Plumber · State license
How to become a licensed plumber in Vermont
State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026
Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?
Vermont licenses plumbers statewide through the Plumber's Examining Board and the Department of Public Safety's Division of Fire Safety. You start as an apprentice plumber in a program registered with the state, working under a master or journeyman plumber. Vermont State University, which teaches the apprenticeship classes, says you need 8,000 on-the-job hours and 144 classroom hours a year before the journeyman exam. After 12 months as a licensed journeyman, you can test for the master license. [1][2][3][4]
New to the trade?
Starting from zero in Vermont
Vermont's plumbing law defines an apprentice plumber as someone learning the trade under an apprenticeship program registered with the state, supervised on the job by a master or journeyman plumber. So your first step is to get hired by a plumbing employer that sponsors a registered apprenticeship, or to apply to the UA Local 693 union program, which holds open interviews. Your sponsor then registers your apprenticeship agreement with the Vermont Department of Labor. [2][3][5][9][10]
High school diploma or GED
No diploma rule was found in Vermont's plumbing law or rules The state apprenticeship law lets each sponsor set its own minimum qualifications. UA Local 693 requires a high school diploma or GED and asks you to upload proof. Vermont's certified pre-apprenticeship programs can, where practicable, help you earn a diploma or equivalent. [2][5][9][11]
Register before you start work
Vermont's plumbing law requires all plumbing work to be done by licensees, except listed exemptions, and its definition of an apprentice plumber requires a program registered with the state. Registration is complete when your sponsor files a signed apprenticeship agreement with the Department of Labor and it's approved A parent or guardian signs too if you're under 18. [2][9]
Helper jobs
Vermont's plumbing law has no helper category like the electrician law's. It requires apprentices to be supervised on the job by a master or journeyman plumber. Exemptions cover owners working on their own single-family home and a property owner's regular maintenance person, among others. [2][3]
Classroom (related instruction)
Vermont State University runs the classroom part of the state's registered plumbing apprenticeship: 144 hours each year. Apprentices work during the day and study a few nights a week. For 2026-27, Level 1 runs online from November 2, 2026 to May 1, 2027. UA Local 693 apprentices attend its own classes two nights a week, free. [4][5][12]
Documents
UA Local 693 asks for a membership and apprenticeship application, proof of high school completion and a copy of your driver's license, birth certificate or passport. [5]
Application windows
UA Local 693's website advertises open interviews every Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. (as of October 2026) To apply for its apprenticeship, it says to send its membership application with your resume. Employers with their own registered programs hire whenever they have openings. [5][10]
Credit for prior school or military
Program standards must give advanced standing (credit) for proven skills, experience or training. Service members and recent veterans designated as 12K plumbers (or equivalent) with 8,000 hours and four years of active-duty field work can get a journeyman license without the exam. [2][9]
Still in high school?
Vermont's apprenticeship law sets up registered youth apprenticeship programs for 16- and 17-year-olds. Since July 1, 2026 (Act 107 of 2026), they're for students who haven't finished high school and are enrolled in a career technical education (CTE) program, and a regional CTE center submits the program for registration. Vermont State University says students can start its apprenticeship programs in high school through their tech centers. Regional career technical education (CTE) centers run state-approved programs, and the Agency of Education's Fast Forward and dual enrollment programs give college credit. Plumbing done as a vocational school training project doesn't need a license. No rule was found that counts high school CTE hours toward the journeyman license. [2][9][12][13][14][15]
Where to apply in VermontHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs
Licensing office Vermont Plumber's Examining Board and Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · 802-479-7564 [1][2]
Vermont plumbing license at a glance
- Minimum age
- 16 for a registered apprentice under state law [9]
On this page
The license pathway in Vermont
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1
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2
Specialist (P1 water heater, P2 heating system, P3 water treatment)
- 4,000 hours on the job
- 144 hours (P1/P2 route without a registered apprenticeship)
- Yes, per specialty
- $50 per specialty field
- Every 2 years
Limited licenses for water heaters, hydronic heating systems or water treatment. For P1 or P2 you need a Department of Labor completion certificate covering 2,000 hours as a registered apprentice, or 4,000 documented on-the-job hours plus at least 144 hours of instruction. P3 takes 4,000 hours plus a Board-certified water treatment course. [2][3][8]
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3
Journeyman plumber
- 8,000 hours on the job
- 144 hours a year of apprenticeship
- Yes, written; third-party vendor
- $90 for 2 years
- Every 2 years; 8 hours of CE
You qualify with a completion certificate from Vermont's registered apprenticeship, or equivalent training and experience (the application asks for at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training on that route). A journeyman works under a master's direction and may supervise apprentices. [2][4][8]
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4
Who needs a Vermont plumbing license
Vermont's plumbing law says all plumbing and specialty work in Vermont must be done by licensed people, with listed exceptions. Exceptions include owners and their regular employees working in the owner's own single-family home, a property owner's regular maintenance person, vocational school training projects and farm buildings. Installing plumbing without the right license can bring a fine of up to $1,000 per offense.
