How to get a plumber license in Alabama

Licensing office Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board · (205) 945-4857 [5]

The license pathway in Alabama

1. 1

   Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter

   • $35 registration
   • Yearly, $35

   You register with the Board before working and carry your current card. You may do plumbing or gas work only for a company registered with the Board and under the direct supervision of a certified journeyman or master, who must stay on the job site the whole time. [2][3][14]

2. 2

   Journeyman Plumber

   • 2 years of experience
   • Not required; completing a Board-approved apprentice training program is an alternative
   • Yes: 75 questions, 2.92 hours, open book, Prov, 70% to pass
   • $110 exam, $50 application processing, $75 certificate
   • Yearly, $75; 4 hours CE

   Lets you install, repair and replace plumbing systems. You need two years of current work experience as an apprentice, or a Board-approved apprentice training program combined with registered apprentice time equal to two years. After you pass, you have 90 days to pay and become certified. [1][2][5][6]

3. 3

   Master Plumber

   • 1 year of experience
   • Yes: plumbing exam plus a business law exam (since January 1, 2026)
   • $160 exam, $100 business law exam, $50 processing, $175 certificate
   • Yearly, $175; 4 hours CE

   Needs at least one year of current work experience as a journeyman plumber. A master may register as the principal (the responsible master) of a plumbing business; every plumbing company must register with the Board and have a principal master. [1][2][4][5]

Who needs to be certified

Alabama law makes it unlawful to "contract, engage in, offer to engage, or convey the impression" that you are certified in plumbing or gas fitting unless you are registered or certified. Every business doing plumbing or gas work must register with the Board, and its journeyman and apprentice employees must also be certified or registered.

Plumbing and gas fitting are separate tracks with the same steps: apprentice, journeyman, master. The apprentice card covers both. A journeyman or master plumber who also wants to do gas fitting must hold at least an apprentice card for gas. [1][4][5]

The journeyman exam

The Board contracts with Prov to give its exams at testing centers around Alabama (20 sites, including Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa), and says virtual and out-of-state sites may also be available. The journeyman plumber exam has 75 questions and 2.92 hours, covering topics such as drain, waste and vent systems, sizing, fixtures, water heaters, trade math and Alabama plumbing and gas law. It's open book with the listed references, including the 2021 International Plumbing Code. You need 70% to pass and get results the same day. Spanish versions are offered.

The Board's site posts practice tests and runs code review classes for exam applicants. [4][6][7][8]

Fees and renewal

Fees under the Board's rule (operative January 1, 2026):

• Apprentice: $35 registration and $35 yearly renewal.
• Journeyman: $110 exam, $50 initial application processing, $75 certificate, $75 yearly renewal.
• Master: $160 written exam, $100 business law exam, $50 processing, $175 certificate, $175 yearly renewal.
• Business registration: $25, renewed yearly.

Each certified journeyman or master needs 4 hours of continuing education (CE) a year per certification held, completed before November 1. CE isn't required for an initial journeyman certification in the year it's issued. Certified contractors who turned 65 before January 1 of the year can apply for an age exemption. [2][9]

If you're licensed in another state

The Board's only reciprocity agreement is with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, in effect since January 1, 2026, for the Master Plumber license. Its out-of-state page says it has no other active agreements.

Otherwise, if you hold a journeyman or master plumber license from another state earned by passing an exam with at least 70%, in good standing, you may take Alabama's exam at the matching level. Your state must verify your license, and you need a score of 70 on Alabama's test.

During a declared state of emergency, the Board may issue emergency certificates to out-of-state license holders for up to 60 days. [1][5][7][10][11]

Union and other apprenticeships

• Union: UA Local 91 in Birmingham runs a 5-year Department of Labor registered program; applicants must be 18 and have a high school diploma or GED.
• State: the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship registers apprenticeship programs and maps their sponsors.

Whatever program you join, you still need your own apprentice registration card from the Board. See how to get an apprenticeship and helper jobs. [3][12][13]

Steps to get licensed in Alabama

1. Get hired and register as an apprentice

   Find a job with a plumbing company registered with the Board, then register as an Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter online or on paper ($35). Renew your card every year. [2][3][15]

2. Work two years under supervision

   Build two years of current work experience as an apprentice under a journeyman or master on site, or complete a Board-approved apprentice training program. [1][3]

3. Apply for the journeyman exam

   Send the journeyman exam application with the $110 nonrefundable fee by email, fax or mail. After the Board processes it, schedule with Prov online or at (866) 720-7768. [4][6]

4. Pass and certify within 90 days

   Score 70% or better. Then send the pass packet with the $50 processing fee and $75 certificate fee within 90 calendar days, or you must retest. [1][2][6]

5. Renew yearly with CE

   Renew every year and complete 4 hours of plumbing CE before November 1. CE isn't required for your first certification year. [2][9]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train plumbers in or for Alabama, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• Union

  UA Local 91 Apprenticeship (Birmingham)

  Five-year U.S. Department of Labor registered program with classroom and on-the-job training; graduates may be certified in plumbing, pipefitting, HVAC, welding and more. [12]

• State program

  Alabama Office of Apprenticeship

  The state agency that registers apprenticeship programs; its site maps apprenticeship sponsors around Alabama. [13]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask