Moving to Washington as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule
Washington has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Washington journeyman plumber · “Journey Level Plumber (PL01)”
Statewide license
Issued by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Plumber Certification Program
Washington issues a statewide Journey Level Plumber (PL01) certificate of competency through the Department of Labor & Industries; anyone working in the plumbing trade must hold a journey level, specialty, residential service, trainee or temporary permit credential. A new applicant needs four years and at least 8,000 hours as a Washington plumber trainee (4,000 in commercial or industrial work), 16 hours of approved classroom education, and must pass the closed-book Washington journey level exam administered by PSI ($202.10 application fee plus PSI's scheduling fee, then a $242.70 certificate fee). Washington's only plumber reciprocity agreement is with Idaho for journey level plumbers: holders of an active Idaho journey level card receive the PL01 certificate without examination. Every other out-of-state plumber submits a copy of an active state license for L&I review; if L&I finds it comparable, the applicant is approved to sit the Washington exam and may buy a one-time 120-day temporary permit ($100.30) to work while waiting to test. Hours worked for out-of-state employers or in out-of-state apprenticeships are not credited. Certificates renew every three years on the holder's birthdate for $242.70 with 24 hours of continuing education (at least 12 hours of plumbing code and 4 hours of electrical).
States Washington reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Delaware | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Florida | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Hawaii | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Idaho | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-16 |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Indiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Louisiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New Jersey | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| North Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Ohio | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Oregon | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
Getting licensed in Washington from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Washington issues a journeyman plumber license to a first-time applicant.
Journey Level Plumber (PL01) certificate by examination
Washington certifies journey level plumbers through the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) after a supervised traineeship and a state exam. You start by getting a plumber trainee certificate ($60 a year, age 16 or older) and then document at least 8,000 hours over no less than four years under the direct supervision of a certified journey level plumber, including 4,000 hours of commercial plumbing, on notarized affidavits of experience. Before testing you must also complete 16 hours of approved classroom education, including at least 4 hours of industry-related electrical training. You then file the exam application with L&I ($202.10) and, once approved, schedule and pay PSI ($84) for the closed-book journey level exam, which has three portions and requires 70% on each. After passing, you pay the $242.70 certificate fee within 90 days.
The exam is based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code with Washington amendments. Its three portions are 90 minutes each: 100 questions on code and general trade knowledge (UPC chapters 1 to 10, 15, 16 and 17), a waste and vent sizing exercise, and a water pipe sizing exercise. If you fail any portion you retake all three, unless L&I waives a portion based on earlier attempts; you must file a new L&I application and $202.10 fee and wait 14 days after a failed attempt, and there is no limit on the number of attempts. An approved application is good for one year, and you keep working on your trainee certificate until you pass. Only hours worked in Washington on an active trainee certificate count; hours for out-of-state employers or in another state's apprenticeship program do not. A registered apprenticeship is not a separate route: apprentices hold a trainee certificate and log the same hours, and those enrolled in an approved apprenticeship or trade school program may work without on-site supervision during their last six months. The residential specialty (PL02, 6,000 hours) and residential service (PL04, 4,000 hours) certificates are narrower credentials with shorter experience requirements, and the medical gas piping installer endorsement (MG01) is a separate add-on for journey level plumbers. L&I does not list a background check for this certificate.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Closed book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
- Continuing education
- 24 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over not less than four years, including 4,000 hours of commercial plumbing. Hours are reported on notarized affidavits of experience (form F627-004-000) and count only while the trainee certificate is active.
- Complete at least 16 hours of classroom or related instruction.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Plumbing course in the U.S. armed services or an accredited school
State law accepts completion of a plumbing course of study in the U.S. armed services, or at a school accredited by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, as evidence of experience for the journey level exam. L&I's rules limit credit for any training school program to half of the minimum work experience, so school graduates still document the rest as Washington trainees; military plumbing experience is reviewed case by case. Contact L&I at 360-902-5207 or [email protected] before relying on this route.
- Completed a plumbing course of study in the U.S. armed services or at a school accredited by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
- Complete at least 16 hours of classroom or related instruction.
Journey level plumbing certificate from another country
A plumber holding a journey level certificate from a country outside the United States that requires at least four years of training and certification by examination may receive up to 4,000 hours of credit. They must then work another 4,000 hours of new commercial or industrial plumbing in Washington on a trainee certificate under a journey level plumber. Documentation of the foreign experience must be in English.
- Holds a journey level plumbing certificate from a country outside the U.S. that requires at least four years of training and certification by examination (up to 4,000 hours of credit)
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
- Complete at least 16 hours of classroom or related instruction.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($202.10). L&I examination application fee, non-refundable, filed online, by mail (form F627-008-000) or at an L&I office; the approved application is good for one year, and each retake needs a new application and fee.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington Journey Level Plumber exam administered by PSI: closed book, three 90-minute portions (100 code and trade knowledge questions, waste and vent sizing, water pipe sizing), 70% required on each.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($84). PSI fee for the three-portion exam, paid to PSI when scheduling; $52 to retake individual portions; non-refundable and valid one year.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($242.70). Journey level certificate fee, invoiced after you pass and payable within 90 days or you must retest; the first certificate runs 25 to 37 months depending on your birthdate.
Published fees on this path total $528.80, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 3 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $242.70 renewal fee.
24 hours of L&I-approved continuing education per three-year cycle: at least 12 hours of Uniform Plumbing Code and at least 4 hours of industry-related electrical training, with the other 8 hours in code, electrical or industry-related plumbing. Up to 4 hours of approved behavioral health and wellness training may count toward the total.
Certificates renew on your birthdate every three years. Renewing late, or without the continuing education complete, doubles the fee ($485.40 total); after 90 days you must retest, paying a $189.80 retest fee plus the certificate 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.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee · $84
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- L&I - Get or Renew Your Plumber Certification · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- L&I - Plumber Certification (becoming a plumber, certification requirements) · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- L&I - Plumber Continuing Education · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- L&I - Plumber Examination (in-state and out-of-state applicants, temporary permit) · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- L&I - Plumber Trainee · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- RCW 18.106.040 - Examinations - Eligibility requirements - Determination · RCW 18.106.040 · Washington State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- RCW 18.106.070 - Certificates of competency - Issuance - Renewal - Training certificates - Supervision · RCW 18.106.070; RCW 18.106.030; RCW 18.106.050 · Washington State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- WAC 296-400A-020 - How do I obtain a certificate of competency? · WAC 296-400A-020 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- WAC 296-400A-045 - Plumber certification and plumbing contractor fees · WAC 296-400A-045 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- WAC 296-400A-100 - Computing and documenting years of employment · WAC 296-400A-100; WAC 296-400A-110 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- WAC 296-400A-120 - Plumber trainee certificates · WAC 296-400A-120 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- WAC 296-400A-121 - Trainee experience and plumber examination requirements for the journey level and specialty plumber · WAC 296-400A-121 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026