Illinois to Colorado: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Colorado's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by endorsement (all other states; no reciprocal agreements)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Every out-of-state journeyman applies under the same endorsement rule, because the Colorado Plumbing Board has no reciprocal agreements (the word does not appear in 3 CCR 720-1 or on the DPO plumbing pages). Under Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a) and the DPO Licensure Requirements, the applicant must hold an active journeyman-level license issued and regulated by a state (not a city or county) for at least six months, must have obtained it by passing a comparable state plumbing exam based on the current or previous edition of the plumbing code adopted by the Board (the 2021 IPC; DPO's Licensing Guide phrases this as 'the current or previous version of the International Plumbing Code'), and must have completed a state or federally approved apprenticeship or the four years (6,800 hours) of experience Colorado requires, documented on the Board's Affidavit of Experience forms signed by employers (self-verification is not accepted). The issuing state board completes DPO's Verification of State Licensure form. An applicant who satisfies these conditions is licensed without taking the Colorado exam; anyone who does not (for example a licence gained without an exam, on a non-IPC code, or held under six months) applies by examination, where out-of-state hours still count toward the 6,800-hour requirement.
Wording differences between official sources: the DPO Applications page says the comparable exam must be 'based on the currently adopted Colorado Code', while Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a)(2) and the Licensing Guide accept the current OR previous edition of the adopted plumbing code (IPC). The six-month holding period appears on the DPO Applications page but not in the rule text. Rule 1.4(A)(1) says candidates 'must pass the required examination(s) before submitting an application', whereas the Applications page describes DPO approving the application first and then issuing PSI scheduling instructions; exam-route applicants should confirm the current order of operations with DPO. The $120 application fee is quoted as 'currently' in the DPO Licensing Guide; the PSI exam fee is set in PSI's candidate handbook and was not published on the DPO pages reviewed. C.R.S.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Illinois license for at least 6 months.DPO Applications page: 'currently held state (not city or county) issued license which you have held for a minimum of six (6) months'.
- Your Illinois license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Completion of a state or federally approved or registered apprenticeship program, or the required years and type of experience for the comparable Colorado license
- You must document at least 6,800 hours of qualifying work experience.Four years of practical experience (one full-time month = 163 hours), documented on Board Affidavit of Experience forms signed by the plumbing contractor or employer; out-of-state experience is accepted on the same forms. Not separately required if the applicant completed a state or federally approved apprenticeship.
What you'll do to get licensed in Colorado
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($120). Journeyworker Plumber initial application fee (DPO Licensing Guide: 'currently $120'), paid in DPO Online Services; non-refundable, application expires after one year if incomplete.
- 2Other. Plumbing - Verification of State Licensure form completed by the issuing state board.
- 3Other. Plumbing - Affidavit of Experience form(s) from current and former plumbing contractor employers, or apprenticeship completion documentation.
- 4Other. Proof of citizenship or lawful presence, general and criminal-history screening questions, and Felony Conviction Form if applicable.
- 5Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Colorado Journeyworker Plumber exam (PSI; 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass) - only if the origin licence does not meet the endorsement criteria.
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. After the first renewal: 8 hours of CE per licence year (16 per two-year cycle), at least 4 hours code-related, no more than 2 hours safety.
Published fees on this path total $120, 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 · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Colorado licenses journeyman plumbers
Colorado journeyman plumber · “Journeyworker Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Colorado State Plumbing Board (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations)
Colorado issues a statewide Journeyworker Plumber license (its name for the journeyman level) through the State Plumbing Board in DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations; the Board also licenses Residential Plumbers (two years / 3,400 hours) and Master Plumbers, registers apprentices, and registers Plumbing Contractors, which must hold or employ a licensed master plumber. By examination a journeyworker needs four years (6,800 hours) of documented practical experience verified on Affidavit of Experience forms by plumbing contractors or employers, a $120 application fee, and a passing score of 70% on the PSI-administered Colorado journeyworker exam (100 multiple-choice questions, 240 minutes) based on the 2021 IPC/IRC as adopted in 3 CCR 720-1. Out-of-state licensees who meet Board Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a) may instead be licensed by endorsement without the Colorado exam; the Board publishes no reciprocal agreements with any state. Licenses expire on the last day of February of odd-numbered years, and renewal requires eight hours of continuing education per licence year (waived until after the first renewal for new exam licensees).
Why Illinois has nothing to transfer
Illinois journeyman plumber · “No journeyman tier (Apprentice Plumber is the only sub-licence)”
No individual license at this level
Issued by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program
Illinois has no journeyman plumber licence. Under the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320) the Department of Public Health issues a single Plumber licence plus an Apprentice Plumber licence; there is no intermediate journeyman card and no master tier, and the City of Chicago's parallel programme under Section 16 follows the same two-tier structure. Every person who performs plumbing must hold one of those two licences (Section 3(1)). An out-of-state journeyman therefore has nothing to transfer to: the choices are (1) register as an Illinois Apprentice Plumber (age 16 or older, sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship programme, maximum six years as an apprentice) and work under supervision, or (2) qualify for the full Illinois Plumber licence, where Section 17(b) lets a plumber licensed by another state with substantially equal requirements sit the Illinois examination without first serving the four-year Illinois apprenticeship. Whether a journeyman-level origin licence counts as 'substantially equal' to the Illinois Plumber licence is decided by the State Board of Plumbing Examiners case by case and is not addressed on the IDPH page reviewed; see the master level for the licence route.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Colorado journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Illinois license?
- At least 6 months before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Colorado journeyman plumber license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $120, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Colorado?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Colorado's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Colorado to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Colorado to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 3 CCR 720-1 - Plumbing Rules and Regulations (State Plumbing Board) · 3 CCR 720-1, Rule 1.4 (Applications and Licensing); Rule 1.2 (Standards) · Colorado Secretary of State (Code of Colorado Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado SOS eDocket - Tracking Number 2025-00532 (3 CCR 720-1 permanent rule adopted 2025-12-17) · Colorado Secretary of State (Code of Colorado Regulations eDocket) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Revised Statutes Title 12, Article 155 - Plumbers · C.R.S. §§ 12-155-112, 12-155-116, 12-155-118 · Colorado General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Applications and Forms - Plumbing Licensure Requirements (Examination and Endorsement) · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Continuing Education · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Homepage - State Plumbing Board · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DPO Plumbing Licensing Guide (PDF linked from the Plumbing Applications page) · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Form · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.