How to get a Journeyworker Plumber license in Colorado
Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board.1 For the Journeyworker Plumber license you need at least 6,800 hours of on-the-job training2 and a passing score on the Colorado journeyworker plumber examination2.
Who issues it
State Plumbing Board
Training and experience
Experience: at least 6,800 hours of on-the-job training2
Exam
Colorado journeyworker plumber examination2
On this page
- Colorado plumber licenses
- Rules shared by several license levels
- Who needs a Journeyworker Plumber license
- Requirements for a Journeyworker Plumber license
- Renewal and continuing education
- Plumbing Apprentice
- Residential Plumber
- Master Plumber
- Plumbing Contractor
- City and county rules
- Check a license or report a problem
- Laws and rules
- Rule changes since January 2024
- Common questions
- Plumber licenses in other states
Colorado plumber licenses
Colorado issues 5 plumber credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.
| License | What it covers | Training or experience | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing Apprentice | Learns and assists in plumbing installation; may do licensed work only under on-site supervision of a licensed plumber.1 | – | – |
| Journeyworker Plumber | Who engages in or works at the actual installation, alteration, repair, and renovation of plumbing in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.1 | Experience 6,800 hours2 | Yes1 |
| Residential Plumber | Has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge, as specified by the board, to install plumbing and equipment in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground.1 | Experience 3,400 hours2 | Yes1 |
| Master Plumber | (4) "Master plumber" means a person who has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment including the supervision of such in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.1 | Experience 8,500 hours2 | Yes1 |
| Plumbing Contractor | "Plumbing contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization that undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising, installing, or making of additions, alterations, and repairs in the installation of plumbing.1 | – | – |
Rules shared by several license levels
These rules are the same for several of the Colorado plumber licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.
1. Every license level except Plumbing Contractor
Requirements
- Background check
- Licensees must notify the Board of felony and certain other convictions.2
2. Every license level except Plumbing Apprentice and Plumbing Contractor
Requirements
- Education or training
- Optional: a Board-approved community college or trade school plumbing program (minimum two years) may replace up to one year (2,000 hours) of field experience, hour for hour.1
Alternative: Military plumbing training: one month credit per six months of training, up to one year.2 - Social Security number
- Name/SSN/ITIN changes need documents (IRS ITIN letter etc.).2
- Also required
- Must carry the license or work permit on the job.2
- Also required
- Installing well pumping equipment also needs a Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors Board license.2
How to apply
- Build the required hours as a registered apprentice (or with credited schooling/military training) and get them signed on Board experience-verification forms; you cannot verify your own hours.2
- Pass the state plumbing exam for the license level (photo ID required; pass/fail result in writing).2
- Submit the license application to the Division of Professions and Occupations with all fees and documents; incomplete files are kept one year.2 apps2.colorado.gov4
- Temporary or provisional license
- Temporary work permit possible once exam-eligible and registered for the exam; expires 30 days after the exam or at results; not for anyone who failed twice or held two permits.1
Renewal
- Continuing education
- At least 8 hours each renewal period1
- Required topics
- Within every 24 months at least 4 hours on codes and at most 2 hours on safety; the rest from the Board core competencies (backflow, water heaters, medical gas, etc.). Attest at renewal that you have read the current Colorado Plumbing Code.2
- Approved courses
- Courses from providers on the Board Attesting Providers list; interactive online courses allowed; keep certificates six years.2
- Exemptions
- First renewal after passing the licensing exam is exempt.1
Holders of several plumbing licenses complete CE for the most advanced one.2 - If it expires
- After the 60-day grace period: reinstate with 8 hours of CE if expired under two years; over two years, pass the state exam, show an active equivalent out-of-state license with a year of practice, hold a higher Colorado license, or other Board-approved means.2
Inactive status available; no CE while inactive; reactivation needs 24 CE hours if inactive under three years.2 - Renew online
- apps2.colorado.gov4
From another state
- Route
- License by endorsement
- What the board says
- License by endorsement for holders of an active license from another state with substantially equivalent credentials: approved apprenticeship or equivalent experience, plus a comparable state plumbing exam on the current or previous Board-adopted code.1
- Conditions
- Completed an approved/registered apprenticeship or the required experience for the comparable license.2
Passed a comparable state plumbing exam based on the current or previous Board-adopted code.2
Currently holds an active license in the endorsing state.2
Board may require a six-month wait after the other state issued the license.1
- Route
- Military service members and spouses
- What the board says
- A separate military-spouse license type exists.3
Who needs a Journeyworker Plumber license
Who engages in or works at the actual installation, alteration, repair, and renovation of plumbing in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.1
Work that does not need this license:
- No license needed for plumbing on your own property or residence, or for routine repair/replacement of sinks, faucets, drains, tubs and toilets by employees; not for sale/rental or commercial property.1
- Backflow device installers/testers are not exempt (except on stand-alone fire sprinkler systems).1
Requirements for a Journeyworker Plumber license
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Rules shared by several license levels.
