due when you pass the exam). Apprentice registration: $20 for a first-year apprentice. |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Dakota State Plumbing Board. |
| Continuing education | Master and Journeyman plumbers complete two to four credit hours of continuing education within a two-year period. |
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 North Dakota
- Register with the Board as an Apprentice Plumber within 30 days of starting plumbing work.
- Work four years and 7,600 hours as an apprentice for a licensed Master Plumber.
- Email or mail the Journeyman Plumber Application to the Board with the $50 application/exam fee.
- Take the five-part Journeyman Plumber Exam.
- Pay the $100 license fee when you pass.
- Keep up two to four credit hours of continuing education every two years.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the North Dakota State Plumbing Board and the rules it publishes (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the North Dakota 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.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Frequently Asked Questions, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Application for Master or Journeyman Plumber License, SFN 59613 (12-2024), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Application for Apprentice Plumber Registration, SFN 59633 (12-2024), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Licensing Applications, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Exam General Information, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Continuing Education Requirements Overview, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota Administrative Code, Chapter 62-02-01 Plumber Licensure (North Dakota Legislative Branch), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.