Kentucky Plumbing License Requirements: Journeyman, Master, Fees and Exam Dates

Kentucky issues plumbing licenses to people, not to companies. The Division of Plumbing inside the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction in Frankfort licenses journeyman and master plumbers under KRS Chapter 318 and the rule 815 KAR 20:030, and the license is good in every county. Apprentices learn the trade without a license, under the personal supervision of a licensed plumber.

At a glance

• Issuer: the Division of Plumbing, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, under KRS Chapter 318
• Journeyman: 2 consecutive apprentice years, or 1 year plus an approved course; 75 percent on each exam portion
• Master: a journeyman license held 2 of the past 5 years, plus 2 years under a master; 80 percent on each exam portion
• Exams: February, May, August and November; file 3 weeks ahead; seats are capped
• Fees: exam $50 journeyman, $150 master; license and yearly renewal $60 journeyman, $250 master

This guide works from the text of 815 KAR 20:030, KRS Chapter 318 and the Division of Plumbing's own exam pages, all checked on September 28, 2026. For how Kentucky treats the other trades, see our Kentucky contractor license guide, and for every other state, see how to get a contractor license in each state.

Who Must Be Licensed to Do Plumbing Work

Under KRS 318.030(1), no person may engage in plumbing or work at the trade unless he or she holds a valid, active master plumber license or a valid journeyman plumber license from the department. KRS 318.015(1) puts the chapter in force in every county of the Commonwealth.

"Plumbing" has a statutory meaning. KRS 318.010(4) covers the pipes, fixtures and drainage in or next to a building, and it expressly includes:

• the water service pipe from the property line to the building, other than fire protection piping
• private water supply systems
• house sewers from the building to the property line or other point of disposal
• storm and rainwater piping inside the building to a point 2 feet outside it
• medical gas piping

It excludes on-site sewage disposal systems, except the piping and fixtures needed inside the building.

The Division conducts the exams, issues permits and inspects installations, and anyone can check a license on the department's License Search and Verification page.

A few groups sit outside the licensing requirement. KRS 318.020 covers an apprentice assisting a journeyman, a maintenance man employed to keep plumbing in good repair, and water company, water district or sanitation district crews working on their own mains. KRS 318.015(3) exempts farmsteads, which KRS 318.010(8) defines as farm buildings on 10 acres or more outside city limits.

Apprentice, Journeyman and Master

Kentucky recognizes three levels, and only two of them are licenses. The rule counts years and supervision, not hours.

Apprentice. An apprentice is a person learning the trade who assists and works under the personal supervision of a licensed master or licensed journeyman (KRS 318.010(7)). The apprentice years are what qualify you for the journeyman license.

Journeyman plumber. The working license. KRS 318.010(2) defines the journeyman as a person who installs, alters, repairs and replaces plumbing under the supervision, direction and responsibility of a master, and 815 KAR 20:050 Section 2(2) requires that work to run under a licensed master holding a valid permit.

Master plumber. The license that carries the business. KRS 318.010(3) gives the master responsible charge of journeymen and apprentices and of the design, contracting and superintending of plumbing, and 815 KAR 20:050 Section 2(1) issues plumbing permits only to a licensed master or to a homeowner working on his or her own home.

Notice what is missing: a company license. Kentucky licenses people, not firms, and a plumbing company operates through a licensed master plumber in responsible charge of its work (KRS 318.110). For the national picture of the two working licenses, see our journeyman vs master plumber breakdown.

Basic Eligibility for Either License

KRS 318.040(1) sets the floor for both licenses. You must be at least 18 years old, be of good moral character, be a United States citizen or a resident alien authorized to work in the United States, and meet the qualifications in the department's regulations.

Every exam applicant files the Plumbing Examination Registration Form, Form PLB-3, with the non-refundable exam fee and a passport sized color photograph taken within the past six months (815 KAR 20:030 Section 1(1)(a)). If you do not pass within one year from the date of your first notice of examination, Section 1(1)(b) makes the application void.

Journeyman Plumber Requirements

Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 3(1), you qualify for the journeyman license one of two ways.

Route one. At least two consecutive years of experience as an apprentice plumber.

