How to become a licensed plumber in Kentucky

Licensing office Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC), Division of Plumbing · (502) 573-0397 [1][8][17]

The license pathway in Kentucky

1. 1

   Apprentice plumber

   A person learning the trade who assists, and is under the personal supervision of, a licensed master or journeyman plumber. State law lets licensees employ apprentices without a license. [3][4][18]

2. 2

   Journeyman plumber

   • 2 years of experience
   • Yes: written, drawing and practical; 75% on each part; $50
   • $60 a year
   • Yearly; 6 hours CE

   Installs and repairs plumbing under the supervision of a master plumber. You need two consecutive years as an apprentice (or an approved course plus one year) and a passing exam. [3][5][11]

3. 3

   Master plumber

   • 2 years of experience
   • Yes: written and drawing; 80% on each part; $150
   • $250 a year
   • Yearly; 6 hours CE

   Takes responsible charge of plumbing work and can get plumbing permits. You need a journeyman license held at least two of the last five years plus two years under a master (or a qualifying out-of-state or engineering background), a passing exam and at least $250,000 of liability insurance. [1][2][3][5]

Who needs a license in Kentucky

Kentucky law says no one may "engage in plumbing or engage in or work at the trade of plumbing" without a master or journeyman plumber license from HBC. HBC's Division of Plumbing adds that all plumbing work, other than a homeowner's own permitted work, "must be installed by a licensed journeyman plumber under the supervision of a licensed master plumber."

Apprentices are the exception: the law doesn't prohibit "the employment of an apprentice to assist a journeyman plumber," and an apprentice works under the personal supervision of a licensed master or journeyman. The licensing law also doesn't apply to maintenance workers or to water and sewer utility employees working on their mains.

Plumbing permits go only to licensed master plumbers, or to homeowners doing their own work in a home they live in. [1][2][3][4][6]

The license ladder

• Apprentice: no license; works under a licensed plumber's personal supervision.
• Journeyman plumber: age 18, at least two consecutive years as an apprentice (or an HBC-approved course on plumbing practice or the state plumbing code plus one year as an apprentice), and a passing exam.
• Master plumber: a journeyman license held at least two of the past five years plus two years working under a master plumber. Other routes: a Kentucky engineer license with enough mechanical engineering experience, an out-of-state plumbing license held two of the past five years, or four consecutive years of master-level work in a state with no plumbing license. Masters must carry at least $250,000 of general liability insurance.

State law also requires applicants to be of good moral character and a U.S. citizen or a resident alien authorized to work in the U.S. [2][3][5][7]

The exam

Kentucky's plumbing exams are designed by the State Plumbing Examining Committee and given by HBC. Every exam includes written questions on plumbing principles, Kentucky's plumbing law and the state plumbing code, plus a drawing where you size the pipes for stacks, wastes and vents. The journeyman exam adds a practical section where you make connections with various plumbing materials, which you bring yourself.

• Journeyman: check in at 7:30 a.m., start at 8 a.m.; 2.5 hours for the written part and 2.5 hours for the practical. You need 75% on each part.
• Master: 2.5 hours. You need 80% on each part.

Regular exams are held in February, May, August and November, with extra dates as needed, at sites such as union training centers in Louisville, Lexington, Reidland and Owensboro, Hazard Community & Technical College and the Enzweiler Building Institute in Erlanger. A passing score is valid for three years, and if you fail one part of the journeyman exam you can retake just that part (paying the full exam fee). HBC posts a 2023 code book for exam study on its Plumbing Licensing Examination page. [5][8][9]

Fees and renewal

• Exam: $50 journeyman, $150 master (nonrefundable).
• License: $60 a year journeyman, $250 a year master; your first license is prorated to end in your birth month.
• Inactive status: $30 journeyman, $125 master.

Licenses expire on the last day of your birth month each year. To renew you need at least six hours of approved continuing education (CE) in business, job safety, the Kentucky State Plumbing Code or plumbing trade subjects. If you renew late, the law adds a small revival fee; a license not renewed within 180 days is canceled. [5][10][11]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

Union plumbing apprenticeships in Kentucky run through local unions of the United Association (UA); the UA says its apprenticeships typically last five years. Use the UA local finder to contact the Kentucky locals in Paducah, Ashland, Lexington, Louisville and Owensboro.

For an open-shop (non-union) route, ABC of Indiana/Kentucky runs four-year registered apprenticeships including plumber and pipefitter.

See union vs. non-union and how to get an apprenticeship. [12][13][14]

If you're licensed in another state

HBC's FAQ says a plumbing license from another state doesn't let you work in Kentucky. But anyone with a valid plumbing license from another state can take the Kentucky exam without meeting the years-of-experience requirement; all other requirements still apply.

State law also lets HBC license someone from a state that has a statewide plumbing code, an exam at least equal to Kentucky's, and an agreement to reciprocate with Kentucky. HBC doesn't publish a list of such agreements, so ask the Division of Plumbing at (502) 573-0397. See our license reciprocity guide. [1][6][7]

Steps to get licensed in Kentucky

1. Work as an apprentice

   Get hired by a plumbing employer and work under the personal supervision of a licensed master or journeyman plumber for two consecutive years (one year if you finish an HBC-approved course). [3][5]

2. Register for the journeyman exam

   Send the Plumbing Examination Registration Form (PLB-3), the $50 fee and a photo so they reach the Frankfort office at least three weeks before the exam. [5][8][15]

3. Pass all three parts

   The journeyman exam has written questions, a pipe-sizing drawing and a hands-on practical (2.5 hours for the written part and 2.5 hours for the practical). You need 75% on each part, and you can retake only the part you failed. [5][8]

4. Apply for the license

   Send the Application for License as a Journeyman Plumber (PLB-2) with proof of two years' experience and the $60 fee (prorated to your birth month). [5][16]

5. Renew yearly and move up

   Renew by the end of your birth month with 6 hours of continuing education. After two years as a licensed journeyman under a master, you can take the master plumber exam. [5][10][11]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  United Association (UA) plumbers and pipefitters locals

  UA apprenticeships typically last five years and cover plumbing, piping and HVACR. The UA lists Kentucky locals in Paducah (184), Ashland (248), Lexington (452), Louisville (502) and Owensboro (633). [12][13]

• Open shop

  ABC of Indiana/Kentucky

  Four-year registered apprenticeships including plumber and pipefitter, with a Kentucky/Southern Indiana training site and a Bowling Green office. [14][19]

• State program

  Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship

  The state apprenticeship agency's page links to a sponsor map, a list of active occupations and the TRACK youth program. [20]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask