How to get a plumbing license in Indiana

Journeyman level 6,400 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

Licensing office Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) · (317) 234-8800 [3][6]

The license pathway in Indiana

1. 1

   Apprentice plumber

   • $10 application
   • Every two years; $10

   You learn the trade under the direction and immediate supervision of a licensed plumbing contractor or journeyman, who must be physically present on the project while you do plumbing work. Register with the commission once you're enrolled in an approved apprenticeship program (or within the one-year window while you've applied to one). [1][3][5]

2. 2

   Journeyman plumber

   • 6,400 hours on the job
   • 4 years of experience
   • 576 hours (approved apprenticeship route)
   • Yes, multiple choice, 90 questions in 3 hours, PROV; $75
   • $30 application; $30 or $15 issuance
   • Every two years; $30

   A journeyman does plumbing work under the supervision, direction and responsibility of a licensed plumbing contractor. Indiana residents qualify for the exam by finishing at least four years in a commission-approved apprenticeship, or with a notarized statement of four years (6,400 hours) of plumbing experience in employment that the law exempts from licensing, such as a government employee or a company's maintenance person. [1][2][3][6]

3. 3

   Plumbing contractor

   • 6,400 hours on the job
   • 4 years of experience
   • Yes, multiple choice, 90 questions in 3 hours, PROV; $100
   • $50 application; $100 or $50 issuance
   • Every two years; $100

   The license to contract for plumbing and be responsible for a project's plumbing. Indiana law lets a resident qualify with the same four-year apprenticeship or experience as a journeyman, or with four years in a plumbing business under the direction of a licensed plumbing contractor. A corporation needs its own license and at least one licensed plumbing contractor named on it. [1][3][6]

Who needs a plumbing license in Indiana

State law makes it unlawful to work as a plumbing contractor or journeyman plumber in Indiana without a license from the Indiana Plumbing Commission. A journeyman works under the supervision, direction and responsibility of a licensed plumbing contractor; the contractor is the one who takes on the work and is responsible for the project's plumbing.

The law doesn't apply to helpers, laborers, registered apprentices and other employees of a plumbing contractor or journeyman who don't present themselves to the public as plumbers. It also exempts, among others, owner-occupants working on their own building of eight or fewer units, a business's own maintenance person, government employees acting in their job, and sewer, septic and excavation contractors working outside a building's foundation walls.

Indiana's license is statewide. Cities and counties can enforce building codes and inspect plumbing, and may require a licensed plumbing contractor to register with them, but they can't require any other form of licensing. [1]

How to get your first job or apprenticeship here

Most people start by getting hired by a licensed plumbing contractor and enrolling in a commission-approved apprenticeship program, then registering as an apprentice plumber. You must be at least 17. The application to register costs $10 and needs a sponsor certification signed by your program and your supervising journeyman or contractor.

If you've applied to an approved program but haven't started yet, state law lets you register and work under the direct, personal supervision of a licensed plumber for up to one year, even while you're waiting for an answer or on a waiting list. You must stop if the program doesn't accept you, removes you from its list, or you're still waiting after a year.

Programs set their own entry rules. UA Local 440's JATC in Indianapolis requires a high school diploma or GED (or senior year on track to graduate), age 18 by indenture, a valid driver's license and passing scores on its assessment tests. [1][3][4]

The license ladder

Apprentice plumber. Registered with the commission, enrolled in an approved program, and working only while a licensed contractor or journeyman is physically on the project.

Journeyman plumber. You qualify for the exam after at least four years in a commission-approved apprenticeship. The rules define that as at least 576 hours of classroom instruction and 6,400 hours of related on-the-job training over at least four years, with no more than 40 hours counted in any week. The other route for Indiana residents is a notarized statement of four years (at least 6,400 hours) of plumbing experience in employment the law exempts from licensing: government employees, work on federal property, or a business's own maintenance person. Employers verify experience with affidavits.

Plumbing contractor. The same four-year apprenticeship or experience qualifies you, or four years in a plumbing business under a licensed plumbing contractor. You don't have to hold a journeyman license first. You must be 18, and the law says a contractor license goes to a person "who resides in Indiana". A nonresident who holds a license from a state without a reciprocity agreement presents that license to qualify for the exam; one from a state with no plumbing license must meet the regular requirements. [1][2][3][5]

The exams

Both exams are multiple choice and given by PROV at its testing centers, including 15 in Indiana. The commission must approve your application before you can schedule, and you have one year from approval to take the exam for the first time.

• Journeyman plumber: 90 questions, 3 hours, $75. The largest topics are vents (17 questions), sanitary drainage (15) and water supply and distribution (14).
• Plumbing contractor: 90 questions, 3 hours, $100, including 14 questions on Indiana business topics.

You may bring the listed references, including the 2006 International Plumbing Code (Indiana edition) and the 2012 Indiana amendments, prepared only with highlighting, permanent tabs and handwritten formulas in ink. Results come right after the test. If you fail, you can retake the exam up to six more times within two years of your first scheduled date, paying the fee each time. [2][3][6]

Fees and renewal

State fees from the commission's schedule:

• Apprentice: $10 application, $10 renewal.
• Journeyman: $30 application; $30 issuance in an even-numbered year or $15 in an odd one; $30 renewal.
• Contractor: $50 application; $100 issuance in an even-numbered year or $50 in an odd one; $100 renewal.

