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Plumber · State license

How to get a plumbing license in Texas

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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

Texas licenses plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). You start by registering as a plumber's apprentice, which you can do at 16. After 8,000 hours of plumbing work and a 48-hour course you can take the journeyman exam. There is also a 4,000-hour tradesman license for one- and two-family homes. Two years as a journeyman qualifies you for the master exam. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Texas

In Texas you can start in plumbing at 16. Register as a plumber's apprentice with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) for $15 and submit fingerprints, and do it before you start, because hours you work before registering don't count. Then work under licensed plumbers, either for a plumbing company or through a union (UA) or open-shop (ABC) apprenticeship. [1][5][17][25]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not on the state's list: TSBPE registers you as an apprentice if you are at least 16 and a U.S. citizen or national or otherwise eligible for a Texas license. Programs set their own rules. UA Local 100 in Dallas, for example, requires a high school diploma or GED transcript, and ABC South Texas says a diploma or GED is "strongly preferred, especially for trades like Electrical and Plumbing." [1][17][25]

  • Minimum age

    16 to register with TSBPE. UA Local 100 requires you to be at least 18, and ABC South Texas lists age 18 or older for the apprentices its member employers enroll. [1][17][25]

  • Register before you start work

    State law says you must register before you assist a licensed plumber. Apply through TSBPE's Online Licensing System ($15) and submit fingerprints once Your application stays on hold until TSBPE gets them. Hours worked before you register don't count toward a license. [1][5]

  • Helper jobs

    A registered apprentice works under direct supervision: a licensed plumber must be on the job site whenever you do plumbing work. When no licensee is present, an apprentice may do only manual tasks like digging trenches. [1]

  • Driver's license

    UA Local 100 requires a valid Texas driver's license and asks you to register as a plumber's apprentice with TSBPE. [25]

  • Application windows

    UA Local 100 hands out application packets only at orientation meetings for new applicants, held as needed from August to May, and selects apprentices each June. ABC South Texas's 2026-2027 enrollment ran March 12 to August 12, 2026 You are typically hired and sponsored by a member contractor, and your employer completes the enrollment with you. [17][25]

  • Pay while you learn

    UA Local 100 apprentices start at 50% of a journeyman's ("mechanic's") wage, with raises as they progress through the five-year program. ABC South Texas cites starting wages of $15 to $25 an hour (another part of the same page says about $15 to $20). [17][25]

  • Credit for school or military

    TSBPE may credit up to 1,000 hours of the required work experience for the classroom part of a DOL-registered or board-approved training program, and up to 250 hours for a construction course sequence in a career and technical education program approved by the State Board of Education. State law also credits verified military service, training or education toward requirements other than exams. [5]

  • Still in high school?

    You can register as an apprentice at 16. Texas high schools can offer the state's Plumbing and Pipefitting program of study in career and technical education (CTE) The Texas Education Agency lists the Tradesman Plumber-Limited license among its aligned credentials. If you finish a sequence of plumbing courses in a CTE program, Texas law lets you take the Tradesman Plumber-Limited exam without the usual 4,000 apprentice hours, and students of any age can take those courses without registering as an apprentice or paying a fee. Dual credit courses, which can be technical, earn you high school and college credit at the same time. [5][26][27][28]

Where to apply in TexasHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) · (512) 936-5200 [22][23]

Texas plumbing license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), a standalone state board [5][23]
Apprentice registration
Required before you assist on plumbing work Minimum age 16; $15 fee [1][5]
Journeyman experience
8,000 hours of plumbing work [2]
Classroom hours
48-hour TSBPE-approved course for journeyman (24 hours for tradesman), or a DOL-registered apprenticeship [2][3][5]
Journeyman exam
100-question computer test at Pearson VUE (2 hours), then a hands-on practical in Austin or Waco Computer test only if you already hold a tradesman license [10][11][12]
Master experience
Journeyman license held 2 years 1 year if you completed a DOL-registered apprenticeship [4]
Renewal and CE
Licenses renew every year 6 hours of continuing professional education to renew [13]
Reciprocity
Louisiana and Arkansas plumbing licenses With conditions [20]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a Texas plumbing license
  5. The license ladder: apprentice, tradesman, journeyman, master
  6. Classroom training and credit for school
  7. The exams
  8. Fees and renewal
  9. Endorsements for specialty work
  10. Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Texas
  11. If you're licensed in another state
  12. Career changers and veterans
  13. Steps to get licensed
  14. Where to get the hours
  15. Licensed in another state?
  16. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Texas

  1. 1

    Plumber's Apprentice

    • $15 registration
    • $15 renewal fee

    You must register before you help a licensed plumber. You need to be at least 16, and hours you work before you register don't count toward a license. [1][5]

