LicensebyState

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

Wisconsin has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Wisconsin journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)

Wisconsin issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS); under Wis. Stat. 145.06 no person may engage in or work at plumbing in the state unless licensed by DSPS, and there is no municipal plumber licensing. Under SPS 305.93 a journeyman works under the general supervision of a Master Plumber, Master Plumber Restricted or Utility Contractor licensee, qualifies by completing a plumbing apprenticeship under Wis. Stat. ch. 106, and must complete 24 hours of approved continuing education to renew. A new applicant files Form 3126 in the LicensE portal at license.wi.gov with proof of the completed apprenticeship, is made eligible to test, and must pass the DSPS journeyman plumber examination, which is a two-part, open-book exam with a 70% passing score covering Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305, the SPS 381-387 plumbing code, NFPA 13D/24 and the POWTS component manuals (the updated plumbing code applies to exams from October 1, 2026). DSPS's plumber pages name no reciprocity states, and the electrical reciprocity statute (Wis. Stat. 101.874) does not extend to plumbers; the plumbing comity statute (Wis. Stat. 145.09) counts out-of-state apprenticeships and licenses toward eligibility for the exam but does not waive it.

Every origin state

Experience credit 32No credit 18
Every state's path into Wisconsin
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-23
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-23
DelawareNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-23
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-23
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-23
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaExperience credit2026-09-23
IowaExperience credit2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-23
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-23
MaineExperience credit2026-09-23
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-23
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-23
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-23
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-23
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-23
New JerseyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-23
OregonExperience credit2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasExperience credit2026-09-23
UtahExperience credit2026-09-23
VermontExperience credit2026-09-23
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-23
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Wisconsin from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 10 sources

Journeyman Plumber license by examination

DSPS issues the Journeyman Plumber license to an applicant who has completed a plumbing apprenticeship recognized by the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards or the U.S. Department of Labor and then passes the state journeyman plumber exam. Wisconsin's plumbing apprenticeship takes about five years, with 7,428 hours of on-the-job training and 572 hours of paid classroom instruction, and apprentices must be registered with DSPS while they work. You apply and pay in the LicensE portal (license.wi.gov), upload the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards letter confirming you completed the apprenticeship, and DSPS notifies you when you are eligible to schedule the exam. The exam has two parts, is open book and takes 70% on each part to pass; it is given at DSPS exam sites or at Pearson test centers in Wisconsin. There is no separate law or business exam.

Part 1 has 87 questions and Part 2 has 120, with 3 hours for each. Only nine references are allowed: one binder (it may be the PHCC binder) holding Wis. Stat. chs. 145 and 106, Wis. Admin. Code SPS 302, SPS 305, SPS 381-387 and ch. 325, and your printed notes; NFPA 13D and NFPA 24 (2019 editions); five POWTS component manuals; and the Multi-Purpose Piping Systems Design Manual. Architect and engineer scale rulers are allowed; loose papers, removable tabs, sticky notes and practice exams are not. A failed part can be retaken on its own, but all parts must be passed within one year of the first attempt, and each retake means paying another exam fee in LicensE. Results are sent within 21 days, and after passing you must obtain the license within 3 months or retest. Neither the statute nor the rule sets a minimum age or education requirement for this license. Restricted journeyman licenses (restricted service and restricted appliance) are separate credentials. Applicants trained or licensed in another state apply under the comity categories described in the out-of-state section of this page.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Wisconsin DSPS (DSPS exam sites or Pearson centers in Wisconsin)
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 4 years
Continuing education
24 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship (5 years): Completion of a plumbing apprenticeship recognized under Wis. Stat. ch. 106 (Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards) or by the U.S. Department of Labor.The Wisconsin plumbing apprenticeship runs about five years: 7,428 hours of on-the-job training and 572 hours of paid related instruction. Upload the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards letter confirming completion with the LicensE application.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($10). Journeyman Plumber application fee (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02, Table 305.02), paid in LicensE; nonrefundable.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($20). Journeyman Plumber examination fee (Table 305.02), paid again in LicensE for each retake. Candidates who choose a Pearson test center are billed $90 per part by Pearson..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber exam: two parts (87 and 120 questions, 3 hours each), open book with nine permitted references; 70% on each part to pass.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($180). Journeyman Plumber license fee (Table 305.02) for a four-year license, paid after you pass; prorated monthly when the first term is shorter than four years.
  5. 5Other. Letter from the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards confirming completion of the plumbing apprenticeship, uploaded to LicensE.

Published fees on this path total $210, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 4 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $180 renewal fee.

24 hours of DSPS-approved continuing education before the license expires. DSPS may waive the requirement for prolonged illness, disability or similar circumstances.

Licenses expire on March 31. A $25 late continuing-education fee may apply.

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 · $20
  • 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. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Continuing Education and Exam Information (credential checklist) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Wisconsin DSPS Form 3126 - Journeyman Plumber Application Information (Rev. 1/8/2024; includes Form 3126T) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber Exam Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.93 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Wisconsin DSPS - Pearson VUE Computer-Based Trade Exam Fee Schedule · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Renewal Dates and Fees (Health, Business, and Unarmed Combat Sports) - Wisconsin DSPS · Wis. Stat. 440.08(2)(a)38g., 440.08(3)(a) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Credentialing Examination Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Wisconsin DWD Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards - Plumber apprenticeship · Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Wis. Stat. ch. 145 - Plumbing (145.07 examinations; 145.08 fees and 4-year terms; 145.09 state comity) · Wis. Stat. 145.06; 145.07; 145.08; 145.09 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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