LicensebyState

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

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

Vermont journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (PJ)”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by Vermont Plumber's Examining Board, Division of Fire Safety (Department of Public Safety)

Vermont issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license (ledger code PJ) through the Plumber's Examining Board in the Division of Fire Safety. A new applicant must document a Vermont-registered plumbing apprenticeship (instruction plus practice verified by the Vermont Apprenticeship Council) or equivalent training and experience in or outside Vermont acceptable to the Board, then pass a written examination covering plumbing theory and practice, State laws, and Health and Environmental Conservation rules; the two-year license fee is $90 (26 V.S.A. s. 2193(c)). A journeyman installs plumbing and water-treatment or heating specialties under a master, may supervise an apprentice employed by a master, and shall not act as a master. Out-of-state journeymen have a statutory path without examination: uniform endorsement if the origin license has been held in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years (s. 2194(a)(2)), plus a narrower reciprocity path if the origin state or municipality has equivalent standards and grants Vermont licensees a like exemption (s. 2194(a)(1)). The Board publishes no named plumbing partner list on the DFS plumbing pages. Licenses last two years; renewal requires eight hours of Board-approved instruction in the prior 24 months plus the Vermont Energy Goals module (not more than two hours). Vermont also licenses Plumbing Specialists (PS: P1 water heater, P2 heating system, P3 water treatment), which are not the journeyman credential.

Every origin state

Endorsement 32No credit 18
Every state's path into Vermont
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
TexasEndorsement2026-09-16
UtahEndorsement2026-09-16
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-16
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in Vermont from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Journeyman Plumber license by examination

Vermont issues the Journeyman Plumber license (PJ) to an applicant who has completed a plumbing apprenticeship registered with the Vermont Apprenticeship Council, or who has equivalent training and experience inside or outside Vermont that the Plumber's Examining Board accepts, and who then passes the state journeyman exam. Registered apprenticeships combine supervised on-the-job work under a master or journeyman plumber with at least 144 hours of related classroom instruction for each year of the program. The exam is given by Prov on computer, open book with approved references, and you need 70% to pass. There is no separate law or business exam; Vermont plumbing law and the Health and Environmental Conservation rules are covered within the journeyman exam.

Mail the notarized all-classifications plumbing application to the Division of Fire Safety, 45 State Drive, Waterbury, with a check payable to the Division of Fire Safety, the names of three references unrelated to you, and either your apprenticeship completion certificate or Employer Affidavit of Experience forms signed by a licensed master plumber and notarized. The Board reviews applications at its meetings every two months, and documents must arrive two weeks before a meeting. Once approved, you receive a candidate ID and schedule the exam with Prov. The journeyman exam has 80 questions in 3 hours; allowed references are the 2025 Vermont Plumbing Rules, the 2024 International Plumbing Code and Basic Safety. You may retake a failed exam twice at the same fee; after three failures you must appear before the Board, which may recommend further education before a fourth attempt. A journeyman may also do the work of the separate water heater, heating system and water treatment specialist licenses (P1, P2, P3) without holding them. Separate routes exist for military 12K plumbers and for licensed out-of-state journeymen. For questions, contact the licensing office at 802-479-7564.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Prov
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
8 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship: Completion of a plumbing apprenticeship registered with the Vermont Apprenticeship Council, including both instruction and practice in work processes, shown by the Council's certificate of completion.Vermont registered apprenticeships require at least 144 hours of related technical instruction for each year of the program (21 V.S.A. s. 1117). Apprentices must be at least 16 (21 V.S.A. s. 1111).

Other ways to qualify

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

Equivalent training and experience accepted by the Board

Under 26 V.S.A. s. 2192, an applicant who did not complete a Vermont registered apprenticeship may qualify with equivalent instruction, training and experience earned inside or outside Vermont that the Board accepts. The application form asks for at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training on this route, documented on Employer Affidavit of Experience forms signed by a licensed master plumber, along with your schooling. The journeyman exam still applies.

  • You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
  • Instruction, training and experience inside or outside Vermont that the Plumber's Examining Board finds equivalent to a Vermont plumbing apprenticeship

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($90). Journeyman fee of $90, sent with the application by check payable to the Division of Fire Safety. The application lists it as the application fee; it equals the two-year journeyman license fee set in 26 V.S.A. s. 2193(c)..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Vermont Journeyman Plumber exam administered by Prov: 80 questions in 3 hours, computer-based, open book with approved references, 70% to pass.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Prov examination fee, paid to Prov when you schedule; each retake costs the same.
  4. 4Other. Vermont Energy Goals education module (about 20 minutes, on the Division of Fire Safety website); include the completion certificate with the application.

Published fees on this path total $170, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $90 renewal fee.

8 hours of Board-approved continuing education or training during the 24 months before renewal, at least 2 hours of which must be code review; a course counts toward only one renewal. The Vermont Energy Goals renewal module is also required.

A license may be reinstated within 90 days after it expires by paying a $15 reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee; after 90 days you must appear before the Board to request reinstatement.

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
  • Exam fee · $80

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. Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Vermont Energy Goals Educational Module memo · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Trade Licensing and Certifications · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Plumbing (licensing home page) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Division of Fire Safety - Plumbing License Applications, All Classes · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Plumbers Examining Board (meetings and document deadline) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  6. Vermont Plumbing Rules, 2025 Edition (current; linked from the DFS plumbing page) · Vermont Plumbing Rules 2025 · Vermont Plumber's Examining Board / Division of Fire Safety · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Vermont Division of Fire Safety - 2026 PROV Bulletin (testing instructions linked from the trade-licensing page) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety / Prov · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. 21 V.S.A. Chapter 13 - Apprenticeship (Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program) · 21 V.S.A. ss. 1111, 1117 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. 26 V.S.A. Chapter 39 - Plumbers and Plumbing (definitions, qualifications, fees, examinations not required, renewal) · 26 V.S.A. ss. 2172, 2181, 2191, 2192, 2192a, 2193, 2194, 2195, 2198 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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