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Plumber · State license

How to get a plumbing license in Iowa

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

Iowa licenses plumbers statewide through the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). You start with an apprentice license, which requires you to be 18, have a high school diploma or GED, and be enrolled in an apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. After four years in that apprenticeship you take the journeyperson plumber exam (75% to pass). Two years as a licensed journeyperson qualifies you for the master exam, and a contractor must hold or employ a master. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Iowa

In Iowa you need a state apprentice license before you do plumbing work as an apprentice, and you can't get one until you're 18 and have finished high school or a GED. First get hired by a plumbing contractor that runs a registered apprenticeship, or apply to a union (UA) or open-shop (ABC of Iowa) program. Then apply for the $50 apprentice license on DIAL's license portal with your apprenticeship sponsor details. [1][2][3][7][13][16]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Required by state rule: "All apprentice applicants must have completed a high school education or attained GED equivalent" (Iowa Administrative Code 481-429.4). DIAL's apprentice page says the same. [2][3]

  • Minimum age

    18. The rule says an applicant for any type of plumbing or mechanical license must be at least 18. [2][3]

  • Register before you start work

    State law bars anyone from installing or repairing plumbing without a board license, except helpers. To get the apprentice license you must be enrolled in a DOL-registered apprenticeship and give DIAL your apprentice ID number, start date, sponsor program number and sponsor name from your apprenticeship agreement. The license is $50 for 3 years, prorated The board waives first-time fees if your household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. [1][3][7]

  • Helper jobs

    A helper doing general manual labor to assist a licensed apprentice, journeyperson or master doesn't need a license, but state law says helper experience doesn't count toward a journeyperson license. The licensee you help is responsible for your work. [1][5]

  • Supervision

    Apprentices may work only under a licensed journeyperson or master in the same discipline employed by the same contractor. DIAL says the Department of Labor's ratio is one apprentice to one journeyperson unless a union contract says otherwise. [3][5]

  • Aptitude test and documents

    UA Local 125 in Cedar Rapids asks applicants to upload a birth certificate, driver's license, high school transcript or GED certificate (it says a diploma alone isn't accepted) and NCRC test results. You schedule the NCRC test through a local IowaWORKS office Local 125 lists (319) 365-9474. [25][26]

  • Application windows

    As of October 2026, UA Local 125 takes applications at set openings on its website (its example: September 1, November and January 1). You may apply only at every other opening, up to 3 times a calendar year Call the training center at (319) 362-9259. ABC of Iowa apprentices must first be hired by a member company, which enrolls them; its winter daytime class registration runs November 4 to December 9, 2026. [16][25][27][28]

  • Pay while you learn

    UA Local 125's brochure says apprentices start at 40% of the journeyman rate with a 5% raise about every six months if work and school go well, plus health and pension benefits from day one. ABC of Iowa apprentices earn paid on-the-job training hours with their employer. [15][16]

  • Credit for prior training or military

    The board counts advanced standing or credit your apprenticeship gives for earlier experience, training or skills toward the 48 months before the journeyperson exam. The board waives the first application fee and one renewal fee for honorably or generally discharged veterans within five years of discharge. [2][7]

  • Still in high school?

    You can't hold a plumbing apprentice license until you're 18 and have your diploma or GED, and helper hours don't count toward a license. Iowa Workforce Development says more Iowa high schools offer registered apprenticeship and quality pre-apprenticeship programs that prepare you for an apprenticeship after graduation It suggests starting with your school counselor. Iowa's career and technical education (CTE) programs include an applied sciences, technology, engineering and manufacturing service area that covers construction, and Senior Year Plus concurrent enrollment and career academies let you take community college career and technical courses while in high school. [1][2][24][29][30]

Where to apply in IowaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · (866) 280-1521 [1][20]

Iowa plumbing license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing DIAL [1][20]
Apprentice license
Required Must be 18, a high school graduate or GED holder, and enrolled in a DOL-registered apprenticeship; $50 for 3 years [1][2][3][7]
Journeyperson experience
4 years of practical experience in a DOL-registered apprenticeship [1][9]
Journeyperson exam
Kirkwood Community College, open book, 75 questions, 3 hours, 75% to pass $35 board application fee plus Kirkwood's exam fee [2][7][8]
Master experience
2 years as a licensed journeyperson plumber, then the master exam [2][10]
License fees
Apprentice $50, journeyperson $180, master $240, contractor $250 (plus $150 contractor registration), each for 3 years [7][11]
Renewal + CE
All licenses expire June 30 every 3 years (current period ends June 30, 2029) Journeyperson and master need 8 hours of CE per term [2][11][12]
Reciprocity
South Dakota, for journeyperson and master plumbing licenses earned by written exam [9][10]
Minimum age
18 for every license type [2]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a plumbing license in Iowa
  5. The license ladder: apprentice to contractor
  6. The exams
  7. Fees, renewal and continuing education
  8. Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Iowa
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. Recent changes
  11. Steps to get licensed
  12. Where to get the hours
  13. Licensed in another state?
  14. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Iowa