Route two. Complete a department approved course that covers the practice of plumbing or the Kentucky State Plumbing Code, plus at least one year of experience as an apprentice plumber.

Approved coursework cuts the field experience in half.

Note the word consecutive in route one. If your apprentice work was seasonal, split across employers or interrupted, raise it with the Division of Plumbing before you file, not after.

After you pass, you file the Application for License as a Journeyman Plumber, Form PLB-2, with proof of a passing score and the $60 license fee (Section 3(2)).

The Journeyman Exam Has a Hands-On Portion

Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 1(2)(b)3, the journeyman exam includes a practical section in which you show that you can properly install plumbing, including making proper connections of various plumbing materials. Under Section 1(2)(b)3.a, you furnish the plumbing materials for the practical exam. The department tells you at least one week before the exam date what to bring.

Per the Division's exam page, check in is at 7:30 a.m. and the exam starts at 8 a.m. Journeyman candidates get up to two and a half hours for the written portion and a separate two and a half hours for the practical.

The written portion covers basic principles of plumbing, KRS Chapter 318, 815 KAR Chapter 2 and 815 KAR Chapter 20. The drawing portion asks you to insert the proper pipe size on a prepared drawing showing all stacks, wastes, vents and connected fixtures. Sizing the main stacks carries more weight than the other piping, and the grader deducts for both oversized and undersized pipe.

Passing score: at least 75 percent on each portion (Section 3(2)(b)).

Under Section 1(4)(b), if you pass the written, drawing or practical portion but not all of them, you may retake only the portion you failed. Section 1(4)(d) still charges the full exam fee for each retake.

Master Plumber Requirements: Four Routes

Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(1), there are four ways to qualify for the master plumber license.

Route (a), the standard ladder. Hold a valid journeyman license for at least two years within the five years immediately before you apply, and be actively employed in plumbing under the supervision of a licensed master plumber for at least two years.

Route (b), the engineer route. Hold a Kentucky engineer license and be sufficiently experienced in mechanical engineering, as the department judges from the number and complexity of your past mechanical engineering projects. There is no fixed year count.

Route (c), the out of state licensee route. Hold a valid plumbing license issued by another state for at least two years within the five years immediately before you apply.

Route (d), the unlicensed state route. Have practiced plumbing in a state that does not issue a plumbing license, in a capacity equivalent to a master plumber, for at least four consecutive years immediately before you apply.

One catch on routes (c) and (d): Section 2(2)(b) requires those applicants to also prove they passed the Kentucky journeyman exam. Coming in from outside, you sit both exams, not just the master.

The Master Exam and the 80 Percent Rule

The rule requires the master exam to be more complex than the journeyman exam (Section 1(2)(b)4). Per the Division's exam page, master candidates check in at 7:30 a.m., start at 8 a.m. and have a maximum of two and a half hours.

Passing score: at least 80 percent on each portion (Section 2(2)(a)2). The bar applies per portion, not as a composite. A 92 on the written portion and a 74 on the drawing portion is a failure, not an 83 average.

Master candidates do not get the portion only retake; Section 1(4)(b) covers journeyman applicants. A passing score stays valid for three years (Section 1(5)). A new master then files the Application for License as a Master Plumber, Form PLB-1, with the $250 license fee (Section 2(2)(a)).

Exam Calendar, Deadlines and Test Sites

Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 1(3), regular exams for both licenses run in February, May, August and November each year, and the department may schedule special exams at other times as it directs.

Per the Division's schedule, seats are filled first come, first served, and a full exam takes no more applicants. Missing the three week filing deadline moves you to the next regular window, three months later, and filing on time does not guarantee a seat if the session fills.

Exam sites rotate around the Commonwealth based on facility availability and application volume. Sites the Division lists as often used include:

• Local 502 Training Center, Louisville
• Local 184 Training Center, Reidland
• Local 452 Training Center, Lexington
• Local 633 Training Center, Owensboro
• Hazard Community and Technical College, Hazard
• Enzweiler Building Institute, Erlanger

The exam page links a 2023 code book for exam study and lists the Division's line for exam questions, 502-573-0397. Work any hiring plan for a Kentucky master plumber backward from those four months.

Division of Plumbing Fees

These are the fees in 815 KAR 20:030 and KRS 318.054 as of September 28, 2026; confirm with the Division before you pay.

Fee notes:

• Retakes: you pay the full exam fee again for any retake, including a single failed journeyman portion (Sec. 1(4)(d)).
• Proration: the initial license fee may be prorated for not less than seven months and not more than eighteen months (Sec. 2(3); Sec. 3(3)).
• Payee: renewal fees are payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer (Sec. 4(1)(a)).
• Military: the department may waive renewal or revival fees for a person on active duty in the Armed Forces (KRS 318.054(4)).

Renewal, Continuing Education and Inactive Status

Every Kentucky plumbing license expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month, not on a common date (KRS 318.054(1)). The department mails a renewal notice to your last known address no later than 30 days before expiration, so keep that address current: Section 5(1) of 815 KAR 20:030 requires you to report any change to the name or address of your business or employer.

To renew, Section 4(1) requires the renewal fee, proof of continuing education under 815 KAR 2:010, proof of insurance for a master, and the Licensing Renewal Application, Form DHBC L-1. In the department's online portal, the renewal option appears once a license is within 60 days of expiration.

Plumbing courses must relate to business, job safety, the Kentucky State Plumbing Code or the plumbing trade itself (815 KAR 2:010 Section 2(6)).

Inactive status. An inactive master may not secure a plumbing permit, advertise, represent himself or herself as a qualified master or otherwise do the work of a master (815 KAR 20:030 Section 4(2)(b)). Inactive licensees owe no continuing education while inactive, but must show the required hours from the 12 months before reactivating (815 KAR 2:010 Section 1(11)).

Late renewal. Under KRS 318.054(4), you can revive an expired license by paying the renewal fee plus a revival fee of $5 for a master or $3 for a journeyman and showing completed continuing education. If renewal and revival fees are not paid within 180 days after expiration, the license is automatically canceled by operation of law. Reinstatement then takes all delinquent renewal fees plus a revival fee of $10 for a master or $6 for a journeyman.

The Insurance Rule and the Employee Exemption

KRS 318.030(2)(a) bars any person, firm or corporation from engaging in plumbing unless it maintains general liability insurance of not less than $250,000 and submits proof of compliance with Kentucky workers' compensation and unemployment insurance law.

Proof goes in first. Under KRS 318.030(2)(b), proof of insurance goes to the department before issuance or renewal of the active master plumber license.

A lapse reports itself. Under KRS 318.030(2)(c), no license is valid without the required insurance, and insurance carriers must notify the department when a licensee's coverage is canceled.

Employees are outside it. KRS 318.030(2)(d) says the insurance requirement does not apply to an employee of a person, firm or corporation engaged in plumbing. In practice, that leaves the coverage with the employing company.

Permits: Who Can Pull Them and What They Cost

KRS 318.134(1) bars anyone from constructing, installing or altering plumbing without first procuring a plumbing installation permit from the department. 815 KAR 20:050 Section 2(1) issues that permit only to a licensed master plumber or to a homeowner working on a home he or she occupies or builds for personal use, who files an affidavit and does all the work personally.

A permit is required for new installations, relocated fixture, soil or waste openings, new or replaced house sewers and water services, added backflow prevention devices and new or replacement water heaters (Section 1). Repairing leaks, cocks or valves and cleaning out waste or sewer pipes need no permit. When a master takes over an installation permitted to another master or a homeowner, a new permit is required.

Permit notes:

• Inspections: each permit includes five inspections; each additional inspection costs $50 unless the permit itself cost more than $250 (Sec. 5).
• Expiration: a permit expires one year after issuance unless construction is ongoing, and it is void if work stops for more than 12 months (Sec. 6).

The local layer. KRS 318.140 lets a city or county enact the Kentucky State Plumbing Code by ordinance, issue plumbing permits, fix permit and inspection fees, and appoint local inspectors with at least eight years as a master or journeyman. Local governments may also collect occupational license fees from plumbing businesses. The license travels statewide, while permits, inspections and business fees can be local, as our explainer on state vs. local contractor licensing describes.

