Minnesota (MN) Plumbing License: Hours, DLI Exams, Fees and the Contractor License (2026 Guide)

If you searched for a Minnesota plumbing license, one regulator runs the whole system. Every plumbing credential, from your first registration to the contractor license your business bids work under, is issued statewide by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) under Minnesota Statutes 326B.41 to 326B.49 and Minnesota Rules chapter 4716. There is no county by county patchwork: one journeyworker or master license is good anywhere in the state.

At a glance

• Who issues it: the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), statewide
• Journeyworker exam: four years of recorded practical plumbing experience, at least 7,000 hours
• Exam fee and passing score: $50 application and examination fee; every exam passes at 70 percent
• Master plumber: at least one year licensed as a journeyworker plumber
• Plumbing contractor license: $188 initial, a code compliance bond of at least $25,000 and a licensed master plumber serving at all times

This guide walks the full ladder: registered unlicensed plumber, journeyworker plumber, master plumber, and the plumbing contractor license your business needs before it can legally bid work. Every hour requirement, fee and deadline was checked against dli.mn.gov and the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes on October 15, 2026, and two widely repeated errors are corrected here: master licenses expire in even numbered years, not odd, and the restricted plumber license is a closed legacy class, not an open rural shortcut. For the state's other credentials see our Minnesota contractor license guide; for the national picture, the contractor license guide.

Who regulates plumbing in Minnesota

DLI's Construction Codes and Licensing Division issues every plumbing license, registration and certification; applications and renewals run through iMS, DLI's online licensing system. The Minnesota Plumbing Board, a 14 member board created by Minn. Stat. 326B.435, adopts the plumbing code and licensing rules; DLI writes and administers the exams and enforces the law. The technical standard is the 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code, Minnesota Rules chapter 4714, in effect since December 17, 2021 and built on the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code.

Cities handle permits and inspections, not licensing. Under Minn. Stat. 326B.44 a city may not stop a DLI licensed plumbing contractor from working there or demand any bond or insurance beyond the state minimums; the exception is cities that licensed plumbers by ordinance before April 21, 1933. Minneapolis is that exception: its own plumbing license covers branch sewers, water mains and water pipes, plus fuel gas piping and venting, combustion air piping and power burners of 100,000 BTUs or less, and it requires the same $25,000 state bond on top of the city application. A DLI plumbing contractor license is still required to bid the work statewide; the Minneapolis license and permit sit on top of it inside city limits.

Who can legally do plumbing work in Minnesota

DLI sets four conditions. You must be at least 18 years old; be licensed by DLI, registered with DLI as a registered unlicensed plumber, or enrolled in a DLI registered apprenticeship program; be a W-2 employee of a licensed plumbing contractor or registered plumbing employer, or a licensed owner or officer of a licensed plumbing contractor; and work only within the scope your employer is authorized to perform. Minnesota does not recognize casual 1099 arrangements as a path to performing plumbing work for a contractor.

Unlicensed plumbers work only under direct supervision, which Minn. Stat. 326B.42 subd. 2 defines as a licensed plumber physically present and immediately available the entire time who reviews the work before it is operated; electronic supervision does not count. A homeowner may plumb the residence they own and occupy, subject to the plumbing code's minimum standards and any stricter local ordinance (Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 1).

Step 1: register as an unlicensed plumber

Minnesota's apprentice level is the registered unlicensed plumber, the status under which you log the hours for the journeyworker exam.

1. Apply online through iMS and pay the $14 initial application fee.
2. DLI assigns you a registration number beginning with "PA."
3. You work only under the direct, at all times supervision of a licensed journeyworker or master plumber, within your employer's scope.
4. Renew by June 30 each year for $19, with two hours of DLI approved continuing education on the plumbing code plus your work experience verification form. DLI's form adds a $5 late fee after June 30 and charges $24 to renew or reinstate an expired registration.

Credit toward your journeyworker exam is only granted for hours worked while actively registered with DLI and employed by a DLI licensed plumbing contractor or registered plumbing employer, and you, not your employer, submit the form. Let a registration lapse more than 12 months and hours worked while unregistered are lost. Under Minn. Stat. 326B.47, up to 24 months of experience gained before registering can count toward the four years, provided you had practical plumbing experience in the 12 months just before registering. If two years pass after completing training without taking the exam, the four years are forfeited unless the commissioner grants a hardship extension.

The alternative entry path is a DLI registered apprenticeship, paid on the job training with classroom instruction, which also qualifies you for the journeyworker exam.

Step 2: log the hours that qualify you for the journeyworker exam

To sit for the journeyworker exam as a registered unlicensed plumber, you need four years of recorded practical plumbing experience. Minnesota Rules 4716.0020 defines one year as at least 1,750 hours, and no more than 1,750 hours can be credited in a single calendar year. Four years therefore means at least 7,000 hours, and overtime cannot compress it; the calendar year cap makes it a true four year minimum.

Source: Minn. R. 4716.0020 and DLI's experience requirements page (retrieved 2026-10-15).

Experience must be certified by the licensed master plumber responsible for the work; a restricted master plumber cannot certify their own experience. Other routes to the exam: a DLI registered apprenticeship; a Minnesota restricted journeyworker license plus two years of practical experience under it, or a restricted master license plus five years as a plumbing contractor; or a current license from another state that required at least four years of practical experience and an exam. No more than two years of out of state experience is credited unless you first hold a license there, though apprenticeship hours certified by that state's regulator count in full. Military service and DLI approved coursework also count when certified.

Step 3: apply for and pass the journeyworker exam

Apply online through iMS and pay the $50 application and examination fee set by Minn. Stat. 326B.092 subd. 1. DLI administers its own plumbing exams under Minn. Stat. 326B.49; Minnesota does not use a third party testing vendor. Once approved you receive scheduling instructions by email; no walk ins, one reschedule. From DLI's plumbing license examination guide and exam schedule:

• The journeyworker exam is worth 240 points and the master exam 300 points. Every exam passes at 70 percent.
• You have 5.5 hours, and may use the 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code and an electronic calculator throughout. St. Paul exams run Tuesdays through Thursdays; DLI also tests at ten regional sites from Bemidji to Winona.
• Results are mailed within two weeks; DLI does not give results by phone or email. If you fail, you must wait 30 days and reapply with a new fee.

After passing, you pay for and receive your journeyworker plumber license: a $40 base fee plus an $8 Plumbing Board fee for two years under Minn. Stat. 326B.092 subd. 7. It authorizes statewide work on interior plumbing plus exterior water service, sanitary sewer and storm sewer within the property lines, as an employee under the direction of a master plumber.

Step 4: master plumber

To qualify for the master plumber exam you need one of the following:

• At least one year licensed as a journeyworker plumber, the standard path: four years to journeyworker, one more year to master, so about five years minimum from entry to master.
• A current master license from another state whose requirements DLI determines are equivalent to Minnesota's.
• A current Minnesota restricted master plumber license plus five years of verifiable experience as a plumbing contractor in Minnesota.

The master exam carries the same $50 fee, runs 5.5 hours and is worth 300 points; the two year master license fee is an $80 base fee plus the $8 board fee. A master can plan, superintend and perform plumbing statewide and is the credential a plumbing contractor license is built on.

Renewal dates, fees and continuing education

Sources: DLI license basics, contractor basics and continuing education pages; Minn. Stat. 326B.49, 326B.092; Minn. R. 4716.0040 (retrieved 2026-10-15). The contractor late fee is one half of the renewal fee under Minn. Stat. 326B.092 subd. 3.

Master licenses expire in even numbered years under Minn. Stat. 326B.49 subd. 1 and Minn. R. 4716.0040; a master renewing on the journeyworker cycle would work a full year on an expired license. Restricted licenses follow the same cycles and fees as their unrestricted class (Minn. Stat. 326B.475). Lapse more than two years and you must retake the exam; a restricted license not renewed within 12 months is forfeited permanently (Minn. Stat. 326B.475).

Reciprocity: North Dakota and South Dakota

Under Minn. Stat. 326B.48, DLI recognizes journeyworker and master licenses earned by state level exam in North Dakota and South Dakota, held at least one year and in good standing, provided the applicant has never failed the same or a higher class of Minnesota exam and is not under any order to deny, suspend or revoke a Minnesota plumber license. The application carries the $50 fee, and once approved you have 180 days to pay the license fee. A former Minnesota license holder who let that class lapse more than two years cannot use reciprocity for it and must retake the exam.

The business layer: the Minnesota plumbing contractor license

A master plumber license lets you personally perform and supervise plumbing; it does not let your company contract for it. To bid, contract or offer to perform plumbing work in Minnesota, the business entity needs a plumbing contractor license under Minn. Stat. 326B.46.

Notes on the table above:

• The responsible master may be an owner, officer or member of the company, or a W-2 employee actively engaged in its plumbing work who is not employed as a plumber by any other contractor; one master serves one contractor at a time.
• Liability coverage must include products and completed operations, and the certificate must list DLI as certificate holder with the business name matching the Secretary of State filing.
• A restricted plumbing contractor license works the same way with a restricted master, limited to communities under 5,000 people.
• General contractors who subcontract plumbing to a licensed plumbing contractor need no plumbing contractor license of their own.

When your master leaves: the 60 day rule

The responsible individual requirement is the qualifying agent concept in Minnesota terms: no master plumber on the license at all times, no plumbing contractor license. When the responsible master departs for any reason, retirement, resignation or illness, Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 1b gives the company 15 business days to notify DLI and 60 days to name a new responsible licensed individual; miss the 60 days and the contractor license is treated as voluntarily terminated even without further notice.

This is exactly the role a qualifying agent fills: a master plumber who qualifies the company as an owner or a full time W-2 employee, supervises the plumbing work and carries the code compliance obligations the statute assigns to the responsible individual. Learn how the arrangement works at What Is a Qualifying Agent and Hire a Qualifying Agent, or see our contractor qualifier services. The Licensing Company places licensed master plumbers with Minnesota contractors under exactly this standard, and Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built the placement process around it, usually able to tell you on the first call whether a candidate qualifies.

Other Minnesota plumbing credentials worth knowing

• Restricted master and restricted journeyworker licenses are valid only in cities and towns under 5,000 population. They were granted by statute to plumbers with four years of practical experience (restricted master, or two years as a plumbing contractor) or two years (restricted journeyworker), but Minn. Stat. 326B.475 closed new applications on October 1, 2008; existing holders renew and can test up by the routes in Steps 2 and 4.
• Certified pipelayer: a training based card for exterior water service, building drain and sewer, and storm sewer work within property lines, statewide, without a plumber license. It does not authorize any interior plumbing.
• Medical gas certification: required for anyone installing, maintaining or repairing medical gas systems; the company must hold a plumbing contractor license (Minn. Stat. 326B.438) and the individual an active plumber license plus ASSE 6010, NFPA 99C brazing qualifications and NITC certification. It costs $48 initially and $53 to renew.
• Backflow prevention tester and rebuilder certifications for reduced pressure zone assemblies: a rebuilder holds a plumbing license plus ASSE 5110 and 5130; a tester needs only ASSE 5110.
• Water conditioning contractor and installer licenses: a separate track for water softener and treatment installation.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a licensed plumber in Minnesota? A minimum of four years to journeyworker (7,000 hours with the 1,750 hour per calendar year cap) and at least one more year licensed as a journeyworker before the master exam, so about five years from first registration to master. A DLI registered apprenticeship qualifies you for the same exam on completion and typically runs a similar four to five year track.

How many hours do you need for a journeyman plumber license in Minnesota? 7,000 hours over at least four calendar years, including 2,000 hours of water distribution, 2,000 hours of drain, waste and vent, and 1,000 hours of fixture installation, logged while registered and employed by a licensed plumbing contractor. Minnesota calls the license journeyworker plumber.

How much does a Minnesota plumbing license cost? State fees verified October 15, 2026: $14 registration ($19 annual renewal), $50 per exam application, $48 for a two year journeyworker license or $88 for a master, then $53 (journeyworker) or $93 (master) per two year renewal. Business side costs, the $188 contractor license, the $25,000 bond premium, insurance and workers' compensation, vary by company; call us to talk through yours.

Does a Minnesota plumbing license cover gas piping? State law licenses plumbers for interior plumbing and the exterior water, sanitary and storm connections within property lines; it does not spell out a separate statewide gas endorsement. Minneapolis's city plumbing license explicitly covers fuel gas piping and venting and combustion air piping up to 100,000 BTU power burners, so check your city's own scope alongside the state license.

Can a handyman do plumbing work in Minnesota? No. Plumbing work requires a personal license, or a DLI registration or apprenticeship under direct licensed supervision, and the contracting company needs a plumbing contractor license. Under Minn. Stat. 326B.082 the commissioner may assess up to $10,000 per violation, and a violation is a misdemeanor; see our 2026 contractor license law changes for the national trend.

Does Minnesota license plumbers at the city level? No, the plumber license is statewide through DLI; cities enforce permits and inspections locally (Minneapolis also runs a city trade license under its pre 1933 authority), but your license is valid everywhere in Minnesota. Minnesota HVAC is different, with no state license and city competency cards; see our guides to Minnesota HVAC licensing and Minnesota electrician licensing.

When does my Minnesota plumbing license expire? Journeyworker licenses expire December 31 of odd numbered years and master licenses December 31 of even numbered years; both renew in iMS after 16 hours of continuing education. Registrations renew by June 30.

Do I have to be an employee of a plumbing contractor to work as a plumber? Yes. DLI's rules require plumbers to be W-2 employees of a licensed plumbing contractor or registered plumbing employer, or a licensed owner or officer of one. The same holds at the top: the master who qualifies a contractor is its responsible individual, an owner, officer or bona fide employee, not an outside name on paper.

Where is the Minnesota plumbing board? At DLI in St. Paul; DLI's licensing unit (651-284-5034, dli.license@state.mn.us) handles applications, exams and renewals.

Sources

• DLI, Plumbing license basics (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Plumbing license experience requirements (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Registered unlicensed plumbers (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Plumbing license types and credentials (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Plumbing contractor licensing basics (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Continuing education requirements for plumbers (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Plumbing reciprocity (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Plumbing license examination guide (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, License exam schedule (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Medical gas certification (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, Backflow prevention certification (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• DLI, 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.42 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.435 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.44 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.46 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.47 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.475 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.48 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.49 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.092 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. Stat. 326B.082 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. R. 4716.0020 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• Minn. R. 4716.0040 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
• City of Minneapolis, Plumbing license (retrieved 2026-10-15)

Fees, hours, dates and insurance figures are set by DLI, the Plumbing Board or statute and change; verify with DLI before applying.

Talk to The Licensing Company

Ready to get your plumbing business licensed in Minnesota, or need a master plumber to qualify your company before the 60 day clock runs out? Call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. Licensed master plumbers interested in qualifying a growing company as a full time W-2 employee can apply here.