How to get a Journeyman Plumber license in Indiana

Indiana licenses plumbers statewide through the Indiana Plumbing Commission.¹ For the Journeyman Plumber license you need at least 4 years¹ of training, at least 4 years¹ of experience, a passing score on the Indiana journeyman plumber examination (PROV)¹ and a criminal background check¹. The board lists $30 for the application¹, $30 for the initial license (License issued in an even-numbered year)¹ and $15 for the initial license (License issued in an odd-numbered year)¹, each a separate charge.

Last checked November 7, 2026 · 3 official sources

Who issues it

Indiana Plumbing Commission

Training and experience

Training: at least 4 years¹
Experience: at least 4 years¹

Exam

Indiana journeyman plumber examination (PROV)¹

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $30¹
Initial license fee (License issued in an even-numbered year): $30¹
Initial license fee (License issued in an odd-numbered year): $15¹

From another state

License by endorsement and Reciprocity agreements¹ Details

On this page

Indiana plumber licenses
Applies to every license level
Who needs a Journeyman Plumber license
Requirements for a Journeyman Plumber license
How much a Journeyman Plumber license costs
How to apply
Renewal and continuing education
Plumbing Apprentice
Temporary Plumbing Contractor
Plumbing Contractor
Plumbing Corporation
City and county rules
Check a license or report a problem
Laws and rules
Common questions
Plumber licenses in other states

Indiana plumber licenses

Indiana 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	Application or license fee
Plumbing Apprentice	Registered apprentice in a Commission-approved four-year program, working under a supervising Journeyman Plumber or Plumbing Contractor.¹	–	–	$10¹
Temporary Plumbing Contractor	Lets an owner or officer keep a plumbing contracting business running for the time needed to dispose of it or meet the emergency after its licensed plumbing contractor dies or becomes unable to operate it.¹	–	–	$25¹
Journeyman Plumber	Licensed plumber who has passed the state journeyman exam; may supervise apprentices.¹	Training 4 years¹ Experience 4 years¹	Yes¹	$30¹
Plumbing Contractor	Licensed plumbing contractor; may supervise apprentices and qualify a plumbing corporation.¹	Training 4 years¹ Experience 4 years¹	Yes¹	$50¹
Plumbing Corporation	License for a corporation engaged in the business of plumbing contracting.¹	–	–	$50¹

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the Indiana 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 (all 5)

How to apply

Apply online: mylicense.in.gov²

Renewal

Renew online: mylicense.in.gov²

2. Every license level except Plumbing Corporation

Requirements

Background check: Background check required¹
Explain any "Yes" answer with full details (violation, location, date, cause number, disposition) and court documents.¹
Social Security number: A U.S. Social Security number is mandatory; the application cannot be processed without it.¹

3. Every license level except Temporary Plumbing Contractor and Plumbing Corporation

Requirements

Also required: Applications are abandoned if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing.¹

4. Every license level except Plumbing Apprentice and Plumbing Corporation

Requirements

Minimum age: 18 years old¹

5. Every license level except Plumbing Apprentice and Temporary Plumbing Contractor

Renewal

When it expires: Expires December 31 of every odd-numbered year.¹

6. Journeyman Plumber and Plumbing Contractor

Requirements

Also required: The issuance fee depends on the year the license is issued, not the year the application was received.¹

Fees

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, PROV², when you schedule.

Renewal

If it expires: Renewal notices go out about 90 days before expiration, by email if one is on file, otherwise by mail.¹
A license expired three or more years must be reinstated online: pay the current renewal fee and the current initial application fee, upload a work-history letter or resume, and make a personal appearance before the Commission.¹

From another state

Route: License by endorsement
What the board says: A plumber licensed in another state can use that license to qualify for the Indiana journeyman or contractor examination (the Indiana exam is still required). Applicants from a state without plumber licensing must meet the Indiana experience requirement first.¹
Conditions: Provide proof of the out-of-state plumbing license plus the employer affidavit form completed by the current plumbing employer.¹

Route: Reciprocity agreements
What the board says: PLA's FAQ says reciprocity is not available for journeyman and contractor plumbers; the statute quoted by PLA refers to reciprocity agreements with other states, but no partner state or agreement is published.¹
States on Indiana's list: The pages cited here give no list of partner states for this route; the board's words above say who qualifies. Ask the board which states it has agreements with.

7. Plumbing Contractor and Plumbing Corporation

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Application fee	$50¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	Not refundable

Renewal

How often: Every 2 years¹
Renewal fee: $100¹

Who needs a Journeyman Plumber license

Licensed plumber who has passed the state journeyman exam; may supervise apprentices.¹

Other rules on who may do this work:

Licensing does not apply to authorized government employees not holding out for hire, work on federal sites or where federal law supersedes, or an individual employed as a maintenance person at their own workplace (these are also the employment settings that count as trade experience).¹

Requirements for a Journeyman Plumber license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2, group 3, group 4, group 5 and group 6 under Applies to every license level.