Penalties. KRS 318.990 sets a fine of $10 to $100, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, for each offense, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. KRS 318.064 lets the department revoke or suspend a license for knowing violations, fraud, incompetence or deceptive conduct. KRS 318.120 bars anyone in responsible charge of an installation from putting an unlicensed person on the work, apprentices excepted.

Kentucky Has No General Contractor License

Kentucky issues no statewide general contractor license. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses and certifies plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, sprinkler and fire alarm contractors and building inspectors, and it runs HVAC licensing under KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689. A 2026 House bill, HB 300, would have created contractor licensing under the department; its last recorded action was a committee referral on January 16, 2026.

For the neighboring trades in the same department, see how to get an HVAC license in Kentucky and how to get an electrician license in Kentucky.

How Long It Takes

On paper, the standard ladder takes at least four years of experience before the master license, or at least three through the course route, with exam windows and filing deadlines on top.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Start as an apprentice. Work under the personal supervision of a licensed master or journeyman, and keep records showing your years are consecutive, or enroll in a department approved course.
2. Register for the journeyman exam. File Form PLB-3 with the $50 exam fee and a recent color photo so it reaches Frankfort at least three weeks before the exam date.
3. Watch for your notices. Approved applicants hear about scheduling no later than two weeks out, and the practical materials list arrives at least one week before.
4. Pass all three portions. Score at least 75 percent on the written, drawing and practical portions.
5. Apply for the journeyman license. File Form PLB-2 with proof of passing and the $60 license fee.
6. Work two years as a licensed journeyman. Stay employed in plumbing under a licensed master, inside the five year window.
7. Register for the master exam. File a new PLB-3 with the $150 exam fee three weeks before a February, May, August or November exam.
8. Pass at 80 percent on each portion. The score stays valid for three years.
9. Apply for the master license. File Form PLB-1 with proof of passing and the $250 license fee, with proof of the KRS 318.030 insurance on file.
10. Renew every year. Renew by the last day of your birth month with the renewal fee, six hours of continuing education and Form DHBC L-1.

What Kentucky Requires of a Plumbing Company

KRS 318.110 lets a company engage in the plumbing business in any county if a person connected with that company in responsible charge of the plumbing work is a licensed master plumber, and that master must notify the department whenever he or she starts or ends the connection.

The statute also says what happens when the master is gone. Under KRS 318.054(5)(a), if the master who procured permits for a company dies, the department grants the company an interim period of up to 180 continuous calendar days before that master's license terminates, provided the company documents all required bonding and insurance and keeps it in force for the whole period. Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 5(2), the company must notify the department within ten days of the death, and again when it has a replacement master to represent the company.

Then comes the sentence that matters most. Under KRS 318.054(5)(c), once the deceased master's license terminates, "a company shall have an employee with a current and valid Kentucky master plumber's license in order to procure permits and perform plumbing work governed by this chapter." The HVAC statute, KRS 198B.667(3), uses the same construction for master HVAC contractors.

That interim period covers only a master's death. Because permits issue only to a licensed master, a company whose master resigns or retires needs another master in responsible charge before it procures new permits. See the contractor qualifier contingency plan and our Kentucky qualifier guide for the full analysis.

The qualifier angle. If your company needs a licensed master plumber in responsible charge, because you are entering Kentucky, your master is retiring, or you lost one, that is the seat a qualifying agent fills. A qualifying agent qualifies the company as a full time W-2 employee who actually supervises the plumbing work, which fits both the "connected with that company" test in KRS 318.110 and the "employee" language in KRS 318.054(5)(c). Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, the founders of The Licensing Company, hold every placement to that standard.

Start at Hire a Qualifying Agent, read what a qualifying agent actually is if the role is new to you, or see how the role works for plumbing contractors. Licensed masters can read about becoming a qualifying agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Get a Plumbing License in Kentucky?

A journeyman license takes at least two consecutive apprentice years, or one year plus an approved course, then a pass in one of the four yearly exam windows. A master license takes at least two more years as a licensed journeyman under a master, so the standard ladder runs at least four years before the master license.

How Much Does a Kentucky Plumbing License Cost?

