StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in Wisconsin

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
576 hrs
Upfront cost
$370
Exam
Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 1, Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 2
Renewal cycle
Every 4 years
Issuing board
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. No minimum age or criminal-history/background-check requirement for the Journeyman Plumber license is stated in SPS 305.93 or DSPS's Journeyman Plumber application information (form #3126); by contrast, Wisconsin's blaster licenses do have an explicit criminal-history-record review requirement elsewhere in the same administrative chapter, so its absence here for plumbers appears to be a genuine distinction rather than an omission. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 576 hours of training at a state-approved program. The standard route requires completion of a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wis. Stat. §106.025 (the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards) or the federal DOL, verified by a completion letter, before a candidate is eligible to sit the Journeyman Plumber exam — no separate fixed hour count is stated in the rule for the in-state apprenticeship route itself. For applicants completing an out-of-state apprenticeship instead, the rule requires a 5-year program including at least 576 hours of plumbing-related classroom instruction (the figure recorded in hours), per DSPS form #3126. A comity route also exists for applicants who completed an apprenticeship and have practiced 5+ years under an equivalent out-of-state journeyman license, and a Master-to-Journeyman license exchange route exists for current WI Master Plumbers. [1]

  3. 3

    Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 1

    Pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 1 (fee: $90). Computer-based, 3-hour seat time. [2]

  4. 4

    Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 2

    Pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 2 (fee: $90). Computer-based, 3-hour seat time. 70% passing score, open book, per secondary exam-prep sources describing the DSPS/Pearson VUE trades exam format; not independently re-verified against a Pearson VUE candidate bulletin for this record. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) with the $10 application fee. [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) issues your Journeyman Plumber License for Wisconsin.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $10
License fee [3] $180
Renewal fee [3] $180
Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 1 [2] $90
Journeyman Plumber Examination — Part 2 [2] $90
DSPS Examination Fee (Table 305.02, distinct from the $90-per-part Pearson VUE proctoring fee) [3] $20

Per Wisconsin Administrative Code Table 305.02 (Register August 2025 No. 836) — Journeyman Plumber, line 65: Application Fee $10, Examination Fee $20 (paid to DSPS, separate from the Pearson VUE per-part testing fees recorded under exams), and License Fee $180 (paid once the exam is passed, to obtain the credential). Table 305.02's 'License, Certification, Registration, or Enrollment Fee' column is also the amount charged at renewal per SPS 305.07(2)(a), so renewal is recorded as $180 as well.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 4 years. 24 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Per Wisconsin Administrative Code Table 305.06, the Journeyman Plumber license has a 4-year term expiring March 31. Per SPS 305.93(6)(b)1, renewal is contingent on completing at least 24 hours of DSPS-acceptable continuing education prior to expiration (a hardship waiver is available for prolonged illness/disability). Note: this 24-hour figure is specific to the full Journeyman Plumber license — the related 'restricted service' and 'restricted appliance' journeyman variants, and Master Plumber-restricted variants, require only 12 CE hours per cycle.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

DSPS accepts a comity applicant for the Journeyman Plumber exam (not a full no-exam waiver) who: (a) completed a plumbing apprenticeship in Wisconsin or another state; (b) passed a journeyman plumber examination in another state; and (c) has practiced at least 5 years under that state's journeyman (or equivalent) license, where the department determines the other state's licensure provisions are substantially similar to Wisconsin's and the applicant has no related disciplinary history (DSPS form #3126, route C). A shorter comity route (route B) is also available for those with a 5-year, 576-hour out-of-state apprenticeship, who must still pass the Wisconsin exam. No interstate plumbing licensure compact exists for this occupation.

10 state-approved training providers in Wisconsin — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $10
  • $180
  • $90
  • $90
Total$370

Frequently asked questions

What does Wisconsin require to become a licensed Journeyman Plumber?

Completion of a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wis. Stat. §106.025 or the federal DOL, followed by passing the two-part Journeyman Plumber examination through Pearson VUE.

Who administers the Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber exam and what does it cost?

Pearson VUE, on contract with DSPS: two 3-hour parts, $90 each ($180 total), plus a separate $20 DSPS examination fee and $10 application fee.

How often does a Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber license need to be renewed?

Every 4 years, expiring March 31, contingent on completing 24 hours of DSPS-approved continuing education. The license fee ($180) is charged again at renewal.

How much does a Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber license cost overall?

A $10 application fee and $20 DSPS examination fee, plus $180 for the Pearson VUE exam (two $90 parts), plus a $180 license fee once you pass — with $180 due again at each 4-year renewal.

Can an out-of-state plumber transfer their license to Wisconsin?

There's no automatic no-exam reciprocity, but a comity applicant who completed an apprenticeship, passed a journeyman exam in another state, and has practiced 5+ years under a substantially similar out-of-state license (with no related discipline) can apply through DSPS's comity route. A 5-year, 576-hour out-of-state apprenticeship also qualifies someone to sit the Wisconsin exam directly.

Sources

  1. [1] dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Trades/fm3126.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] dsps.wi.gov/Documents/TradeExamFeeSchedule2024.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] web.archive.org/web/20260509074309/https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/sps/safety_and_buildings_and_environment/301_319/305.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12