- Experience
- At least 6,800 hours of on-the-job training2
6,800 hours of practical plumbing experience documented on Board experience-verification forms signed by the master plumber or employer (residential/commercial/industrial breakdown).2
Supervision: Apprentice hours are earned under on-site supervision of a licensed plumber (max three apprentices per licensed plumber).1
Substitute: Out-of-state experience is credited if shown adequate.1 - Exam
- Colorado journeyworker plumber examination2
Passing score: Results are pass/fail in writing; exams cannot be reviewed.2
When you can take it: Pass the exam first, then submit the license application with experience and education.2
Board-set content on plumbing knowledge and plumbing rules; may include written and applied tests; offered at least four times a year; photo ID required.2
Renewal and continuing education
Renewal planner
Enter the expiration date printed on your Colorado Journeyworker Plumber license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.
Plumbing Apprentice
Learns and assists in plumbing installation; may do licensed work only under on-site supervision of a licensed plumber.1
Requirements
- Also required
- The employer registers the apprentice within 30 days of hiring and pays the fee; late registration can bring discipline.1
- Also required
- Supervision ratio and distance: one licensed plumber to at most three apprentices; supervisor on site or within five minutes on the same job site.1
- Also required
- After six years of registration an apprentice must sit the license exam at least every two years until passing (exemptions on request, e.g. military deployment).1
- Also required
- Contractors/apprenticeship programs report each apprentice's cumulative training hours to the Board by July 1 each year.1
How to apply
- Get hired by a registered plumbing contractor (or work under a licensed plumber); the employer registers you with the Board within 30 days and pays the fee.1 apps2.colorado.gov4
- Keep your contact details current with the Board (online preferred).2
From another state
- Route
- No reciprocity
- What the board says
- Out-of-state experience counts toward Colorado license hours if shown adequate.1
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 under Rules shared by several license levels.
Residential Plumber
Has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge, as specified by the board, to install plumbing and equipment in one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground.1
Requirements
- Experience
- At least 3,400 hours of on-the-job training2
3,400 hours of practical plumbing experience documented on Board experience-verification forms signed by the master plumber or employer (residential/commercial/industrial breakdown).2
Supervision: Apprentice hours are earned under on-site supervision of a licensed plumber (max three apprentices per licensed plumber).1
Substitute: Out-of-state experience is credited if shown adequate.1 - Exam
- Colorado residential plumber examination2
Passing score: Results are pass/fail in writing; exams cannot be reviewed.2
When you can take it: Pass the exam first, then submit the license application with experience and education.2
Board-set content on plumbing knowledge and plumbing rules; may include written and applied tests; offered at least four times a year; photo ID required.2 - Also required
- On commercial job sites a residential plumber must hold an apprentice registration and be supervised.2
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Rules shared by several license levels.
Master Plumber
(4) "Master plumber" means a person who has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out, and install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment including the supervision of such in accordance with the standards and rules established by the board.1
Requirements
- Experience
- At least 8,500 hours of on-the-job training2
8,500 hours of practical plumbing experience documented on Board experience-verification forms signed by the master plumber or employer (residential/commercial/industrial breakdown).2
Supervision: Apprentice hours are earned under on-site supervision of a licensed plumber (max three apprentices per licensed plumber).1
Substitute: Out-of-state experience is credited if shown adequate.1 - Exam
- Colorado master plumber examination2
Passing score: Results are pass/fail in writing; exams cannot be reviewed.2
When you can take it: Pass the exam first, then submit the license application with experience and education.2
Board-set content on plumbing knowledge and plumbing rules; may include written and applied tests; offered at least four times a year; photo ID required.2 - Also required
- A master plumber may be responsible for only one plumbing contractor at a time and must tell the Board within 15 days of leaving.1
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Rules shared by several license levels.
