Minnesota's plumbing ladder runs from a $14 registered unlicensed plumber registration through 7,000 supervised hours to the journeyworker and master exams DLI writes itself, then to the plumbing contractor license that needs a master plumber on it at all times. Every figure verified at dli.mn.gov and the Revisor of Statutes on September 23, 2026.
If you searched for a Minnesota plumbing license, one regulator runs the whole system. Every plumbing credential 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 September 23, 2026, and two widely repeated errors are corrected: 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, for example, still issues its own plumbing license.
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 (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.
- Apply online through iMS and pay the $14 initial application fee.
- You are assigned a registration number beginning with "PA."
- You work only under the direct, at all times supervision of a licensed journeyworker or master plumber, within your employer's scope.
- Registrations expire June 30 each year. Renewal is $19 and requires 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 subd. 2, up to 24 months of experience gained before registering can count toward the four years, and if two years pass after 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.
| Category of plumbing work | Registered unlicensed plumber | Restricted license holder |
|---|---|---|
| Water distribution system installation | 2,000 hours | 1,000 hours |
| Drain, waste and vent (DWV) system installation | 2,000 hours | 1,000 hours |
| Fixture installation | 1,000 hours | 500 hours |
| Any other plumbing work | Balance of the 7,000 hours | Balance of the required hours |
Source: Minn. R. 4716.0020 and DLI's experience requirements page (retrieved 2026-09-23).
Experience must be certified by the licensed master plumber responsible for the work. Other routes to the exam: a DLI registered apprenticeship; a Minnesota restricted journeyworker or restricted master license plus two years of practical experience under it; 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. Military service, DLI approved coursework and out of state apprenticeship hours 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 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. St. Paul exams run Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; DLI also tests at ten regional sites from Bemidji to Winona.
- Results are mailed within two weeks. 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 in business 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
| Credential | Expires | Renewal fee | Late fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered unlicensed plumber | June 30 every year | $19 ($24 once expired) | $5 |
| Journeyworker plumber | December 31 of odd numbered years (next: 2027) | $53 | $20 |
| Master plumber | December 31 of even numbered years (next: 2026) | $93 | $40 |
| Plumbing contractor | December 31 of odd numbered years | $188 | One half of the renewal fee (Minn. Stat. 326B.092 subd. 3) |
| Credential | Continuing education per period |
|---|---|
| Registered unlicensed plumber | 2 hours on the plumbing code |
| Journeyworker plumber | 16 hours, at least 8 on the State Plumbing Code |
| Master plumber | 16 hours, at least 8 on the State Plumbing Code |
| Plumbing contractor | None |
Sources: DLI license basics, contractor basics and continuing education pages; Minn. Stat. 326B.49, 326B.092; Minn. R. 4716.0040 (retrieved 2026-09-23).
Master licenses expire in even numbered years under Minn. Stat. 326B.49 subd. 1(b) 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 subd. 7). 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 subd. 4).
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. The application carries the $50 fee, and once approved you have 180 days to pay the license fee.
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, which requires:
| Requirement | Minnesota rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible licensed individual | A licensed master plumber serving at all times | Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 1b |
| Who that master may be | An owner, officer or member, or a W-2 employee actively engaged in the company's plumbing work; one master serves one contractor | Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 1b; DLI contractor licensing basics |
| Code compliance bond | At least $25,000 to the state, on DLI's form | Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 2 |
| Liability insurance | Public liability, including products liability, of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per occurrence, plus $10,000 property damage | Minn. Stat. 326B.46 subd. 2 |
| Workers' compensation | Proof on DLI's form | DLI contractor licensing basics |
| License fee | $188 initial, $188 per two year renewal | DLI contractor licensing basics |
| Expiration | December 31 of odd numbered years | Minn. Stat. 326B.49 subd. 1(c) |
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.
This is exactly the problem a professionally placed qualifying agent solves, and the statute is clear about what that person must be: an owner, officer or member, or an employee who actually works in the company's plumbing operation and for no other contractor. The Licensing Company places licensed master plumbers with Minnesota contractors as full time W-2 employees who hold the responsible individual role in fact, supervise the work and carry the code compliance obligations, the arrangement 326B.46 recognizes. Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built the placement process around that standard and can usually tell you on the first call whether a candidate qualifies. Learn how it works at What Is a Qualifying Agent, Hire a Qualifying Agent and Plumbing Contractor Licensing.
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 (restricted master, or two years as a plumbing contractor) or two years (restricted journeyworker) of practical experience, but Minn. Stat. 326B.475 subd. 3 closed 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 and NITC credentials. 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 September 23, 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; see our Consultation Packages.
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 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Plumbing license experience requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Registered unlicensed plumbers (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Registered unlicensed plumber application form (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Plumbing license types and credentials (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Plumbing contractor licensing basics (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Continuing education requirements for plumbers (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Plumbing reciprocity (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Plumbing license examination guide (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, License exam schedule (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Medical gas certification (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, Backflow prevention certification (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- DLI, 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.42 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.435 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.44 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.46 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.47 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.475 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.48 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.49 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.092 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. Stat. 326B.082 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. R. 4716.0020 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- Minn. R. 4716.0040 (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- City of Minneapolis, Plumbing license (retrieved 2026-09-23)
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, talk to us, 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.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.