The 2025 Vermont Plumbing Rules apply to all public buildings and to all other buildings connected to a public water or sewer system, including owner-occupied single-family homes. Owner-occupied single-family homes that aren't connected to public water or sewer don't need a work notice. (The Division's web page still says such homes aren't covered by the rules.) [1][2][3]
The license ladder
- Apprentice plumber: learning the trade in a state-registered program, supervised on the job by a master or journeyman.
- Specialist (P1, P2, P3): limited licenses for water heaters, hydronic heating systems and water treatment. A specialist may only do work in the specialty on the license.
- Journeyman plumber: a completed registered apprenticeship (or equivalent training and experience) plus the exam. A journeyman works under a master and can't act as one.
- Master plumber: 12 months as a licensed journeyman plus the exam. A master can run the business and supervise journeymen and apprentices.
Vermont State University says apprentices need 8,000 on-the-job hours and 144 classroom hours a year to sit for the journeyman exam. UA Local 693 runs a five-year program of 2,000 hours a year. [2][3][4][5]
The exams
Plumbing exams are at least partly written and cover the theory and practice of plumbing, Vermont laws, and Health and Environmental Conservation rules. The Board may contract with a national testing organization to give the written exam, and the testing organization's fees are separate. After three failed attempts, you appear before the Board, which recommends further education, training or tutoring before you test a fourth time.
The 2025 Vermont Plumbing Rules, effective November 4, 2025, adopt the 2024 International Plumbing Code with Vermont amendments; the Division of Fire Safety's web page still lists the 2021 edition as current, so confirm which edition your exam uses. Vermont State University runs plumbing exam-prep workshops. [1][2][3][4]
Fees and renewal
Fees are set by law: $90 for a journeyman license or renewal, $120 for a master and $50 per specialist field. Masters and journeymen don't pay extra to hold specialist licenses. On request, the Board waives application fees for qualified military members and military spouses.
Licenses last two years. You need 8 hours of Board-approved continuing education in the previous 24 months, at least 2 of them on code review, plus the Vermont Energy Goals module. You can reinstate within 90 days after expiration for a $15 fee; after that you must appear before the Board.
Questions go to Division of Fire Safety licensing at 802-479-7564. [1][2][3]
Union and open-shop apprenticeships
Most Vermont plumbing apprentices are hired by employers that sponsor programs registered with the Vermont Department of Labor, which says more than 37 employers offer plumber apprenticeships. The classroom part is usually through Vermont State University.
The union route is UA Local 693 in South Burlington: five years of full-time work with classes two nights a week, free classroom training, and preparation for plumbing, propane, natural gas, refrigeration and oil licenses. You need to be 18 and a high school graduate or GED holder.
Compare routes in union vs. non-union and how to get an apprenticeship. [4][5][6][7]
If you're licensed in another state
State law tells the Board to license journeymen, masters and specialists who have been licensed in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years. The application calls this a Universal license: send a certified letter of licensure from the issuing state (a copy of the license alone isn't accepted), proof of the schooling and apprenticeship required there, and proof of 8,000 hours (journeyman) or 12,000 hours (master), and take a 2-hour Vermont code course.