Education or training: At least 4 years¹
Complete a four-year apprenticeship program approved by the Plumbing Commission, including the school's practical exam (copper, cast iron and plastic pipe assemblies, 70% on each).¹
Who may teach it: Commission-approved apprenticeship schools listed by PLA.¹
Alternative: Four years of plumbing-trade experience in exempt employment (government, federal sites, in-house maintenance) documented by notarized statement / employer affidavit.¹
Alternative: A plumbing license from another state (see out-of-state).¹
Experience: At least 4 years¹
Four years of experience in the plumbing trade (if not qualifying through an apprenticeship), verified by the current plumbing employer on the Employer Affidavit of Experience in Plumbing Trade.¹
Exam: Indiana journeyman plumber examination (PROV)¹
Given by: PROV²
When you can take it: The Plumbing Commission must review and approve the application before the candidate can register with PROV.¹

How much a Journeyman Plumber license costs

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Application fee	$30¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	Not refundable
Initial license fee	$30¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	License issued in an even-numbered year. Not refundable
Initial license fee	$15¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	License issued in an odd-numbered year. Not refundable

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

Qualify: finish a Commission-approved four-year apprenticeship (sponsor signs the Certificate of Completion), or document four years of exempt-employment trade experience on the Employer Affidavit, or hold another state's plumbing license.¹ Form (PDF, in.gov)¹
Apply online and pay the $30 application fee; upload the completion certificate or the employer affidavit / out-of-state license.¹ mylicense.in.gov²
After the Commission approves your eligibility, register and pay for the journeyman exam with PROV.¹
Pass the exam and pay the issuance fee ($30 in even years, $15 in odd years). Renew by December 31 of each odd year ($30).¹

Application form: Form (PDF, in.gov)¹

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal fee: $30¹
Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $45¹ (total due ($30 renewal + $15 late fee))
Late renewal fee: $130¹ (total due ($30 renewal + $100 late fee))
Reinstatement fee: $60¹ (expired 3 or more years)

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Indiana Journeyman Plumber license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Expiration date

Plumbing Apprentice

Registered apprentice in a Commission-approved four-year program, working under a supervising Journeyman Plumber or Plumbing Contractor.¹

Requirements

Minimum age: 17 years old¹
Education or training: Enrollment in an Indiana Plumbing Commission approved apprenticeship program; the sponsor certifies enrollment and names the supervising Journeyman Plumber or Plumbing Contractor.¹
Who may teach it: Commission-approved apprenticeship schools (programs accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training or similar), listed on the PLA page.¹
Also required: Apprentices must confirm at each renewal that they are still enrolled in an approved Indiana apprenticeship program.¹

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Application fee	$10¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	Not refundable

How to apply

Enroll in a Plumbing Commission approved apprenticeship program and have the program sponsor complete the Approved Apprenticeship Program Sponsor Certification form (with your supervising journeyman or contractor named).¹ Form (PDF, in.gov)¹
Apply online through PLA Online Services, upload the sponsor form and any background statements, and pay the $10 application fee by card.¹ mylicense.in.gov²
Renew by October 1 of each even-numbered year ($10) and confirm you are still enrolled.¹

Renewal

When it expires: Expires October 1 of every even-numbered year.¹
Renewal fee: $10¹
If it expires: Renewal notices go out about 90 days before expiration, by email if one is on file, otherwise by mail.¹
Apprentice licenses expired three or more years must be reinstated ($20 reinstatement fee).¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Temporary Plumbing Contractor

Lets an owner or officer keep a plumbing contracting business running for the time needed to dispose of it or meet the emergency after its licensed plumbing contractor dies or becomes unable to operate it.¹

Requirements

Experience: No exam or experience requirement is listed; eligibility is an ownership interest in, or office in, a contracting business whose licensed plumbing contractor has died or cannot operate it.¹
Also required: Proof of the death or impairment of the business's plumbing contractor, and a letter from the current or future employer confirming employment.¹
Also required: The applicant must first appear before the Commission or the PLA executive director to request the temporary license; none is issued without that appearance.¹

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Application fee	$25¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	Temporary plumbing contractor license application. Not refundable

How to apply

Apply online with proof of the licensed contractor's death or impairment and an employment letter; pay $25. Appear before the Commission if asked. Extend every six months ($25) up to two years.¹ mylicense.in.gov²

Temporary or provisional license: This credential is itself the temporary license (six-month increments, two-year maximum).¹

Renewal

How often: Every 6 months¹
When it expires: Issued in six-month increments; total including renewals may not exceed two years.¹
Renewal fee: $25¹

