How to become a licensed plumber in Idaho

Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

Licensing office Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho State Plumbing Board · (208) 334-3233 [1]

The license pathway in Idaho

1. 1

   Plumbing Apprentice (registration)

   • $50 (DOPL also lists a $22.50 application fee)
   • Every 5 years, $50

   You register with DOPL and keep the registration for the whole time you earn experience. Apprentices may do plumbing work only under the supervision of a journeyman. [1][3][5][21]

2. 2

   Journeyman Plumber

   • 8,000 hours on the job
   • 576 hours of board-approved instruction (four years)
   • Yes: PSI (IAPMO), 100 questions, 180 minutes, 70% to pass, $75, open book
   • $29.40 certificate plus $22.50 application ($51.90 on the application)
   • Every 3 years, $21.60

   Lets you install and alter plumbing systems while working for a plumbing contractor. You qualify with 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of approved instruction, or with 16,000 hours of plumbing experience. Pipe fitting and appliance specialty work don't count. [1][3][4][9][10][11][16]

3. 3

   Plumbing Contractor

   • Yes: contractor exam, 100 questions, 240 minutes, 75% to pass, $75 (PSI)
   • $147
   • Every 3 years, $108

   Lets you contract for plumbing work and direct employees. You must hold a journeyman certificate, pass the contractor exam and keep a $2,000 compliance bond. [1][3][4][10][11]

Who needs a certificate in Idaho

Idaho law makes it unlawful to do plumbing work in the state without passing an exam and holding a state certificate of competency, and apprentices must register with DOPL.

Some work is exempt. Examples include an owner doing plumbing on their own single-family home or duplex, and sewer, excavating and utility contractors working on lines outside a building's foundation walls. See the full list in Idaho Code 54-2602.

Counties and cities can't charge occupational license fees to certified plumbers, except those with qualified plumbing inspectors. Some cities and counties run their own plumbing permit and inspection programs, so check where your job is. [2][5][6][7][8]

The certificate ladder: apprentice, journeyman, contractor

• Apprentice: DOPL registration; you work under a journeyman's supervision.
• Journeyman: 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of experience, plus the exam.
• Contractor: a journeyman certificate, the contractor exam and a $2,000 compliance bond.

Idaho has no master plumber license. A contractor who does plumbing work in person must also qualify as a journeyman, or employ a qualified journeyman on all work.

Specialty classes cover narrower work. An appliance specialty journeyman needs 3,000 hours plus 72 hours of classes, or 6,000 hours, and a water pump specialty journeyman needs 3,000 hours; both take an exam. Compare states on the plumber hub and in journeyman vs. master. [3][4]

The journeyman exam

DOPL's plumbing licensing page says you take the IAPMO exam through PSI before you apply for the certificate. Register on the PSI Idaho site. PSI's bulletin lists test sites in Boise, Lewiston, Moscow, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls, and in Spokane Valley, Washington.

The journeyman exam has 100 questions in 180 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. About a quarter of the questions cover the Idaho State Plumbing Code; the rest cover chapters of the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code. It costs $75, and a retake is also $75.

It is open book: bring the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) or the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code. You can highlight and tab your book beforehand but not write in it during the exam. [9][10][11]

Fees and renewal

DOPL lists a $22.50 application fee plus a certificate fee: $50 for an apprentice (five years), $29.40 for a journeyman and $147 for a contractor. Journeyman and contractor certificates run three years and renew for $21.60 and $108.

DOPL says there are no continuing education requirements for plumbing. A certificate you don't renew on time lapses, but you can revive it within two years by paying the full initial fee. [1][12][13]

Union and school apprenticeships in Idaho

The UA Local 296 Southwest Idaho JATC (joint apprenticeship and training committee) runs a five-year program in Meridian. It requires you to be 17, have a driver's license, a diploma or GED, and score 70% on its evaluation exam, and it takes applications all year. In eastern Idaho, the UA Local 648 JATC in Pocatello is on DOPL's approved list.

The colleges on DOPL's list, from North Idaho College to the College of Eastern Idaho, and Porter House Inc. offer approved plumbing instruction you can combine with a job at a plumbing contractor. See DOPL's list of board-approved programs, and read union vs. non-union and how to get an apprenticeship. [14][15]

If you're licensed in another state

DOPL has journeyman agreements with Montana, Oregon and Washington. Your home state completes a license verification showing an active license earned by exam and the required training or experience. Applicants from Montana or Washington must live in the state that issued their license when they apply. The written agreements say no written exam is required.

Idaho's universal licensure law offers another route if you hold a current, unrestricted license elsewhere; the board may require all or part of its exam. See our reciprocity guide and confirm with DOPL at (208) 334-3233. [16][17][18][19][20]

Steps to get licensed in Idaho

1. Get hired or accepted into a program

   Apply to UA Local 296 or UA Local 648, or get hired by a plumbing contractor and enroll in a board-approved college program. [14][15]

2. Register as an apprentice with DOPL

   Register through DOPL online services ($50, five years) and keep the registration active the whole time you earn hours. [1][5][21]

3. Finish 576 hours of instruction and 8,000 hours of work

   Complete a board-approved course (576 hours) and log 8,000 hours of plumbing installation under a journeyman. Without the course, you need 16,000 hours. [4][16]

4. Pass the journeyman exam with PSI

   Register for the IAPMO journeyman exam on the PSI Idaho site or at (855) 340-3713. It costs $75; bring the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code or the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code. [9][10][11]

5. Apply for the journeyman certificate

   Send DOPL the journeyman application with your work verification and school completion, and the $51.90 fee. [9][16]

6. Move up to contractor if you want your own business

   With a journeyman certificate, pass the contractor exam and post a $2,000 compliance bond to get a plumbing contractor certificate. [4][10]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  UA Local 296 Southwest Idaho JATC (Plumbers and Pipefitters)

  A five-year registered apprenticeship based in Meridian covering plumbing, pipefitting, welding and HVACR, with at least 8,500 hours of paid work and 1,230 hours of classroom instruction. [14][15]

• Union

  UA Local 648 Plumbers and Pipefitters JATC (Pocatello)

  The union program for eastern Idaho, on DOPL's list of board-approved plumbing programs. Contact it at (208) 232-6806. [15]

• School

  Community colleges and universities

  Board-approved plumbing instruction is offered by the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, North Idaho College and Treasure Valley Community College, plus Porter House Inc. North Idaho College's program is 144 hours a year. [15][22]

• State program

  Apprenticeship Idaho (Idaho Department of Labor)

  The state's registered apprenticeship team. It points job seekers to the federal apprenticeship job finder and helps schools and employers start programs. [23][24]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask