LicensebyState

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

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

Wisconsin master plumber · “Master Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

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

Wisconsin issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through DSPS under Wis. Stat. ch. 145; no person may work at plumbing without a DSPS license (Wis. Stat. 145.06), and under SPS 305.91 a master plumber responsible for an installation must use appropriately credentialed persons to do the work. A new applicant files Form 3129 (with the Form 3129T experience table) in the LicensE portal, is made eligible to test, and must pass the DSPS master plumber examination, a two-part, open-book exam (70% on each part to pass) on Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305 and the SPS 381-387 plumbing code (the updated code applies to exams from October 1, 2026). DSPS's plumber pages name no reciprocity states.

Every origin state

Experience credit 38No credit 12
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
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-23
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-23
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-23
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-23
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-23
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-23
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-23
IllinoisExperience credit2026-09-23
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 JerseyExperience credit2026-09-23
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
OhioExperience credit2026-09-23
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-23
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
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
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
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 master plumber license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master Plumber license by examination

DSPS issues the Master Plumber license to a Wisconsin licensed journeyman plumber who has worked at least 1,000 hours in plumbing in each of at least three years under that license and then passes the state master plumber exam. A graduate of an accredited engineering program in civil or mechanical engineering, or another approved plumbing-related engineering curriculum, may take the exam without the journeyman license. You apply and pay in LicensE, upload the Master Plumber Experience Form (3129T) with your witnesses' signatures or your engineering transcript or degree, and DSPS notifies you when you are eligible to schedule the exam. The exam has two parts, is open book, takes 70% on each part to pass and includes the design and installation of multipurpose piping systems. The license is held by the individual, and there is no separate law or business exam.

Part 1 has 110 questions and Part 2 has 132, with 4 hours for each. The nine permitted references are the same as for the journeyman exam: 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. 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 requires another exam fee. After passing you must obtain the license within 3 months or retest. A master plumber may also work as a journeyman. Master Plumber-Restricted (service or appliance) is a separate license that requires 1,000 hours per year for two years as a licensed restricted journeyman.

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

  • Hold a Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber license for at least 3 years first.At least 1,000 hours of plumbing-related work in each of at least 3 years as a licensed journeyman plumber in Wisconsin, recorded on Form 3129T.
  • You must document at least 3,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 1,000 hours in each of the 3 years.

Other ways to qualify

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

Engineering degree

Graduates of an accredited engineering university or college with a degree in civil engineering, mechanical engineering or another approved engineering curriculum related to plumbing may take the master plumber exam without the journeyman experience. Upload the transcript or degree with the LicensE application.

  • Degree in civil or mechanical engineering, or another approved plumbing-related engineering curriculum, from an accredited university or college

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($20). Master Plumber application fee (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02, Table 305.02), paid in LicensE; nonrefundable.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($30). Master Plumber examination fee (Table 305.02), paid again in LicensE for each retake. Candidates who choose a Pearson test center are billed $95 per part by Pearson..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Master Plumber exam: two parts (110 and 132 questions, 4 hours each), open book with nine permitted references; 70% on each part to pass.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($500). Master 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. Master Plumber Experience Form (3129T) signed by witnesses, or engineering transcript or degree, uploaded to LicensE.

Published fees on this path total $550, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 4 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $500 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 · $30
  • 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 3129 - Master Plumber License Application Information (Rev. 1/8/2024; includes Form 3129T) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber Exam Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · 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. 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
  9. 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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