StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in New Jersey

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
8000 hrs
Upfront cost
$75
Exam
—
Renewal cycle
—
Issuing board
New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Division of Consumer Affairs)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. No explicit minimum age was found specifically for Journeyman Plumber registration (the Board's materials state a minimum age of 21 for the MASTER Plumber examination specifically, not for Journeyman registration), so minAge is left null rather than assumed. The Board's application (shared across its license/registration types) requires disclosure of moral-character issues including arrests/convictions, and if the applicant answers 'yes' to the criminal-history questions, a notarized statement detailing the facts/circumstances plus copies of police reports, court documents, and final disposition documents must be submitted. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 8000 hours of training at a state-approved program. New Jersey does not require an exam to become a Journeyman Plumber -- it is a state REGISTRATION, not a license (only the Master Plumber credential is a full 'license' requiring examination). To register as a Journeyman, an applicant must complete a 4-year plumbing apprenticeship program approved by a Federal agency and a Federally certified state agency, comprising approximately 8,000 hours of on-the-job training plus roughly 576 hours of classroom-based related technical instruction (144 hours/year x 4 years, per a state-run apprenticeship-training listing on mycareer.nj.gov), documented via U.S. Department of Labor completion records and employer-signed work certifications/W-2s. [1]

  3. 3

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Division of Consumer Affairs) with the $75 application fee. [1]

  4. 4

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Division of Consumer Affairs) issues your Journeyman Plumber Registration for New Jersey.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $75
License fee [1] None specified
Renewal fee [1] None specified
Journeyman Plumber registration fee, if previously registered as an Apprentice Plumber [1] $50

The Board's Application Process Overview lists a $75 Journeyman Plumber application/registration fee (reduced to $50 if the applicant was previously registered as an Apprentice Plumber with the Board). No separate license-issuance fee applies since Journeyman is a registration, not an examined license, so 'license' is left null. No Journeyman-specific renewal fee was found published (all renewal/fee-schedule detail found in Board materials pertains specifically to the biennial Master Plumber license, e.g. its $160 renewal fee), so 'renewal' is left null rather than assumed to be the same as Master's.

Renewal & continuing education

Renewal cycle not specified.

No Journeyman-specific renewal cycle or continuing-education requirement was found in Board materials reviewed; all renewal/CE detail located (2-year cycle expiring June 30 of odd-numbered years, 5 CE credits per biennium, $160 renewal fee) applies specifically to the examined, bonded Master Plumber LICENSE, not the Journeyman REGISTRATION, so cycleYears and ceHours are left null rather than assumed to carry over.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

No interstate compact covers plumbing licensure. The Board's FAQ states that 'out-of-state licensed plumbers may apply through reciprocity if their state's standards are comparable and reciprocate with New Jersey,' but this reciprocity detail is documented specifically in the context of the Master Plumber LICENSE rather than the Journeyman registration; no separate Journeyman-specific reciprocity policy was found, so this should be treated as most clearly established at the Master level.

4 state-approved training providers in New Jersey — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $75
Total$75

Frequently asked questions

Does New Jersey require an exam for a Journeyman Plumber credential?

No. Journeyman Plumber is a state REGISTRATION, not an examined license -- only the Master Plumber credential requires passing exams. To register as a Journeyman, an applicant documents completion of an approved 4-year apprenticeship (about 8,000 on-the-job hours plus roughly 576 classroom RTI hours).

What does it cost to register as a Journeyman Plumber in New Jersey?

$75, reduced to $50 if the applicant was previously registered with the Board as an Apprentice Plumber.

Does a New Jersey Journeyman Plumber registration need to be renewed?

No Journeyman-specific renewal or continuing-education requirement was found published by the Board; the 2-year renewal cycle, 5 CE credits, and $160 renewal fee documented in Board materials apply specifically to the Master Plumber license, not the Journeyman registration.

What background information does the application require?

Disclosure of moral-character issues including arrests and convictions. A 'yes' answer to the criminal-history questions requires a notarized statement plus copies of police reports, court documents, and final disposition records.

Can an out-of-state plumber transfer their credential to New Jersey?

The Board's FAQ says out-of-state licensed plumbers may apply through reciprocity if their state's standards are comparable and reciprocate with New Jersey, though this is documented specifically for the Master Plumber license rather than the Journeyman registration.

Sources

  1. [1] njconsumeraffairs.gov/plu/Documents/Master-Plumbers-Application-Process-Overview.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] njconsumeraffairs.gov/plu/Pages/FAQ.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12