  2. 2

    Tradesman Plumber-Limited

    • 4,000 hours on the job
    • 24-hour TSBPE-approved course (waived for DOL-registered apprentices)
    • 85-question computer test at Pearson VUE (2 hours), then a 4-hour practical
    • $36 TSBPE exam fee + $68.50 Pearson VUE test fee; $35 license
    • Yearly ($35); 6 hours CE

    Lets you install and repair plumbing in one- and two-family homes under a responsible master plumber. For other buildings you work under a journeyman or master. [3][10][12][13]

  3. 3

    Journeyman Plumber

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 48-hour TSBPE-approved course (waived for DOL-registered apprentices and out-of-state journeymen and masters)
    • 100-question computer test at Pearson VUE (2 hours), then a 4-hour practical in Austin or Waco (no practical if you move up from tradesman)
    • $40 TSBPE exam fee + $68.50 Pearson VUE test fee; $40 license
    • Yearly ($40); 6 hours CE

    The main working license. You qualify as a registered apprentice or licensed tradesman with 8,000 hours of plumbing experience and the classroom training. [2][10][11][12][13]

  4. 4

    Master Plumber

    • 2 years of experience
    • 308-question written test at Pearson VUE (6 hours plus a 30-minute break); no practical
    • $25 TSBPE processing fee + $128.50 Pearson VUE exam fee; $75 license
    • Yearly ($75); 6 hours CE

    You need a journeyman license held at least two years, or one year plus a completed DOL-registered apprenticeship. [4][12][13]

  5. 5

    Responsible Master Plumber (RMP)

    • $225 initial application; $300 yearly renewal
    • Yearly ($300)

    A master plumber who runs plumbing work for a company. You need at least $300,000 of commercial liability insurance, and you can be the RMP for only one company at a time. [6]

Who needs a Texas plumbing license

Texas law says you may not do plumbing unless you hold the right license, registration or endorsement. Your work must also be supervised by a licensed plumber. A company that advertises plumbing must have a responsible master plumber. You must carry your license or registration with you while you work.

A Texas plumbing license is valid anywhere in the state. [5]

The license ladder: apprentice, tradesman, journeyman, master

"DOL-registered" means the program is approved by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship. [2][3][4][6][7][8]

Classroom training and credit for school

State law sets the classroom hours before the exam: at least 24 hours for the tradesman exam and 48 hours for the journeyman exam. The courses cover health and safety, plumbing codes and water conservation. They must come from a TSBPE-approved course provider. The journeyman course includes OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training.

If you're enrolled in good standing in a DOL-registered apprenticeship, you can skip that classroom requirement. The board may also credit up to 1,000 hours toward your experience if you finish the classroom part of a DOL-registered program. It may credit up to 250 hours for a career and technical education sequence approved by the State Board of Education. High school and college career and technology plumbing courses can also lead straight to the tradesman exam. [5][9]

The exams

The written parts are computer-based tests at Pearson VUE test centers. The TSBPE approves you first, then Pearson VUE emails you an authorization to test. You pay Pearson VUE $68.50 for the computer test, on top of the TSBPE exam fee.

Practical (hands-on) exams are given only at TSBPE locations in Austin and Waco, after you pass the computer test. If you move up from tradesman to journeyman, you take only the computer test. You need 70% to pass. You get up to five tries at the written test within one year of your first authorization. You must wait 30 days after a first failure, 60 after a second and 90 after each one after that. The handbook tells you to study the plumbing license law and board rules plus either the 2018 International Plumbing Code and International Fuel Gas Code or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code. [10][11][12]

Fees and renewal

The TSBPE master plumber page lists the $25 + $128.50 split. The August 2025 Pearson VUE candidate handbook says the fee to apply for the master exam is $175, so check the current amount with the TSBPE before you pay.

Licenses renew every year. All licensees need six hours of continuing professional education to renew. [1][2][3][4][6][12][13]

Endorsements for specialty work

Licensed journeymen, masters and inspectors can add endorsements after a 24-hour TSBPE-approved course:

For a journeyman, each endorsement costs $27 for the exam and $14 for the endorsement. Endorsements renew every three years. [13][14]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Texas

You can register as an apprentice with any plumbing employer, but a formal program adds organized classes and can waive the classroom-hour requirement if it is DOL-registered.

[5][15][16][17][18][19]

If you're licensed in another state

The TSBPE says Texas reciprocates plumbing licenses with Louisiana and Arkansas:

If you're a journeyman or master from another state, you can still apply for the Texas journeyman or master exam. You don't need the 48-hour course. State law also lets the board skip the exam for someone who has held an equivalent license for at least two years in a state with substantially equivalent requirements. Ask the TSBPE how that applies to you. [2][4][5][20][21]

Career changers and veterans

You can register as an apprentice at 16. Texas law requires the board to credit verified military service, training or education toward license requirements other than the exam. It must also speed up licensing for veterans who hold an equivalent license from another state.

