Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber License Requirements: Hours, Exam, Reciprocity

To meet the Massachusetts journeyman plumber license requirements, you need an active apprentice plumber license, 8,500 hours of supervised work experience, 550 hours of classroom instruction in plumbing and gas fitting theory, and a passing score of at least 70% on each portion of the state licensing exam. Expect the full path to take roughly three to four years. Fees come to $83 total: a $31 application fee and a $52 license fee paid at the test center once you pass.¹

Get Your Apprentice License First

Only hours worked under an active Massachusetts apprentice plumber license count toward the 8,500-hour experience requirement. You cannot work first and credential later.²

To apply, you need a supervising master plumber willing to employ you, an application through the state’s eLIPSE online portal, a notarized CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) authorization form, and a passport-style photo.³

Once the apprentice license is issued, you have nine months to start your education program. For apprentice licenses issued on or after September 1, 2018, there is a ten-year ceiling: if you have not earned your journeyman license within that window, the apprentice license cannot be renewed, though you may petition the Board for reinstatement for good cause.⁴

Classroom Hours: 550 From an Approved Program

You need 550 clock hours of plumbing and gas fitting theory from a Board-approved program, and the coursework must conclude with a school- or instructor-designed examination to confirm competency. You also need a high school diploma or its equivalent.²

Work Hours: 8,500 Under the Right Supervision

The 8,500 hours of practical experience must be earned as a licensed apprentice and performed under the direct supervision of a Massachusetts licensed master plumber, or a Massachusetts licensed journeyman plumber who is employed by a master plumber. Hours worked for an unlicensed employer do not count.²

At a standard 40-hour week, 8,500 hours works out to about four years of full-time work. The state’s consumer fact sheet describes a typical timeline closer to three years, which assumes steady work with some overtime.⁵

Submitting Your Application

When both tracks are complete, you file through the eLIPSE portal with the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. Two documents do the heavy lifting:

An Education Verification Form signed by an official at your school confirming completion of the 550-hour program.
A Statement of Experience Form signed by your supervising master plumber. The employer’s statement section cannot be modified after signature.

The $31 application fee is non-refundable. The separate $52 license fee is paid at the test center after you pass the exam.¹

Passing the Exam

The Board administers the exam in multiple portions, and you need at least 70% on each portion to pass. Fail one portion and you can retake just that portion within one year. If you neither retest nor pass within one year of your most recent failure, you have to start over and retake the entire exam.⁶

The exam is built around the Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code (248 CMR 10.00), which governs installation, alteration, removal, replacement, repair, and construction of all plumbing systems in the state.⁷ Questions cover code requirements, plumbing calculations, and regulations. If you fail a portion, you can apply in writing to the Board’s designated exam administrator for a review of the examination.⁶

If You Hold a License From Another State

Massachusetts does not offer full reciprocity. If you already hold a journeyman plumber license elsewhere, you can request that your prior education and work experience be recognized as “substantially equivalent” to Massachusetts requirements, but you still have to pass the Massachusetts exam.⁸ The Board evaluates each application individually against state standards. The review can spare you from repeating training, but there is no shortcut around the exam itself.

What a Journeyman Can and Cannot Do

A journeyman plumber performs plumbing work as an individual and must carry the license and display it on request. A journeyman cannot operate a plumbing business, employ other plumbers, or take on work independently as a contractor. Those activities require a master plumber license, which also requires maintaining a regular place of business where the license is displayed.⁵

If you plan to run your own shop eventually, you’ll need at least one additional year of work as a journeyman, 100 hours of advanced plumbing theory, and a passing score on the master plumber exam.⁵

Keeping the License Active

The journeyman license renews every two years. Licenses become eligible for renewal on February 1 of each even-numbered year, with a May 1 deadline. Miss it and you owe a $57 late fee on top of the $52 renewal fee.⁹

Before renewing, you must complete 12 hours of approved continuing education during each two-year license cycle through a Board-approved provider.¹⁰ Formats include live in-person classes, virtual instructor-led sessions, self-paced online courses, and correspondence courses. Online classes require a minimum test score of 70% for completion credit.¹¹

Renewals are submitted online through eLIPSE; mailed applications are returned. You’ll also submit a DOL CORI form with the renewal. Keep your continuing education documentation for at least three renewal cycles, because the Board can ask for verification at any time.⁹

1
Mass.gov. Apply for a Journeyman Plumber License
2
Mass.gov. 248 CMR 11.00 – Education and Experience Standards and Requirements for Licensure
3
Mass.gov. Apply for an Apprentice Plumber License
4
Legal Information Institute. Massachusetts Code 248 CMR 11.02 – Education and Experience Requirements
5
Mass.gov. Plumbers and Gas Fitters Consumer Fact Sheet
6
Mass.gov. 248 CMR 11 – Education and Experience Standards and Requirements for Licensure
7
Mass.gov. 248 CMR 10.00 – Uniform State Plumbing Code
8
Mass.gov. Substantially Equivalent License
9
Mass.gov. Renew a Plumber, Gas Fitter, or Liquified Petroleum Installer License
10
Legal Information Institute. Massachusetts Code 248 CMR 11.04 – Mandatory Continuing Education Requirements
11
PHCC of Massachusetts. Continuing Education