Plumber License Requirements in Maine
- Training hours
- 4000 hrs
- Upfront cost
- $330
- Exam
- Journeyman Plumber Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Pass a criminal background check. 32 M.R.S. Sec. 3501 does not state a minimum age for Journeyman Plumber licensure. A criminal background check is required as part of licensure, with a separate $21 fee. [3]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete 4000 hours of training. Per 32 M.R.S. Sec. 3501, a Journeyman Plumber applicant must have either: (a) at least 2 years with 4,000 hours of work as a licensed Trainee Plumber under a Master Plumber's supervision, then pass the journeyman exam; or (b) 2,000 hours of work as a licensed Journeyman-in-Training (JIT) obtained within the JIT license's 4-year, single non-renewable term. A JIT license itself requires 1 year of plumbing instruction at a board-approved technical/community college, a 2-year secondary career-and-technical-education program, or a registered Dept. of Labor apprenticeship program, plus passing the journeyman exam. hours=4000 reflects the Trainee pathway; approvedProgramRequired is false since the Trainee pathway does not require completing a formal school/apprenticeship program (only supervised work hours). [1]
- 3
Journeyman Plumber Examination
Pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination (fee: $65). A passing score of 70% or higher is required. Applicants must first submit an exam application with the $65 fee and receive Board approval before scheduling with Prov; scores from unapproved sittings are void. Candidates can apply for the license online 24 hours after passing. [2]
- 4
Submit your application
Submit your application to Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation with the $65 application fee. [3]
- 5
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Maine Plumbers' Examining Board, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation issues your Journeyman Plumber License for Maine.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [3] | $65 |
| License fee [3] | $200 |
| Renewal fee [3] | $200 |
| Journeyman Plumber Examination [2] | $65 |
| Criminal background check [3] | $21 |
The $65 fee is for the exam application. After passing, a $200 license fee is paid to receive the Journeyman Plumber license itself, alongside a required $21 criminal background check fee. Renewal is also $200 per 2-year cycle. Late renewal adds $50 (up to 90 days overdue) or a $100 penalty plus the $200 fee (90 days to 2 years overdue).
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years.
Renewal is biennial, timed to the licensee's first-licensure date, for a $200 fee. No continuing-education requirement is listed on the Board's licensing page for Journeyman Plumbers, so ceHours is left null (not simply unpublished -- no CE requirement appears to exist).
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
Maine has no written interstate reciprocity agreements for plumbing, but the Plumbers' Examining Board considers reciprocity case-by-case: it may grant a Maine license to an applicant currently licensed in another state whose requirements and experience standards are at least equal to Maine's, provided that state extends the same privilege to Maine license holders. Applicants must submit an application, pay fees, provide proof of experience, and include certified license verification from their home state. No interstate compact covers plumbing.
5 state-approved training providers in Maine — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $65
- $200
- $65
Frequently asked questions
What are the paths to becoming a licensed Journeyman Plumber in Maine?
Either 2 years / 4,000 hours as a licensed Trainee Plumber under a Master Plumber's supervision, or 2,000 hours as a licensed Journeyman-in-Training (obtained within that license's 4-year term) -- then passing the Journeyman Plumber exam with a 70% or higher score.
Who administers Maine's Journeyman Plumber exam, and what does it cost?
Prov administers the computer-based exam at facilities in Auburn, Bangor, Calais, Portland, and Presque Isle (or via remote proctoring). The exam application fee is $65, and Board approval is required before scheduling.
What does the Journeyman Plumber license cost after passing the exam?
A $200 license fee plus a $21 criminal background check fee. The license then renews every 2 years (biennially, on the licensee's first-licensure anniversary) for $200.
Does Maine have reciprocity with other states for plumbers?
There's no formal written agreement, but the Board considers reciprocity case-by-case for applicants licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements that extends the same privilege to Maine license holders.
Sources
- [1] mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/32/title32sec3501.html — accessed 2026-07-12
- [2] maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board/examinations — accessed 2026-07-12
- [3] maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board/licensing/individual-licenses — accessed 2026-07-12
- [4] maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/plumbers-examining-board — accessed 2026-07-12