What is a plumber license, and how do you get one?
To become a licensed plumber, register as an apprentice, complete roughly 4 to 5 years (about 6,000 to 8,000 hours) of supervised experience with classroom instruction, then pass your state board's journeyman exam, which tests the plumbing code your state adopts (the IPC in most states, the UPC in much of the West). Fees usually run $50 to $300. After two or more years as a journeyman you can sit the master exam. Plumbers earn a $63,800 median with about 44,000 openings a year.
- Register as an apprentice with your state plumbing board.
- Log about 6,000-8,000 hours over 4-5 years, plus classroom instruction.
- Pass the journeyman exam on your state's plumbing code (IPC or UPC).
- Work 1-2 years as a journeyman, then sit the master exam.
- Add a plumbing contractor licence, bond and insurance to run a business.
How to get a plumber license
- 1
Find your state's plumbing board
Requirements are set at state level, and a few states (New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania) license only through cities and counties. Identify the board that governs where you will work and confirm its hour, exam and fee rules before you start logging time.
- 2
Register as an apprentice and log your hours
Most boards require you to register as an apprentice before your hours count. Expect roughly 6,000-8,000 hours of supervised work over 4-5 years, alongside about 144-246 hours a year of classroom instruction in plumbing code, drainage and vent design, gas piping and backflow.
- 3
Pass your state's journeyman exam
Schedule and pass the journeyman plumber exam. It is built on the plumbing code your state adopts, the IPC in most states or the UPC in much of the West, plus state amendments, sizing, venting and gas piping. It is usually open book with an approved code book, with a passing score around 70-75%. Many boards use PSI, Prometric or ICC.
- 4
Apply, pay the fee, and receive your license
Submit your application with employer-verified hours and pay the state fee (roughly $50-$300, exam usually included). Once approved, your licence appears in the board's public lookup and you can work independently as a journeyman plumber.
- 5
Advance to master, then a contractor license
After 1-2 years as a journeyman, sit the master exam to design systems, supervise and pull permits. To contract work to the public, add a plumbing contractor licence with the surety bond and liability insurance your state requires, and renew on the board's cycle with continuing education.
Plumber license requirements
Exact rules are set by each state plumbing board, but the core requirements are consistent nationwide. To qualify for a journeyman plumber licence you generally need:
Experience
Roughly 6,000-8,000 hours of supervised plumbing work, typically 4-5 years in a registered apprenticeship. Texas requires 8,000 hours; several states set 4 years rather than an hour count.
Classroom hours
Most apprenticeships add about 144-246 hours of related instruction per year: plumbing code, water supply and drainage design, gas piping, backflow and safety.
Age & education
Usually 18 or older with a high-school diploma or GED. Apprentice registration with the state board is often required before your hours count.
Backflow & specialty endorsements
Many states add separate endorsements (backflow prevention assembly tester, medical gas, water supply protection) with their own training and exams.
How much a plumber license costs
The licence itself is inexpensive; the real investment is the apprenticeship, which is paid. Typical national ranges:
Apprenticeships are paid, so most plumbers reach journeyman without tuition debt. The contractor licence adds bond and insurance costs on top of the state fee.
The plumber license exam
There is no national plumbing exam. Each state board tests you on the plumbing code it has adopted, the International Plumbing Code (IPC) in most states or the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) across much of the West, with state amendments on top. Expect sizing, venting, drainage isometrics, gas piping, backflow prevention and safety, usually open book with an approved code book, and a passing score around 70-75%. Boards contract testing to vendors such as PSI, Prometric or ICC, or run the exam themselves.
How long it takes to get licensed
The apprenticeship is the long part; once your hours are complete, most applicants are licensed within 6-12 weeks.
Plumber license types: the full ladder
Names vary by state, but the ladder is broadly consistent: apprentice, journeyman, master. Most states then issue a separate plumbing contractor licence, a business credential that requires a bond and insurance, for anyone who wants to contract work to the public.
Apprentice / Plumber's Helper
Register with your state board and work under a licensed plumber while you accrue hours. No exam, and the entry point to the trade.
Tradesman / Residential Plumber
Offered by some states as a limited licence for one- and two-family dwellings, with fewer hours than a full journeyman licence.
Journeyman Plumber
Work independently on most plumbing installations after roughly 6,000-8,000 hours and the state code exam. The core plumbing licence.
Master Plumber
Design systems, supervise journeymen and pull permits. Requires holding a journeyman licence, typically for 1-2 years, plus a harder master exam.
Backflow Prevention Tester
A separate endorsement to test and certify backflow prevention assemblies, with its own training course, exam and periodic recertification.
Medical Gas Installer
Endorsement for medical gas and vacuum piping in healthcare facilities, brazing and installation qualified under NFPA 99 and ASSE 6010.
Plumbing Contractor
A business licence, not an individual one. Required to contract plumbing work to the public; normally requires a master plumber (or qualifying individual), a surety bond and liability insurance.
Journeyman vs Master: plumber license
Plumber license reciprocity between states
Some state plumbing boards recognise an out-of-state journeyman or master licence through reciprocity or endorsement, usually only where the other state's hour and exam requirements are judged equivalent. Reciprocity is never automatic, the recognised-state lists change, and states that license only at city or county level cannot reciprocate at all. Confirm with the destination board before relying on it.
Plumbersalary & job outlook
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn a median of about $63,800 per year ($30.67/hour), and master plumbers and contractors earn considerably more. Employment is projected to grow 4%, with about 44,000 openings a year. See the full plumber salary guide for pay by state, city and experience level.
Plumber license requirements by state
Requirements are set by each state plumbing board, and a few states license only through cities and counties. Open your state's full guide: hours, exam, fees, renewal and reciprocity.
Each state's plumber licensing is administered by its own board (examples above), and which plumbing code the exam tests, IPC or UPC, depends on the state. Exact hours, exam and fees can change, verify with the board before applying.
Browse all state guides
Plumber license FAQs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (47-2152) · International Code Council, International Plumbing Code (IPC) · IAPMO, Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Journeyman Plumber. Requirements and fees are set per state and change, confirm with your state board before applying.
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