The law also allows reciprocal licenses without an exam when the other state or city has equivalent standards and grants Vermont plumbers the same privilege. Military 12K plumbers with 8,000 hours and four years of active-duty field work can get a journeyman license without the exam.
See our license reciprocity guide and reciprocity map. [2][3][8]
Steps to get licensed in Vermont
Get hired into a registered apprenticeship
Apply to a plumbing employer with a registered program (see the Department of Labor's apprenticeship page) or to UA Local 693. Your sponsor registers your apprenticeship agreement with the Department of Labor. [5][6][9][10]
Complete the hours and classes
Work under a master or journeyman plumber and take 144 classroom hours each year until you reach the 8,000 on-the-job hours for the journeyman exam and get your completion certificate. [2][4][8]
Apply for the journeyman exam
Mail the notarized plumbing license application with your completion certificate and the $90 fee at least two weeks before a Board meeting, and complete the Vermont Energy Goals module. [1][8]
Pass the exam
The exam is given by a third-party vendor, and its fees are paid to the vendor separately. If you fail three times, you appear before the Board, which may recommend more education before a fourth try. [3]
Renew, then test for master
Renew every 2 years with 8 hours of approved training. After 12 months as a journeyman, apply for the master exam ($120). [2][3][8]
Where to get the hours
Programs that train plumbers in or for Vermont, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.
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State program
Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program
The Vermont Department of Labor registers apprenticeship programs; over 37 Vermont employers offer plumber registered apprenticeships. You apply to the employer, not the state. [6][7][10]
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School
Vermont State University plumbing apprenticeship classes
VTSU has run the classroom part of the state's registered plumbing apprenticeship with the Department of Labor since 1999 and offers exam-prep workshops. [4]
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Union
UA Local 693 apprenticeship (plumbers and pipefitters)
A five-year program: 2,000 hours a year on the job and 216 hours of related classroom instruction, with free classes two nights a week and training in plumbing, pipefitting, HVAC and welding. [5]
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Other
Vermont Works for Women Trailblazers (certified pre-apprenticeship)
A Department of Labor-certified pre-apprenticeship that feeds into Alliance Systems' registered plumber and electrician apprenticeships. [11]
Licensed in another state?
Journeyman, master and specialist
By law the Board issues licenses to plumbers licensed in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years. The application calls this a Universal license and asks for a certified letter from the issuing state, proof of schooling and hours (8,000 for journeyman, 12,000 for master) and a 2-hour Vermont code course. [2][3][8]
Journeyman, master and specialist
Reciprocal licenses without an exam are possible when the other state or city has equivalent standards and gives Vermont plumbers the same privilege. No list of partner states was found on the Division's pages. [2][3]
Also listed by: Alaska, New Hampshire, Utah (their own boards list Vermont as a partner; check both sides before you move).
Questions people ask
How many hours do you need to be a journeyman plumber in Vermont?
Vermont State University, which teaches the apprenticeship classes, says apprentices need 8,000 on-the-job hours plus 144 classroom hours each year before the journeyman exam. Applicants without a completed Vermont apprenticeship must document equivalent training, including at least 12,000 on-the-job hours. [4][8]
How long until I can be a master plumber in Vermont?
You can apply for the master exam after holding a Vermont journeyman license for at least 12 months. [2]
Sources (15)
- Plumbing, Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 26 V.S.A. Chapter 39: Plumbers and Plumbing, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Vermont Plumbing Rules, 2025 Edition (effective November 4, 2025), Vermont Plumbers' Examining Board. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Registered Apprenticeships in Electrical and Plumbing, Vermont State University, Center for Workforce and Professional Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeship Program, UA Local 693 (Plumbers and Pipefitters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeship Exploration Guide: Plumber, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Plumbers License Application Instructions, All Classifications, Vermont Division of Fire Safety. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- 21 V.S.A. Chapter 13: Apprenticeship, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Becoming an Apprentice, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Certified Pre-Apprenticeships, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Vermont State University Apprenticeship Program Grows, Vermont State University. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Act 107 of 2026 (S.173), An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships, as enacted, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career Technical Education Programs, Vermont Agency of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Dual Enrollment, Vermont Agency of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.