LicensebyState

Moving to Texas as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule

Texas has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Texas journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)

Texas licenses Journeyman Plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), which also issues Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector licenses and registers Plumber's Apprentices. A new applicant must be a registered Texas apprentice (or Tradesman Plumber-Limited), document at least 8,000 hours of plumbing experience on Employer Certification Forms, complete a TSBPE-approved 48-hour training program (waived for DOL apprenticeship enrollees/graduates, AAS plumbing-technology graduates and out-of-state journeyman or master licensees), submit fingerprints for a DPS/FBI criminal history check, pay a $40 exam fee, pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination and pay a $40 initial license fee. Licenses renew annually for $40 and require six hours of continuing professional education a year. A journeyman works under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber and may supervise apprentices. TSBPE has a reciprocity agreement with Louisiana under which a Louisiana journeyman who also holds a Louisiana gasfitter license can obtain the Texas license without an exam; a plumber licensed in any other state applies for the same exam, with the training requirement waived and the out-of-state license accepted in place of Texas apprentice registration.

Every origin state

Endorsement 32No credit 18
Every state's path into Texas
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-16
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-16
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-16
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-16
DelawareNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-16
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-16
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-16
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-16
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-16
IowaEndorsement2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-16
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-16
MaineEndorsement2026-09-16
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-16
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-16
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-16
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-16
New JerseyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-16
OregonEndorsement2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-16
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
UtahEndorsement2026-09-16
VermontEndorsement2026-09-16
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-16
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in Texas from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Texas issues a journeyman plumber license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Journeyman Plumber license by examination

TSBPE issues the Journeyman Plumber license to a registered Plumber's Apprentice (or a Tradesman Plumber-Limited) who has at least 8,000 hours of plumbing experience under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber, has completed a TSBPE-approved 48-hour training program, and passes the journeyman exam. Apprentices enrolled in or finished with a US Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, and graduates of an approved plumbing-technology associate degree, do not need the 48-hour training. The exam has a computer-based written portion given by Pearson VUE and, for candidates coming up from apprentice, a hands-on practical portion at TSBPE's Austin or Waco exam centers; a score of 70% is required. There is no separate law or business exam; the written portion covers the Plumbing License Law and board rules along with the plumbing codes.

Apply online through the TSBPE Online Licensing System or by mail with the Journeyman Plumber Examination Application, Employer's Certification Forms, proof that you may work lawfully in the United States, and the $40 fee. After TSBPE approves the application, Pearson VUE emails an Authorization to Test. The written portion has 100 questions in 120 minutes and no reference materials are allowed; the practical has 6 tasks in 240 minutes and must be passed within one year of the written. The authorization covers up to five written attempts within one year, with waits of 30, 60 and 90 days after successive failures. A Tradesman Plumber-Limited moving up to journeyman does not retake the practical. Pearson VUE's handbook directs candidates to study the Plumbing License Law, the TSBPE rules and either the 2018 International Plumbing Code with the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code. Registering as a Plumber's Apprentice requires being at least 16 and a $15 fee. TSBPE waives its license and exam fees for military service members, veterans and spouses. Medical gas, multipurpose residential fire sprinkler and water supply protection endorsements are separate credentials with their own training and exams.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Pearson VUE (written portion); TSBPE (practical portion)
Exam format
Closed book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every year
Continuing education
6 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Currently registered with TSBPE as a Plumber's Apprentice, or currently licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Worked under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber while registered as a Plumber's Apprentice or licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited, and documented on an Employer's Certification Form from each employer. On request, TSBPE may credit up to 1,000 hours for completing the classroom portion of a US DOL-approved or board-approved training program, and up to 250 hours for an approved high school career and technical education course sequence.
  • Complete at least 48 hours of classroom or related instruction.A TSBPE-approved training program: two 6-hour continuing professional education classes, OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training, 8 hours on the International Residential Code and/or Uniform Plumbing Code, and 18 hours on the commercial plumbing codes. The course provider reports completion to TSBPE.
  • US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

US Department of Labor registered apprenticeship

A Plumber's Apprentice who is enrolled in good standing in, or has completed, a plumbing training program approved by the US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship does not need the 48-hour training. The 8,000 hours still apply; attach the program's completion certificate if you have one.

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship: Enrolled in good standing in, or completed, a plumbing training program approved by the US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship.
  • Currently registered with TSBPE as a Plumber's Apprentice, or currently licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Worked under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber while registered as a Plumber's Apprentice or licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited, and documented on an Employer's Certification Form from each employer. On request, TSBPE may credit up to 1,000 hours for completing the classroom portion of a US DOL-approved or board-approved training program, and up to 250 hours for an approved high school career and technical education course sequence.
  • US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas

Associate of Applied Science in plumbing technology

A registered Plumber's Apprentice who has earned an Associate of Applied Science degree from a plumbing technology program that combines classroom and on-the-job training and is approved by TSBPE and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board does not need the 48-hour training. By law TSBPE may also credit the degree against the required work hours on request, but its rules do not state how many hours.

  • Associate of Applied Science degree from a TSBPE- and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-approved plumbing technology program that combines classroom and on-the-job training
  • Currently registered with TSBPE as a Plumber's Apprentice
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Worked under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber while registered as a Plumber's Apprentice or licensed as a Tradesman Plumber-Limited, and documented on an Employer's Certification Form from each employer. On request, TSBPE may credit up to 1,000 hours for completing the classroom portion of a US DOL-approved or board-approved training program, and up to 250 hours for an approved high school career and technical education course sequence.
  • US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($40). Non-refundable Journeyman Plumber Examination application fee paid to TSBPE; Pearson VUE's handbook lists the practical portion's fee as this $40.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.50). Pearson VUE fee for the computer-based written portion, paid when you book; each retake is paid again.
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Texas Journeyman Plumber Examination: computer-based written portion at Pearson VUE (100 questions, 120 minutes) and a hands-on practical at TSBPE's Austin or Waco center; 70% required.
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check ($39.05). One-time electronic fingerprint submission through IdentoGO (service code 11J66Z) for a DPS and FBI criminal history check; the $39.05 fee is paid to IdentoGO. Applicants with a felony conviction must also file the Supplemental Criminal History Information Form..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($40). Initial license fee for the certificate of licensure and pocket card, paid after passing.

Published fees on this path total $148.50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every year with 6 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $40 renewal fee.

Six hours of TSBPE-approved continuing professional education in the 12 months before each annual renewal, three of them in health protection, energy conservation and water conservation. A first license is given an expiration date between 6 and 18 months after the exam is passed.

A person holding both a journeyman and a master license pays only the master renewal fee.

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.

  • Exam fee · $68.50
  • Trade exam

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. Texas Occupations Code ch. 1301 (Plumbing License Law) - definitions, apprentice/exam prerequisites, fingerprints, renewal and CE · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.002, 1301.354, 1301.3515, 1301.352, 1301.401, 1301.403, 1301.404 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  2. Pearson VUE - Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners Candidate Handbook (August 2025) · Pearson VUE for the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Pearson VUE - Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners testing page · Pearson VUE for the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  4. TSBPE Board Rules (22 TAC chapters 361, 363, 365), board reading copy updated March 2026 · 22 TAC §§ 361.6, 363.2, 363.4, 363.5, 363.7, 363.20, 363.22, 365.14, 365.22 · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. TSBPE - Exam Training (48-hour journeyman training program and exemptions) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. TSBPE - Journeyman Plumber (eligibility, how to apply, fees) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. TSBPE - Journeyman Plumber Examination Application (revised August 2026) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. TSBPE - License Types (Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman, Master Plumber, Plumbing Inspector) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026

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