A journeyman pays a $50 exam fee and a $60 license fee, then $60 a year to renew. A master pays a $150 exam fee and a $250 license fee, then $250 a year, and an active master license needs proof of the $250,000 general liability coverage KRS 318.030 requires.

How Do I Renew a Kentucky Plumbing License?

Renew by the last day of your birth month with the renewal fee, six hours of continuing education from the prior 12 months, proof of insurance for a master and Form DHBC L-1. The department's online portal shows the renewal option once the license is within 60 days of expiration.

What Is on the Kentucky Journeyman Plumbing Test?

A written portion on plumbing principles, KRS Chapter 318 and 815 KAR Chapters 2 and 20; a drawing where you size stacks, wastes and vents; and a hands-on practical for which you bring the materials. You need 75 percent on each portion.

Can I Get a Kentucky Master Plumber License Without Being a Journeyman First?

Yes, through routes (b), (c) and (d): a Kentucky licensed engineer with enough mechanical engineering experience, a plumber licensed in another state for two of the past five years, or four consecutive years of master level practice in a state that issues no plumbing license. Routes (c) and (d) also require passing the Kentucky journeyman exam.

What Happens If My Plumbing License Expires?

You have 180 days to revive it with the renewal fee plus $5 for a master or $3 for a journeyman (KRS 318.054(4)). After that the license is canceled by operation of law, and reinstatement takes all delinquent renewal fees plus $10 for a master or $6 for a journeyman.

Does Kentucky Accept a Plumbing License From Another State?

Not by itself. The Division's plumbing FAQ says a license from another state does not let you work in Kentucky; its holder must still pass the Kentucky exam and meet the other requirements. KRS 318.040(6) lets the department license another state's licensee if that state has a statewide plumbing code, an exam at least equal to Kentucky's, and agrees to reciprocate, but the Division pages cited here name no such state. For the master license, route (c) accepts two years of licensure elsewhere within the past five, with both Kentucky exams.

Does Kentucky Require the Master Plumber to Be an Employee?

Not in every case. KRS 318.110 requires a licensed master "connected with" the company in responsible charge of its plumbing work, and KRS 318.054(5)(a) speaks of a deceased owner's or employee's license. After a master's death, KRS 318.054(5)(c) is stricter: once the interim period ends, the company "shall have an employee" holding a current Kentucky master plumber's license to procure permits and perform plumbing work.

Do I Need a Separate Contractor License for a Plumbing Business?

Not at the state level. You need a licensed master plumber in responsible charge, the KRS 318.030 insurance, permits from the Division or an authorized local program, and whatever business licensing your city or county imposes.

Talk to Us About a Kentucky Master Plumber

If you are opening in Kentucky or replacing a master who is leaving, call The Licensing Company at 615-219-2110. Our team, led by founders Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, will walk through your trade, your counties and your timeline and tell you plainly what Kentucky requires. You can also start online at Hire a Qualifying Agent.

Sources

All opened on 2026-09-28. Requirements change, so confirm with the Division of Plumbing before filing.

• 815 KAR 20:030, Plumbing licenses (Legislative Research Commission), retrieved 2026-09-28
• 815 KAR 20:050, Installation permits (Legislative Research Commission), retrieved 2026-09-28
• 815 KAR 2:010, Continuing education requirements (Legislative Research Commission), retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.010, Definitions, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.015, Application of chapter, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.020, Exemptions, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.030, License and general liability insurance, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.040, Qualifications, examinations and reciprocity, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.054, Expiration, renewal, revival and interim period, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.064, Revocation or suspension, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.110, Company connected with a licensed plumber, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.120, Employment of unlicensed plumber prohibited, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.134, Installation permits, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.140, Local adoption of the State Plumbing Code, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 318.990, Penalties, retrieved 2026-09-28
• KRS 198B.667, Interim period for a master HVAC contractor's license, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Division of Plumbing, Plumbing Licensing Examination, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Division of Plumbing, Master and Journeyman Examination Schedule, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Division of Plumbing, permits and duties, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Division of Plumbing, Frequently Asked Questions, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, online renewal instructions, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, License Search and Verification, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, home page, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Kentucky General Assembly, 2026 Regular Session HB 300, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Kentucky.gov, Division of Plumbing agency profile, retrieved 2026-09-28