From another state

Route: No reciprocity
What the board says: Available only to owners/officers of a business whose licensed plumbing contractor died or is incapacitated.¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Plumbing Contractor

Licensed plumbing contractor; may supervise apprentices and qualify a plumbing corporation.¹

Requirements

Education or training: At least 4 years¹
Complete a four-year Commission-approved apprenticeship program.¹
Alternative: Four years in a plumbing business under a licensed plumbing contractor (Plumbing Business Form plus employer letter on letterhead).¹
Alternative: Four years of exempt-employment trade experience by notarized statement, or a plumbing license from another state.¹
Experience: At least 4 years¹
Four years in the plumbing trade or in a plumbing business under a licensed plumbing contractor, if not qualifying through an apprenticeship.¹
License you must hold first: No prior Indiana license is required: PLA lists the qualifying routes as a four-year apprenticeship, four years' trade experience in exempt employment, four years in a plumbing business under a licensed plumbing contractor, or a plumbing license from another state.¹
Exam: Indiana plumbing contractor examination (PROV)¹
Given by: PROV²
When you can take it: The Plumbing Commission must review and approve the application before the candidate can register with PROV.¹
Business requirements: A corporation doing plumbing contracting must also hold a Plumbing Corporation license with a licensed Plumbing Contractor responsible; businesses filing an assumed name must register name, address and phone with the Commission.¹

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$100¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	License issued in an even-numbered year. Not refundable
Initial license fee	$50¹	Indiana Plumbing Commission	License issued in an odd-numbered year. Not refundable

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

Choose your qualifying route: approved apprenticeship (Certificate of Completion), four years of trade experience (Employer Affidavit), four years in a plumbing business under a licensed contractor (Plumbing Business Form + employer letter), or an out-of-state license.¹ Form (PDF, in.gov)¹
Apply online and pay the $50 application fee. If applying through a business, do not file the Employer Affidavit.¹ mylicense.in.gov²
Once the Commission approves eligibility, register with PROV and pass the contractor exam.¹
Pay the issuance fee ($100 even years / $50 odd years). Corporations then apply for a Plumbing Corporation license; working in Indianapolis requires city registration.³

Renewal

Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $115¹ (total due ($100 renewal + $15 late fee))
Late renewal fee: $300¹ (total due ($100 renewal + $200 late fee))
Reinstatement fee: $150¹ (expired 3 or more years)

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2, group 3, group 4, group 5, group 6 and group 7 under Applies to every license level.

Plumbing Corporation

License for a corporation engaged in the business of plumbing contracting.¹

Requirements

Experience: The corporation must be qualified by a licensed Indiana Plumbing Contractor.¹
License you must hold first: Indiana Plumbing Contractor license¹
Business requirements: Certificate of Assumed Business Name from the Secretary of State.¹
Business requirements: At renewal the corporation must confirm the responsible licensed Plumbing Contractor on file.¹

How to apply

Once the responsible person holds an Indiana Plumbing Contractor license, apply online for the corporation license with the Certificate of Assumed Business Name and pay $50.¹ mylicense.in.gov²

Renewal

Late renewal: Late renewal fee: $115¹ (total due ($100 renewal + $15 late fee))
Late renewal fee: $300¹ (total due ($100 renewal + $200 late fee))
Reinstatement fee: $200¹
If it expires: Renewal notices go out about 90 days before expiration, by email if one is on file, otherwise by mail.¹
Corporations expired three or more years can reinstate online using the license number and registration code.¹

From another state

Route: No reciprocity
What the board says: Requires an Indiana-licensed Plumbing Contractor; no out-of-state route.¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 5 and group 7 under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Plumbing ApprenticeIndianapolis registers state-licensed plumbing contractors; plumbing permits and inspections are handled locally.³

Plumbing ContractorIndianapolis (Consolidated City, excluding Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway and Southport) does not issue its own plumber license, but a state-licensed Plumbing Contractor must register with the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, and the company must hold a city contractor license with a state Plumbing Contractor as its craft license holder. Registration expires December 31 of odd years. Plumbing permits are pulled from the city.³

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a plumber in Indiana, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Indiana is on the Indiana license lookup page.

Look up a license: mylicense.in.gov²
File a complaint: in.gov¹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Common questions

How long does it take to get a Journeyman Plumber license in Indiana?

The rules set at least 4 years¹ and at least 4 years¹ 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 Indiana?

The Indiana Plumbing Commission publishes these routes for the Journeyman Plumber license: license by endorsement¹ and reciprocity agreements¹. Conditions and forms.

Plumber licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

Plumbing Licensing InformationIndiana Professional Licensing AgencyChecked November 7, 2026
Plumbing HomeIndiana Professional Licensing AgencyChecked November 7, 2026
Contractor licensesCity of Indianapolis, Department of Business and Neighborhood ServicesChecked November 7, 2026