  1. 1

    Apprentice

    • Through your registered apprenticeship program
    • $50 for 3 years (prorated)
    • Every 3 years; $50

    You need this license to work as a plumbing apprentice. You must be 18, have a high school diploma or GED, be enrolled in a DOL-registered apprenticeship, and work under a licensed journeyperson or master. One apprentice license covers all plumbing and mechanical trades. [1][2][3][7]

  2. 2

    Journeyperson plumber

    • 4 years of experience
    • Through your registered apprenticeship program
    • Yes: Kirkwood Community College, open book (2024 Uniform Plumbing Code), 75 questions, 3 hours, 75% to pass
    • $35 exam application + Kirkwood exam fee; $180 license for 3 years
    • Every 3 years; $180; 8 hours CE

    Lets you install and repair plumbing under the supervision of a master plumber. You need four years of practical experience in a DOL-registered apprenticeship and a passing exam score, and you must have finished the apprenticeship before the license is issued. [1][2][5][7][8][12][21]

  3. 3

    Master plumber

    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes: Kirkwood Community College, open book, 125 questions, 6 hours, 75% to pass
    • $35 exam application + Kirkwood exam fee; $240 license for 3 years
    • Every 3 years; $240; 8 hours CE

    Lets you plan and supervise plumbing work and serve as the master of record for a contractor. You qualify after two years of experience as a licensed journeyperson plumber (or with a master license from another state) and a passing master exam. [1][2][7][8][10][12]

  4. 4

    Plumbing contractor

    • $250 license + $150 contractor registration for 3 years (prorated)
    • Every 3 years

    A business license. You must hold a master license or employ a master as master of record, keep a permanent place of business, carry at least $500,000 of public liability insurance and a $5,000 surety bond, and register as a contractor (one joint application). [1][5][11][23]

Who needs a plumbing license in Iowa

Iowa law says a person may not install or repair plumbing, or operate as a contractor, without a license from the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board. A business doing plumbing work must employ a licensed master who is actively in charge of the work.

The state license replaced city and county plumbing licenses: state law voids local plumbing licensing and bars cities from stopping a state licensee from doing licensed work. Cities can still charge permit and inspection fees.

Exceptions include helpers doing manual labor for a licensee, a homeowner working on an existing single-family home that is their principal residence and qualifies for the homestead tax credit, people doing unpaid volunteer work (including helping an owner with unpaid work on their home), and some employees of utilities, manufacturers and government units. [1]

The license ladder: apprentice to contractor

The board also issues a disconnect/reconnect plumbing technician specialty license for work between a fixture's or appliance's shutoff valve and the appliance, for people with industry training or an approved degree. DIAL lists Kirkwood Community College's Plumbing Technology Diploma Program as an approved provider. You can't hold an active apprentice license and an active specialty license at the same time. See journeyman vs. master for what the levels mean in general. [1][2][3][5][6]

The exams

Kirkwood Community College gives Iowa's plumbing and mechanical exams for the board. First send the board's exam application ($35 per exam); approval can take up to two weeks and lasts one year, and you may test as many times as you need in that year, paying Kirkwood each time.

Kirkwood lists test sites in cities including Ankeny, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Sioux City, Mason City and Ottumwa. [2][4][7][8][9][10]

Fees, renewal and continuing education

Three-year license fees from the board's rule:

Every license expires on June 30 at the end of the same three-year period. DIAL says the current period runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029, and new licenses are prorated by when you apply. If you hold more than one journeyperson, master or contractor license and buy them together, the license fees drop by 30%. Renewing in July is free of late fees; in August the late fee is $60, and from September it is $100 and you may not work until you renew.

Continuing education (CE, approved classes you take while licensed): journeyperson and master plumbers need 8 hours per three-year term, including 2 hours of safety, 2 hours of the Iowa plumbing code and 4 hours in plumbing. Up to half may be online. [2][7][11][12]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Iowa

Because the apprentice license requires a DOL-registered program, you need a sponsor:

More: how to get an apprenticeship and union vs. non-union. [3][13][14][15][16][17]

If you're licensed in another state

See the reciprocity guide for how this works in other states. [4][9][10][18][19]

Recent changes

The board's rules moved from the Public Health Department (chapters 641-28 to 641-35) to DIAL's chapters 481-428 to 481-432 as of April 2, 2025. A new three-year license period began July 1, 2026. Kirkwood's exams are based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code. [2][7][8][11]

Steps to get licensed in Iowa

  1. Finish high school or a GED and turn 18

    Both are required for an Iowa plumbing apprentice license. [2]

  2. Join a registered apprenticeship and get your apprentice license

    Get hired into a DOL-registered plumbing apprenticeship, then apply on DIAL's license portal with your apprenticeship details. The license is $50 for 3 years. [3][7][20]

  3. Work four years under licensed plumbers

    Learn on the job under a licensed journeyperson or master and complete your program's classes. The board's rule lets you apply for the exam up to 12 months before you finish the 48 months of apprentice credit, but DIAL's exam page says 6 months, so confirm with the board. [1][2][4][5]