Exam fees are paid separately to PROV. Journeyman and contractor licenses expire December 31 of every odd-numbered year. A late renewal received before March 1 costs $15 extra; after that the late fee is $100 (journeyman) or $200 (contractor). A license expired three years or more must be reinstated, which includes a personal appearance before the commission.

The commission's page says apprentice registrations expire October 1 of every even-numbered year, while its rule (860 IAC 2-1-5) says they renew every two years on August 1; check your renewal notice. Licensing pages and rules found for this guide list no continuing education requirement for plumbers; confirm with the commission. [2][3][5]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

For the license, your apprenticeship must be approved by the Indiana Plumbing Commission. Its approved list includes union programs such as UA Local 440 (Indianapolis) and the plumbers and steamfitters locals in Fort Wayne (Local 166), South Bend (Local 172), Merrillville (Local 210), Terre Haute (Local 157) and Muncie (Local 661), Evansville Plumbers & Pipefitters Training, plus open-shop programs run by ABC of Indiana/Kentucky, several PHCC associations, Mechanical Skills Inc. and the Northwest Indiana Plumbing Apprenticeship School.

ABC of Indiana/Kentucky runs Department of Labor apprenticeships in which most trades take four years, with classes once a week in the evening plus online study. Its Indiana tuition is $610 per semester for apprentices of member companies and $840 for non-members, plus fees and books, and apprentices can earn a tuition-free associate degree from Vincennes University. [3][7][8]

If you're licensed in another state

Indiana law (IC 25-28.5-1-19) says a plumber licensed in another state can be licensed without exam if that state's requirements were substantially equal and it gives Indiana licensees the same privilege. But the commission's own FAQ says reciprocity "is not available for journeyman and contractor plumbers": you apply and pay the fee, the board reviews your application, and if approved you must pass the exam. Send a certification of licensure from your home state with your application.

Indiana's general law on licenses from other states (IC 25-1-21) applies only to the health-profession boards listed in IC 25-0.5-11, which don't include the plumbing commission. A separate law (IC 25-1-17) requires boards, including the plumbing commission, to license military service members, spouses and dependents who meet its conditions. Confirm your route with the commission before you apply. [1][2][3][9]

Local registration (Indianapolis)

Cities can't add their own plumbing license, but they can require licensed plumbing contractors to register. In Indianapolis, the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services requires a contractor licensed by the Indiana Plumbing Commission to register before doing plumbing work in the Consolidated City. The city's 2026 packet lists a $142 license holder fee for a new registration applied for in the first half of 2026 (less later in the term), a $142 renewal, and registrations expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years. [1][10][11]

Steps to get licensed in Indiana

1. Get hired and join an approved apprenticeship

   Find a job with a licensed plumbing contractor and apply to a commission-approved apprenticeship program, such as a union JATC (joint apprenticeship and training committee), ABC of Indiana/Kentucky or a PHCC association. Programs must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor or a similar organization and approved by the commission. [3][5]

2. Register as an apprentice plumber

   At 17 or older, apply through the PLA online portal with the $10 fee and the sponsor certification form. Work only under a licensed plumber who is on the job with you. [1][3][5]

3. Finish four years of training

   Complete at least 576 classroom hours and 6,400 hours of on-the-job training over at least four years; no more than 40 hours count in any week. You must also pass your school's practical exam (copper, cast iron and plastic pipe projects, 70% on each) to complete the apprenticeship. [2][5]

4. Apply and pass the journeyman exam

   Apply to the commission ($30) with your Certificate of Completion. Once approved, schedule the 90-question exam with PROV ($75) within one year. You get up to seven attempts within two years. [2][3][6]

5. Renew, and consider the contractor license

   Renew every two years by December 31 of odd-numbered years. To contract on your own, apply for the plumbing contractor license ($50) and pass its separate 90-question exam ($100); cities may also require licensed contractors to register with them. [1][3][6]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  Plumbers, Steamfitters & HVACR Service Technicians Local 440 JATC (Indianapolis)

  The UA local's joint apprenticeship in central Indiana, on the commission's approved list. Applications are online only and accepted year-round. [3][4]

• Union

  Other commission-approved union programs

  The commission's approved list includes plumbers and steamfitters locals in Fort Wayne (Local 166), South Bend (Local 172), Merrillville (Local 210), Terre Haute (Local 157) and Muncie (Local 661), Evansville Plumbers & Pipefitters Training, and Local 392 in Cincinnati. [3]

• Open shop

  ABC of Indiana/Kentucky apprenticeship

  Associated Builders and Contractors' merit-shop apprenticeship, registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and on the commission's approved list. Plumber is one of its trades; most trades take four years, with weekly evening classes from late August. [3][7]

• Open shop

  PHCC and other approved plumbing schools

  Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors associations in Fort Wayne, north central, south central, southeast and southwest Indiana, Mechanical Skills Inc. (Indianapolis) and the Northwest Indiana Plumbing Apprenticeship School are also on the approved list. [3]

• Other

  U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Finder

  Search registered plumbing apprenticeships anywhere in Indiana. For the license, the program must also be approved by the Indiana Plumbing Commission. [5][12]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask