Iowa Plumbing License

Requirements to Obtaining your License

• If you earn at $2,000 a year, you must also be registered as a Contractor.
• Pre-approval is required to sit for the exams.
• Must be at least 18 and submit an application with appropriate fees to the state.
• Masters and Journeypersons must pass the appropriate exam.

Work that can be Done Under this License

"Apprentice" means any person, other than a helper, journeyperson, or master, who, as a principal occupation, is engaged in working as an employee of a plumbing contractor under the supervision of either a master or a journeyperson and is progressing toward completion of an apprenticeship training program registered by the office of apprenticeship of the United States department of labor while learning and assisting in the design, installation, and repair of plumbing.

"Journeyperson" means any person, other than a master, who, as a principal occupation, is engaged as an employee of, or otherwise working under the direction of, a master in the design, installation, and repair of plumbing.

"Master" means any person who works in the planning or superintending of the design, installation, or repair of plumbing, and is otherwise lawfully qualified to conduct the business of plumbing and who is familiar with the laws and rules governing the plumbing.

Applying to get your License

To apply for a license, please contact the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board at 515-281-7689. Licenses are good for 2 years and the fees are as follows:

• Apprentice: $50
• Journeyperson: $100
• Master: $250

Reciprocity Agreements

As of this time, there are no reciprocal agreements in place.

Continuing Education

A holder of a single trade must complete 8 hours of CEU per 2 years. Holder's of multiple trades (e.g. plumbing and hvac) must complete 14 or 16 hours of CEU per 2 years, depending on the trades.

Exam Details

• The exams are open book.
• The master exam has 200 questions and a time limit of 6 hours.
• The journeyperson exam has 100 questions and a time limit of 3 hours.
• To schedule your exams, contact Prometric at 800-347-9242

Books and References for the Exam

The following references are permitted to be taken into the examination. These references may be tabbed (with a permanent index tab) and highlighted. They are available for purchase from our online contractor’s bookstore or by calling our office at 1-800-952-0910.

• 2009 Uniform Plumbing Code
• Iowa State Plumbing Code (Amendments)
• Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters
• Modern Plumbing
• OSHA Part 1926
• NFPA 54: National Fuel Gas Code, 2009
• NFPA 58: Liquefied Petroleum gas Code, 2008

Exam Review, Training, Education

As of this time, we offer review for this exam by online practice tests. Each time you take a test, the questions are randomly generated from our database. To order, click the Buy Now link below or call 800-952-0910.