Rhode Island Plumber License Requirements (2026)

Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training licenses apprentice, Journeyperson, and Master Plumbers under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-20. A Master Plumber is the independent contractor/business credential; apprentices work under direct supervision, and the Journeyperson path requires Rhode Island on-the-job training. The State Board of Plumbing Examiners approves applications and examinations.

Regulatory Body

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Plumbing Examiners (RI DLT Plumbing) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-20; 260-RICR-30-15-9. Licenses plumbers, administers the Board examination and renewal process, and sets plumbing continuing-education requirements.

Official portal: https://dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/professional-regulation
Address: 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 462-8580

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The plumbing rule requires the registered apprentice’s 8,000 on-the-job-training hours to be earned while employed as an apprentice plumber in Rhode Island.

Good moral character

Use the current DLT application and Board instructions for required disclosures and supporting records.

Background investigation

The regulation reviewed does not prescribe a separate fingerprint-based background check.

Experience and Education

A minimum of 4 years of Journeyperson applicants must meet R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-17 and complete 8,000 on-the-job-training hours as a registered apprentice plumber employed in Rhode Island. A Master applicant must have one year of experience as a licensed Journeyperson employed by a Rhode Island-licensed Master; DLT’s current application also calls for at least five years of verified experience and a Journeyperson license. must be documented and verified. Unless the board publishes a different lookback period, applicants should keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records that support the claimed experience.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Current DLT plumbing application
Registered-apprentice/on-the-job-training records for the Journeyperson route
Master or employer verification required by the application
Journeyperson license and experience verification for Master application

Education substitution

Do not assume a classroom-hour or degree substitution; rely on the statutory/apprenticeship route and DLT’s current application instructions.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Rhode Island State Board of Plumbing Examiners / DLT-approved examination process. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Journeyperson Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Master Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: $75 application fee for the current DLT plumbing application; confirm current examination and initial-license fees with DLT.

Retake policy: The Board may permit reexamination on payment of the prescribed fee. Written-examination passing scores are set by the Board; do not rely on older fixed-score or PSI claims.

Insurance and Bonds

There is no statewide surety bond tied to this credential in the cited record. Bonding can still surface at the project level — permit, license, or public-works bonds — so check before you bid.

General liability

The plumbing rules reviewed do not state a statewide general-liability minimum for an individual Master or Journeyperson license.

Workers' compensation

A Master Plumber is an independent contractor/business credential. Confirm the employing business’s workers’ compensation obligations under Rhode Island law.

Additional financial requirements

No state financial-statement requirement was identified for the individual licenses.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$75
Initial license	$240
Renewal (every 2 years)	$240

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Rhode Island plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Rhode Island Journeyperson and Master Plumber must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $240. Renew before the licensee’s birthday. Current renewal fees are $240 Master and $72 Journeyperson, plus the online service fee; late renewal adds $12 per month and licensure not renewed within two years is forfeited.

Continuing education: Seven hours of approved CE in each two-year license cycle for Master and Journeyperson Plumbers. DLT’s August 2025 notice says the requirement will be enforced beginning January 2027.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Rhode Island Plumber License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Rhode Island grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Rhode Island may issue a license to an applicant licensed by examination in another state when the other state’s requirements are the same as Rhode Island’s and the regulation’s documentation requirements are met. The Board may require additional information or an interview; no named-state list is stated in the rule.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Plumber license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Plumber Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Rhode Island's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Connecticut Plumber License Requirements — Connecticut P-2 Unlimited Journeyperson Plumber and P-1 Unlimited Plumbing Contractor
Massachusetts Plumber License Requirements — Massachusetts Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber Requirements

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Work as a registered Rhode Island apprentice. Complete the 8,000 required on-the-job-training hours while employed in Rhode Island as a registered apprentice plumber.
Apply for Journeyperson licensure and examination. Submit the current DLT form and supporting apprenticeship/training records at least 15 days before a scheduled exam.
Pass the Board-approved examination. The Board determines the written-examination passing score and conducts exams at least three times each year.
Gain licensed Journeyperson experience. The Master route requires one year as a licensed Journeyperson employed by a Rhode Island-licensed Master; complete all current application verification.
Apply for and pass the Master examination. Submit the current Master application, proof of Journeyperson licensure/experience, and any other Board-required records.
Use the Master credential for contracting. A Master Plumber is the person engaging independently in the business of installation, maintenance, or repair of plumbing.
Renew before the birthday expiration. Renew every 24 months before the licensee’s birthday and retain CE records for the required period.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to RI DLT Plumbing, confirm every item on this short list:

Maintain registered Rhode Island apprenticeship status while accruing the 8,000 hours
Submit the DLT application at least 15 days before the exam
Pass the Board-approved Journeyperson examination
Document the Master-route Journeyperson experience and current application requirements
For out-of-state applicants, provide current license and Board-to-Board verification
Complete seven approved CE hours each two-year cycle once the requirement is enforced

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Rhode Island Plumber application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Counting out-of-state hours as the Rhode Island apprentice path

The 8,000-hour Journeyperson apprentice route must be completed while employed as a registered apprentice plumber in Rhode Island.

Using a fixed exam-score claim

The current rule leaves the written passing score to the Board; confirm the score and study materials for the scheduled examination.

Treating a Journeyperson credential as a contracting credential

Independent plumbing contracting is within the Master Plumber definition.

Missing the change in CE enforcement

Seven hours is the regulatory requirement, but DLT says enforcement begins January 2027; maintain records and verify the cycle before renewing.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

Rhode Island plumbing licensing regulation — Rhode Island Department of State. Primary source for the apprenticeship, examination, reciprocity, and CE framework.
Current DLT plumbing application — Rhode Island DLT. Use the current form for the exact experience documents and fees.

Other Rhode Island Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Rhode Island trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses plumbers in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation and State Board of Plumbing Examiners license apprentices, Journeypersons, and Master Plumbers.

How much experience does the Journeyperson path require?

The rule requires 8,000 on-the-job-training hours while the person is employed in Rhode Island as a registered apprentice plumber.

Can a Journeyperson Plumber operate a plumbing business?

No. The Master Plumber definition covers independent contracting and employing others for plumbing installation, maintenance, or repair.

Does Rhode Island accept out-of-state plumbing licenses?

It can issue licensure to an applicant licensed by examination in a state with equivalent requirements, subject to the rule’s documentation and Board review.

What plumbing CE is required?

The regulation specifies seven hours of approved CE during each two-year cycle. DLT’s current notice says enforcement begins in January 2027.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.