Colorado · plumber licensing · verified July 2026
Colorado plumber license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. There are three individual license tiers, Residential (3,400 hours), Journeyworker (6,800 hours), and Master (8,500 hours), plus mandatory apprentice registration and plumbing contractor registration. Licensure is by PSI-administered examination or by endorsement for substantially equivalent out-of-state licensees, and all licenses renew on a two-year cycle ending the last day of February in odd-numbered years.
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Colorado?
Colorado licenses plumbers statewide, so one credential is valid across the whole state.
No formal state-to-state reciprocity agreements; instead Colorado offers licensure by endorsement for applicants holding a state-issued (not city/county) license for at least 6 months with substantially equivalent qualifications, including a comparable state exam. Exams are administered in English only through PSI. Note: several third-party sites cite 9,780 hours for Master, but the official DPO licensure-requirements page states five full-time years (8,500 hours); the official figure is used here.
What licenses does Colorado issue?
The Colorado State Plumbing Board (Examining Board of Plumbers), Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing Apprentice (registration) | not published | not published | No |
| Residential Plumber | 3,400 | not published | Yes |
| Journeyworker Plumber | 6,800 | not published | Yes |
| Master Plumber | 8,500 | not published | Yes |
| Plumbing Contractor (registration) | not published | not published | No |
Source: Colorado State Plumbing Board (Examining Board of Plumbers), Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) (dpo.colorado.gov). Verified July 2026.
Residential Plumber: 2 years (3,400 hours) of verified practical experience via employer Affidavits of Experience
Journeyworker Plumber: 4 years (6,800 hours) of verified practical experience
Master Plumber: Five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience per the official DPO licensure-requirements page
How many hours do you need in Colorado?
Colorado requires 6,800 hours of on-the-job experience for a Journeyworker Plumber license. At a 40-hour week the on-the-job portion is roughly 3.4 years of full-time work.
What exam does Colorado require?
Residential Plumber written examination (70% pass; based on IPC, IFGC, and Board rules). Administered by PSI.
Journeyworker Plumber written examination (70% pass). Administered by PSI.
Master Plumber written examination (75% pass). Administered by PSI.
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: Biennial, all plumbing licenses and contractor/apprentice registrations expire the last day of February of odd-numbered years
Continuing education: At least 8 hours of CE during EACH year (March 1 - February 28) of the two-year license period (16 hours total) for Residential, Journeyworker, and Master plumbers; a minimum of 4 hours per 24-month period must be code-related; no more than 2 hours of safety training accepted; licensees must attest to having read the current Colorado Plumbing Code. New licensees by examination are exempt until after their first renewal.
How does the apprenticeship route work?
Apprentices must register with the State Plumbing Board and work under a registered plumbing contractor. Practical hours accumulated as a registered apprentice (verified through employer Affidavits of Experience) count directly toward the 3,400 / 6,800 / 8,500-hour requirements for the Residential, Journeyworker, and Master licenses. Completion of a state or federally approved apprenticeship program also satisfies the experience element for licensure by endorsement.
Which states does Colorado have license reciprocity with?
Colorado's board states it does not reciprocate. Out-of-state licensees qualify and test on the same terms as in-state applicants.
How does Colorado compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 6,800 | Statewide |
| Arizona | not published | Contractor level only |
| Kansas | not published | City or county |
| Nebraska | not published | City or county |
| New Mexico | not published | Statewide |
| Oklahoma | not published | Statewide |
| Utah | not published | Statewide |
| Wyoming | 8,000 | City or county |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
How does Colorado compare nationally?
21 states publish an explicit hour figure for this trade, and they range from 4,000 to 12,000 hours. Colorado's 6,800 hours is what 2 of them ask, making it the standard rather than an outlier; 2 states ask less and 17 ask more. The full comparison is on the hours by state table.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- Colorado DPO - Plumbing Applications, Forms and Licensure Requirements
- Colorado DPO - Plumbing Continuing Education
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to plumbers overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with Colorado State Plumbing Board (Examining Board of Plumbers), Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) before making decisions. Not legal advice.