Plumber License Requirements in Virginia
- Training hours
- 240 hrs
- Upfront cost
- $271.75
- Exam
- Journeyman/Master Plumber Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 3 years
- Issuing board
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors — Tradesmen Program
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. The application explicitly requires applicants to be at least 18 years of age. Applicants must disclose any felony conviction and any non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction in any U.S. jurisdiction (via a Criminal Conviction Reporting Form if 'yes'), disclose any prior disciplinary action by any regulatory body, and sign an authorization permitting DPOR to conduct a background investigation and verify information with any government agency, employer, or other source. [1]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete 240 hours of training. The Journeyman Plumbing application accepts any ONE of several experience/training combinations: 4 years of practical experience + 240 hours of formal vocational training (the combination recorded in hours); 5 years + 160 hours; 6 years + 80 hours; 7+ years + 40 hours; an associate's degree/2-year program certificate + 2 years of experience; a bachelor's degree in a related engineering curriculum + 1 year of experience; 8 years of experience alone (verified by third-party observers, no formal training hours); or holding a current journeyman/master license from an out-of-state regulatory body. Because several of these routes (e.g., the 8-year/no-training path) require no formal program, approvedProgramRequired is recorded as false. [1]
- 3
Journeyman/Master Plumber Examination
Pass the Journeyman/Master Plumber Examination (fee: $100). 80 items, 210 minutes (3.5 hours), open reference-book (unmarked except highlighting/underlining/indexing); passing score 60/80. A single combined exam covers both regulatory content (Standards of Practice, Standards of Conduct, Renewal and Reinstatement, Definitions, Qualification for Licensure, Revocation of Licensure — 10 items total) and trade content (Drainage Waste and Vents 24, Water Supply Systems 10, Backflow Prevention 10, Storm Drainage Systems 10, Plumbing Fixtures 7, General Regulations 5, Interceptors and Traps 4). Board pre-approval of the application is required before PSI will allow a candidate to schedule the exam. This $100 fee is paid directly to PSI and is separate from DPOR's own application fee (recorded under fees.application). [2]
- 4
Submit your application
Submit your application to Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors — Tradesmen Program with the $171.75 application fee. [1]
- 5
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors — Tradesmen Program issues your Journeyman Plumbing Tradesman License for Virginia.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [1] | $171.75 |
| License fee [1] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [1] | $160 |
| Journeyman/Master Plumber Examination [2] | $100 |
| Card Exchange application (for a locality-issued tradesman card issued before 7/1/1978, or a DHCD card issued before 7/1/1995) [1] | $131.75 |
Per DPOR's current Tradesman Exam & License Application (form A501-2710EXLIC, effective 07/01/2026), the Examination/Reciprocity/Apprenticeship-Program methods of licensure each carry a $171.75 application fee, which includes a $7.25-per-year Technology Fee mandated by 2026's House Bill 30 (3 years x $7.25 = $21.75, consistent with the 3-year tradesman license cycle). DPOR does not itemize a separate post-exam license-issuance fee, so license is left null. The $100 PSI exam fee is paid separately and is recorded under exams. Renewal fee of $160 is per 18VAC50-30-120 (amended August 2025) — this is the current statutory figure; DPOR's own board webpages still display stale $90/2-year figures in places, which this record does not use.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 3 years. 3 continuing education hours required per cycle.
Per 18VAC50-30-120.A, tradesman licenses (including Journeyman Plumber) expire three years from the last day of the month of issuance, with a $160 renewal fee per the regulation's fee schedule (section G). DPOR's Tradesmen Program page states plumbers must complete 3 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle covering the International Plumbing Code, through board-approved providers only. This record follows the current rule text over any stale 2-year/$90 figures still displayed elsewhere on DPOR's own board pages.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
DPOR's official reciprocal/examination-agreement list shows one plumbing-specific agreement: an examination-exemption agreement with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC, covering Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, MD) for Journeyman and Master Plumbers and Gas Fitters — WSSC-licensed plumbers can obtain a Virginia license without retaking the Virginia exam. Separately, the standard Journeyman application lets any applicant who currently holds a journeyman or master plumber license/certification from an out-of-state regulatory body use that credential (via a Certification/Letter of Good Standing) to satisfy Virginia's experience/training requirement — but unless the WSSC exemption applies, that applicant must still pass Virginia's own PSI exam. No interstate plumbing licensure compact exists for this occupation. (Some third-party sites claim broader bilateral master-plumber reciprocity with Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia, but DPOR's own official reciprocal-agreements document does not list any such plumbing-specific agreements beyond WSSC, so those claims are not used here.)
Cost calculator
- $171.75
- $100
Frequently asked questions
How much experience does Virginia require for a Journeyman Plumbing license?
Several combinations qualify, most commonly 4 years of practical experience plus 240 hours of formal vocational training (more experience substitutes for fewer training hours, down to 7+ years with 40 hours). An associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field, 8 years of observed experience alone, or an out-of-state journeyman/master license can also qualify.
Who administers the Virginia Journeyman Plumber exam and what does it cost?
PSI Services LLC, on contract with DPOR: 80 items, 210 minutes, passing score 60/80, for a $100 fee paid directly to PSI. Board pre-approval of your application is required before you can schedule it.
How often does a Virginia Journeyman Plumbing license need to be renewed, and how much does it cost?
Every 3 years, per 18VAC50-30-120, for a $160 renewal fee, plus 3 hours of continuing education on the International Plumbing Code per cycle. (Older 2-year/$90 figures shown in some DPOR web pages are outdated.)
Does Virginia require a background check for a plumbing license?
Yes — applicants must disclose any felony or non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction and authorize DPOR to conduct a background investigation and verify information with government agencies, employers, or other sources.
Can an out-of-state plumber transfer their license to Virginia?
An out-of-state journeyman/master plumber license can be used to meet Virginia's experience requirement, but the applicant generally still has to pass Virginia's own exam. The one exception is Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC)-licensed plumbers and gas fitters, who have a specific exam-exemption agreement with Virginia.
Sources
- [1] dpor.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/boards/Tradesman/A501-2710EXLIC.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
- [2] test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/480 — accessed 2026-07-12
- [3] law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section120/ — accessed 2026-07-12
- [4] dpor.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/boards/Tradesman/Tradesmen%20reciprocal%20agreements.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12