District of Columbia to Utah: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Utah has no reciprocity agreement with District of Columbia. Your District of Columbia experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Utah exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state applicants without an equivalent license (standard route with out-of-state experience credit)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
If the origin jurisdiction is gray on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber map (California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York as of the 7/1/2020 map), the applicant must meet Utah's standard journeyman qualifications: completion of an approved apprenticeship program of at least 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 hours of licensed plumbing experience under a licensed journeyman or master, or 16,000 hours without the program. Hours earned outside Utah count when documented on the Verification of Plumbing Experience form by the employer together with official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained; the map says city, county or non-equivalent state licenses 'may be used to assist with documentation of compliance with some Utah qualifications'. Since January 19, 2026 first-time candidates attach the experience form (and, for out-of-state trade-program graduates, official transcripts) to their Prov exam registration; no DOPL pre-approval is needed. The applicant then passes the Utah Plumber Written Exam and the Utah Plumber Practical Exam through Prov, and submits the DOPL application with the $116 fee after passing.
R156-55c-302a sets the licensing threshold at 576 classroom hours in an approved training program plus 8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice, or 16,000 hours without the program. DOPL's Exam Information page lists '7 semesters ... and 6,000 hours' as testing eligibility because R156-55c-302b lets a program student sit the exams after the first semester of the fourth year, while enrolled in the final semester, with at least 6,000 hours; the license still requires the full 8,000 hours.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice under a licensed journeyman or master plumber together with completion of an approved 576-classroom-hour apprenticeship program; otherwise 16,000 hours. At least 2,000 and no more than 3,000 hours may be credited per 12-month period.
- Hours obtained outside Utah must be supported by official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained, in addition to the employer-completed Verification of Plumbing Experience form.
What you'll do to get licensed in Utah
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($116). Non-refundable DOPL application-processing fee (application v20260420).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Utah Plumber Written (theory) Exam and Utah Plumber Practical Exam, administered by Prov; register directly with Prov and pay exam fees to Prov; pass before submitting the DOPL application.
- 3Other. Verification of Plumbing Experience form(s) completed by employers, official apprenticeship transcripts if using the 8,000-hour route, and official out-of-state license verification.
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core, 4 core or professional) to renew.
Published fees on this path total $116, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Utah licenses journeyman plumbers
Utah journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Utah issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act (Utah Code 58-55) and Rule R156-55c; DOPL also licenses Apprentice Plumbers, Residential Journeyman Plumbers (residential work only, 6,000 hours plus schooling or 12,000 hours) and Residential Master Plumbers. A new journeyman needs either completion of an approved apprenticeship program (576 classroom hours) plus 8,000 hours of licensed apprentice experience, or 16,000 hours, and must pass the Prov-administered Utah Plumber Written (theory) and Practical exams before applying; the DOPL application fee is $116 and exam fees are paid to Prov. Utah has no signed reciprocity agreements. Instead, under Utah Code 58-1-302 it licenses by endorsement anyone whose license appears in green on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber map, provided the license has been held at least one year and is active and in good standing; no Utah exam is required for journeyman endorsement. Applicants from jurisdictions without an equivalent statewide license use verified out-of-state hours toward the standard route. Renewal requires 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Utah journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in District of Columbia?
- Yes. Utah requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Utah journeyman plumber license from District of Columbia?
- Published fees on this path total $116, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my District of Columbia work hours count in Utah?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Utah to District of Columbia?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to District of Columbia, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure · Utah Code 58-55-302(1)(c)(ii), (1)(e)(ii), (1)(e)(iii), (1)(e)(iv), (1)(e)(vii), (2)(b) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Apply for a Journeyman Plumber License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Plumber Application (JP / RJP / MP / RMP) with Verification of Plumbing Experience forms, checklist and instructions · Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301 (cited on the form) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55c - Plumber Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55c · Utah Office of Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.