Plumbing Contractor
"Plumbing contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization that undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising, installing, or making of additions, alterations, and repairs in the installation of plumbing.1
Requirements
- Business requirements
- Show compliance with Colorado workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws.1
- Business requirements
- Advertise only under the registered company name.2
- Business requirements
- Show the contractor registration number and master plumber license number on vehicles (2 places, 2-inch letters), bids, invoices and the website home page.2
- Business requirements
- Register apprentices within 30 days, keep hours records, and give departing workers an experience verification form within 30 days.2
How to apply
- Name a full-time Colorado master plumber (or be one) who is not attached to another contractor.1
- Register with the Board through the DPO with the fee and proof of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance.1 apps2.colorado.gov4
- Register or license with each city that requires it (e.g. Denver) before pulling permits.1
Renewal
- How often
- Every 2 years3
- If it expires
- Registration is not renewed while the contractor has expired permits.2
From another state
- Route
- No reciprocity
- What the board says
- Out-of-state firms register like any other, through a Colorado-licensed master plumber.1
City and county rules
Plumbing ContractorLocal governments may license plumbing contractors on top of state registration. Denver issues its own plumbing contractor license (state contractor card and master plumber card required); Aurora issues none but needs the state licenses on file; the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department lets state-master plumbing contractors registered with it pull permits.5
| City or county | What it requires | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Denver County | Denver plumbing contractor license: upload the current State of Colorado Plumbing Contractor card and the master plumber's ID; "Plumbing A License" fee $160.00, renewed every 2 years.6 | Official page5 |
| Aurora | State master and contractor licenses on file with the Building Division; no separate city plumbing license.7 | Official page7 |
| Colorado Springs (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department) County | Plumbing contractor with a State master plumber license registers with PPRBD to pull permits; PPRBD lists $1,000,000/$2,000,000 insurance for plumbing contractors.8 | Official page8 |
Check a license or report a problem
Before you hire a plumber in Colorado, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Colorado is on the Colorado license lookup page.
- Look up a license
- apps2.colorado.gov4
- File a complaint
- dpo.colorado.gov4
Laws and rules
The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.
- C.R.S. § 12-155-103 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-108 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-110 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-112 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-116 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-117 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-118 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-124 (2024 publication)
- 3 CCR 720-1 (Plumbing Rules and Regulations), eff. 08/14/2026
- 3 CCR 720-1 Rule 1.3
- C.R.S. § 12-155-121 (2024 publication)
- C.R.S. § 12-155-125 (2024 publication)
- 3 CCR 720-1 Rule 1.4
Rule changes since January 2024
Common questions
How long does it take to get a Journeyworker Plumber license in Colorado?
The rules set at least 6,800 hours of on-the-job training2 before you can be licensed. The board does not publish how long it takes to process an application.
Can I transfer my plumber license to Colorado?
The State Plumbing Board publishes this route for the Journeyworker Plumber license: license by endorsement1. Conditions and forms.
Plumber licenses in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Sources
Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal ServicesChecked November 7, 2026
- 3 CCR 720-1 Plumbing Rules and Regulations (current version eff. 08/14/2026)Colorado Secretary of StateDated August 14, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
- DPO license types datasetColorado Information Marketplace (data.colorado.gov), DORA Division of Professions and Occupations license types datasetChecked November 7, 2026
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations Homepage | Divisions of Professions and OccupationsColorado Division of Professions and Occupations Homepage | Divisions of Professions and OChecked November 7, 2026
- Contractor Licensing - City and County of DenverCity and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer ProtectionChecked November 7, 2026
- Apply for a Contractor's License - City and County of DenverCity and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer ProtectionChecked November 7, 2026
- Contractor Licensing and Lookup - City of AuroraCity of AuroraChecked November 7, 2026
- Licensing FAQ - Pikes Peak Regional Building DepartmentPikes Peak Regional Building DepartmentChecked November 7, 2026