  4. Get exam approval and pass the journeyperson exam

    Send the board's exam application with the $35 fee. Once approved, register with Kirkwood Community College at (319) 398-1022 and test at one of its Iowa test sites. You need 75%. [4][7][8]

  5. Apply for the journeyperson license

    A license isn't issued automatically: submit the post-examination licensure application after you finish the apprenticeship. Apply within two years of passing or your score expires. [2][4][21]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyperson and master plumber: SD

    If you got a South Dakota plumbing license by written exam, you can apply for the matching Iowa plumbing license without another exam. You must have a non-Iowa address when you apply and send a South Dakota license verification. [9][10]

  • Any level (licensure by verification)

    Iowa's universal recognition law (Iowa Code 272C.12) lets new Iowa residents (or spouses of active-duty service members on permanent change of station orders to Iowa) apply on the strength of an out-of-state license held in good standing. The board's rule also requires proof that you passed the Iowa licensing exam; the law lets you get a temporary license, good for three months and renewable once, while you take it. [18][19]

Also listed by: Delaware, New Hampshire, Utah (their own boards list Iowa as a partner; check both sides before you move).

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

AlaskaAK MaineME VermontVT New HampshireNH WashingtonWA IdahoID MontanaMT North DakotaND MinnesotaMN IllinoisIL WisconsinWI MichiganMI New YorkNY Rhode IslandRI MassachusettsMA OregonOR NevadaNV WyomingWY South DakotaSD IowaIA IndianaIN OhioOH PennsylvaniaPA New JerseyNJ ConnecticutCT CaliforniaCA UtahUT ColoradoCO NebraskaNE MissouriMO KentuckyKY West VirginiaWV VirginiaVA MarylandMD DelawareDE ArizonaAZ New MexicoNM KansasKS ArkansasAR TennesseeTN North CarolinaNC South CarolinaSC District of ColumbiaDC OklahomaOK LouisianaLA MississippiMS AlabamaAL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI TexasTX FloridaFL
IA Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists IA

Questions people ask

Do you need a high school diploma to be a plumbing apprentice in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa's rule says all apprentice license applicants must have completed high school or a GED, and must be at least 18. [2]

How long does it take to become a journeyman plumber in Iowa?

Four years of practical experience in a DOL-registered apprenticeship, plus a passing score on the journeyperson exam. The board's rule lets you apply for the exam up to 12 months before you finish (DIAL's exam page says 6 months; confirm with the board). [1][2][4]

Do plumber's helpers need a license in Iowa?

No, not for general manual labor while helping a licensed apprentice, journeyperson or master. But helper experience doesn't count toward a journeyperson license. [1]

How much does an Iowa plumbing license cost?

Three-year licenses cost $50 (apprentice), $180 (journeyperson) and $240 (master). The board's exam application is $35, plus Kirkwood's exam fee ($119 on Kirkwood's page). [7][8]

Do cities in Iowa have their own plumbing licenses?

No. State law preempts city and county plumbing licensing and bars cities from stopping a state licensee from doing licensed work, though cities can still charge permit and inspection fees. Some cities still have contractors file paperwork: Davenport, for example, asks plumbing contractors for a copy of their state license and a $5,000 bond. Check with the city where you work. [1][22]

Sources (30)
  1. Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 105, Plumbers, Mechanical Professionals, and Contractors, Iowa Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 429: Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Application, Licensure, and Examination, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Apprentice License, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Examination, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 431: Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Licensee Practice, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. Disconnect/Reconnect Plumbing Technician Specialty License, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 428: Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Licensure Fees, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. State Disciplines (Iowa plumbing and mechanical examinations), Kirkwood Community College (the board's exam provider). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Journey Level License, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Master Level License, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Plumbing & Mechanical Systems License Period & Fees, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 432: Continuing Education for Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Professionals, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Find a Local Union, United Association (UA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Iowa Pipe Trades and HVAC Training Institute, Iowa Pipe Trades and HVAC Training Institute (UA Local 33). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Application Brochure (2023), Local 125 Plumbers and Pipefitters Training Center. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Intro to Iowa Apprenticeships, ABC of Iowa Trust (Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. The Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, Iowa Workforce Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 430: Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Alternative Licensure Pathways, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Iowa Code 2026, Section 272C.12, Licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions, Iowa Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Licensure, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Post-Examination Licensure, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Contractor Licenses, City of Davenport, Iowa. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Contractor License (Plumbing & Mechanical Systems), Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Frequently Asked Questions: Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Iowa Workforce Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Apprenticeship Application, UA Local 125 (Plumbers, Pipefitters and Refrigeration Fitters, Cedar Rapids). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. NCRC Testing, Local 125 Plumbers and Pipefitters Training Center. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Apprenticeship Application, Local 125 Plumbers and Pipefitters Training Center. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. Employer Apprenticeship Registration: 2026-2027 Registration Dates, ABC of Iowa Trust (Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  29. Career & Technical Education, Iowa Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  30. Senior Year Plus, Iowa Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.