Rhode Island · plumber licensing · verified July 2026
Rhode Island plumber license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Rhode Island licenses plumbers statewide through the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) Division of Professional Regulation, advised by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbers. Journeyperson applicants need four years as a DLT-registered apprentice with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training over a five-year period, including 576 hours of related instruction, plus a written exam ($75 application fee); masters need at least one year as a licensed journeyperson employed by a licensed master. Licenses renew biennially on the licensee's birthday ($72 journeyperson / $240 master) with 7 hours of continuing education per cycle.
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island licenses plumbers statewide, so one credential is valid across the whole state.
No formal state-to-state reciprocity agreements were found; 5-20-17(5) allows applicants holding an out-of-state license to qualify if that state's requirements are the same as Rhode Island's. Licenses lapsed more than 2 years are forfeited and require re-examination; late renewal incurs a $12/month administrative assessment.
What licenses does Rhode Island issue?
The State Board of Examiners of Plumbers, RI Department of Labor and Training (Division of Professional Regulation) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Plumber (registration) | not published | not published | No |
| Journeyperson Plumber | 8,000 | 576 | Yes |
| Master Plumber | not published | not published | Yes |
| Contractor Master Plumber | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: State Board of Examiners of Plumbers, RI Department of Labor and Training (Division of Professional Regulation) (webserver.rilegislature.gov). Verified July 2026.
Journeyperson Plumber: Registered apprentice plumber for at least 4 years prior to application, with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training in Rhode Island during a five-year period, including successful completion of 576 hours of related instruction at a DLT-recognized training program (up to 144 hours of approved vocational-school classroom training may be credited toward.
How many hours do you need in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience for a Journeyperson Plumber license, plus 576 classroom hours. At a 40-hour week the on-the-job portion is roughly 4 years of full-time work.
What exam does Rhode Island require?
Journeyperson Plumber examination. Administered by RI Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation (with the Board of Examiners of Plumbers).
Master Plumber examination. Administered by RI Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation.
How much does a Rhode Island plumber license cost?
Rhode Island sets its fees per license class rather than as one figure for the trade, so no single total would be true of every applicant. The published items are below exactly as the board sets them.
- Application fee$75
- Exam feeset per license class
- Renewal fee (recurring)$72
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: Biennial, licenses expire on the licensee's birthday in odd years for those born in odd years and in even years for those born in even years (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-20-23)
Continuing education: 7 hours of approved continuing education per two-year license cycle for all licensed master and journeyperson plumbers (260-RICR-30-15-9)
How does the apprenticeship route work?
Apprentices register with the DLT apprenticeship office (indentured apprenticeship under R.I. Gen. Laws 28-45-13). Four years of registered apprenticeship producing 8,000 OJT hours within a five-year period, including 576 hours of related instruction, is the standard path to journeyperson exam eligibility; a completed RI apprenticeship certificate is required for indentured apprentices applying for the exam.
Which states does Rhode Island have license reciprocity with?
Rhode Island's board states it does not reciprocate. Out-of-state licensees qualify and test on the same terms as in-state applicants.
How does Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 8,000 | Statewide |
| Connecticut | 8,000 | Statewide |
| Massachusetts | 6,800 | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
How does Rhode Island compare nationally?
21 states publish an explicit hour figure for this trade, and they range from 4,000 to 12,000 hours. Rhode Island's 8,000 hours is what 9 of them ask, making it the standard rather than an outlier; 9 states ask less and 3 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
- 260-RICR-30-15-9 - Licensing of Plumbers, Irrigators and Water System Installers (RI Secretary of State)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 5-20-17 - Qualifications of journeyperson (official statute, read via archived copy)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 5-20-16 - Qualifications of master plumber (official statute, read via archived copy)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 5-20-23 - Expiration and renewal of licenses (official statute, read via archived copy)
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: South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont.
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 State Board of Examiners of Plumbers, RI Department of Labor and Training (Division of Professional Regulation) before making decisions. Not legal advice.