The board has also stayed independent: state law continues the TSBPE until September 1, 2033. The Sunset Advisory Commission lists the next review for 2032-2033. [1][5][22]

Steps to get licensed in Texas

  1. Register as a plumber's apprentice

    Apply through the TSBPE Online Licensing System and pay $15. You must be 16 or older. Hours worked before you register don't count. [1]

  2. Submit fingerprints

    Every applicant and examinee must submit fingerprints once. Your application stays on hold until the TSBPE gets them. [1][2]

  3. Work under licensed plumbers and log your hours

    Build 8,000 hours of plumbing experience for the journeyman exam (4,000 for the tradesman exam). Your employers certify them on the Employer Certification Form. [2][3]

  4. Finish the classroom training

    Take the 48-hour TSBPE-approved course (24 hours for tradesman). If you're enrolled in a DOL-registered apprenticeship, you don't need it. [2][5][9]

  5. Apply for and pass the exam

    Send the exam application with the $40 fee. Then book the computer test with Pearson VUE ($68.50). After you pass it, you take the practical in Austin or Waco. [2][10][11]

  6. Pay the license fee and renew each year

    After you pass, pay the $40 initial license fee. Renew every year and complete 6 hours of continuing professional education. [2][13]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyman and Master: LA

    Louisiana journeyman or master plumbers who also hold a Louisiana journeyman or master natural gas fitter license can get the matching Texas license without an exam. [20][21]

  • Journeyman and Master: AR

    Arkansas journeyman or master plumbers who have held an Arkansas plumber license for 4 years qualify for a reciprocal Texas license. [20]

Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Utah (their own boards list Texas 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
TX Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists TX

Questions people ask

How long does it take to become a plumber in Texas?

The journeyman exam requires 8,000 hours of plumbing experience. The tradesman-limited license needs 4,000 hours. The master exam needs a journeyman license held two more years, or one year if you finished a DOL-registered apprenticeship. [2][3][4]

How much does a Texas plumbing license cost?

For a journeyman, the TSBPE exam fee is $40, the Pearson VUE computer test is $68.50 and the license is $40. Renewal is $40 a year. Apprentice registration is $15. Fingerprinting is extra: the TSBPE's IdentoGO fee is $39.05. [1][2][10][20]

Is the Texas plumbing board moving to TDLR?

No. The board's 2019 Sunset review bill (Senate Bill 621) failed, and the governor kept the board running by executive order. State law now continues the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners as its own agency until September 1, 2033, and its next Sunset review is set for 2032-2033. [5][22]

Can I take the Texas plumbing exam in Spanish?

The computer-based tests are in English only for now. The TSBPE gives Spanish written exams in Austin. Request one by emailing exam.scheduler@tsbpe.texas.gov after you submit your application. [10]

Does Texas accept plumbing licenses from other states?

Texas has reciprocity with Louisiana (if you also hold a Louisiana gas fitter license) and Arkansas (after 4 years licensed there). Journeymen and masters from other states can take the Texas exam without the 48-hour course. [2][20]

Sources (28)
  1. Apprentice Registration, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  2. Journeyman Plumber, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  3. Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  4. Master Plumber, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  5. Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1301: Plumbers, Texas Legislature. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  6. Responsible Master Plumber, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  7. H.B. No. 3214 (enrolled): relating to eligibility for a master plumber license, Texas Legislature. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  8. 89th Texas Legislature, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  9. Examinations (Training and Education), Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  10. Computer-Based Testing: Frequently Asked Questions, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  11. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Pearson VUE. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  12. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners Candidate Handbook (August 2025), Pearson VUE. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  13. License Types, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  14. Endorsements, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  15. Find a Local Union, United Association (UA). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  16. Apprenticeship, United Association (UA). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  17. Construction Apprenticeship Texas: ABC South Texas 2026-2027 Program Guide, Associated Builders and Contractors, South Texas Chapter. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  18. Apprenticeship, Texas Workforce Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  19. Find Registered Apprenticeship Training Programs, Texas Workforce Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  20. Reciprocal License Verification Form (Revised January 2023), Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  21. The TSBPE Seal and the State of Louisiana, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  22. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (Sunset review page), Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  23. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  24. Apprenticeship Finder, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  25. Local 100 | Apprenticeship, UA Local 100 (Plumbers and Pipefitters of Dallas Apprenticeship Training Fund). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. CTE Programs of Study, Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Statewide Program of Study: Plumbing and Pipefitting (revised November 2025), Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. Dual Credit, Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.