How Do You Get a Plumbing License in Colorado?
Yes: Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board, part of the Division of Professions and Occupations.
Anyone employed in the plumbing trade who is not licensed must be a registered apprentice with the board.
The ladder runs from Residential Plumber to Journeyworker Plumber to Master Plumber, with experience thresholds of 3,400, 6,800 and 8,500 hours, and PSI delivers the exams.
Each license sits in a two-year period requiring at least 8 hours of continuing education every year, and Colorado endorses qualifying plumbers licensed in other states.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Yes.
Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board, and every unlicensed worker in the trade must be a registered apprentice.
The State Plumbing Board, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations.
Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber and Master Plumber, with the Plumbing Contractor registration for businesses and Water Installer/Principal registrations for water conditioning.
Residential Plumber 2 years (3,400 hours), Journeyworker Plumber 4 years (6,800 hours), Master Plumber 5 years (8,500 hours); one month of full-time work equals 163 hours.
Written exams through PSI, given in English; an overall 70% passes at the Residential and Journeyworker levels, 75% at Master.
A two-year license period with at least 8 hours of approved continuing education in each year (March 1 through February 28).
Fees were not established in our research; ask the board.
Licensure by endorsement, not automatic reciprocity: a state-issued license held at least six months, substantially equivalent credentials and a comparable state exam.
City or county licenses do not qualify.
Our research did not verify a dedicated public lookup; the board's plumbing program pages sit at dpo.colorado.gov/Plumbing.
The Colorado plumbing license ladder
- Registered ApprenticeEntry level
The State Plumbing Board registration every unlicensed person working in the plumbing trade must hold, kept until they actually obtain a Colorado plumber's license.
- Residential PlumberEntry level
The first license level, reached with 2 years (3,400 hours) of practical experience and a passed PSI exam.
- Journeyworker PlumberJourneyman
Colorado's journeyman-level license, reached with 4 years (6,800 hours) of practical experience and a passed PSI exam.
- Master PlumberMaster
The top worker license, reached with 5 full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience and a passed exam — and the license a plumbing contractor's Responsible Master Plumber must hold.
- Plumbing ContractorContractor
The renewable State Plumbing Board registration a plumbing business holds, built on a named Responsible Master Plumber who is a Colorado-licensed Master Plumber.
Does Colorado require a state plumbing license?
Yes.
Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations, at three levels: Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber and Master Plumber.
The requirement reaches every unlicensed worker in the trade: anyone employed in plumbing who is not a licensed plumber must be registered as a plumbing apprentice with the board until they obtain a Colorado plumber's license.
“An Apprentice must be registered until such time as the individual has actually obtained a Colorado plumber's license.”
What are the Colorado plumbing license levels, and what can each legally do?
The three licenses are Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber and Master Plumber; Journeyworker is Colorado's term for the journeyman level.
Underneath all three sits the registered-apprentice rule: an unlicensed person working in the trade holds an apprentice registration with the board until they obtain a plumber's license.
Above the worker licenses, a plumbing business registers as a Plumbing Contractor with the State Plumbing Board and must name a Responsible Master Plumber, a Colorado-licensed Master Plumber who affirms they are actively engaged full time and assumes responsibility for all plumbing work the contractor performs.
The board pages we read state the experience and exam requirements for each level rather than a scope-of-work sentence, so confirm the work a license permits with the board before you plan a move around it.
What are the requirements for each level: hours, training and fees?
The experience ladder is specific.
Residential Plumber takes 2 years (3,400 hours) of practical experience, Journeyworker Plumber takes 4 years (6,800 hours), and Master Plumber takes 5 full-time years (8,500 hours), with one month of full-time work counted as 163 hours.
Experience is not the whole file: each level also passes its PSI exam, and an unlicensed worker accumulates those hours as a registered apprentice.
Our research did not confirm Colorado's application, examination or renewal fees; ask the board for the current fee schedule before you apply.
“An applicant for a master plumber's license must furnish evidence of having obtained five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience.”
Who gives the Colorado plumbing exam, and what is on it?
PSI administers Colorado's plumbing exams, and they are given in English.
The passing bar differs by license level: it is lower for Residential and Journeyworker examinees than for the Master exam.
Our research does not describe the content outline or the number of questions, so review the board's examination information before you book a test date.
“An overall score of 70% is required to pass the written portion of the examination for Residential and Journeyworker examinees, 75% is required for the Master examinee.”
How do you renew, and how many CE hours does Colorado require?
Colorado plumbing licenses run on a two-year license period, and the continuing-education rule counts per year rather than per cycle: in each year of the period, licensees must complete at least 8 hours of approved CE, with the CE year running March 1 through February 28.
Our research did not confirm the renewal fee or how the renewal itself is filed; confirm both with the board before your license period ends.
“must complete at least 8 hours of Continuing Education (CE) during EACH YEAR (March 1 through February 28) of the two-year license period.”
Does Colorado accept plumbing licenses from other states?
Colorado accepts out-of-state plumbers through licensure by endorsement rather than automatic reciprocity.
Endorsement is for plumbers licensed by another state, when their credentials are substantially equivalent, the other state's exam was comparable, and they have held that license for at least six months.
A city or county license from another jurisdiction does not qualify.
The pages we read do not name partner states, so confirm your license against the board's endorsement requirements before you plan a move.
“Submit a photocopy of your currently held state (not city or county) issued license which you have held for a minimum of six (6) months.”
How do you look up a Colorado plumbing license?
The State Plumbing Board's plumbing program pages sit on the Division of Professions and Occupations site at dpo.colorado.gov/Plumbing, and DPO's online-services portal at apps2.colorado.gov is where applications and renewals are filed.
Our research did not verify a separate public license-lookup page for Colorado plumbers, so start from the board's plumbing pages for its current lookup, and confirm a license directly with the board before you rely on it.
Are Colorado's plumbing codes changing?
Yes.
In June 2026 the Colorado State Plumbing Board held a rulemaking hearing to adopt new editions of the International Plumbing Code, the Fuel Gas Code and the International Residential Code.
Our research did not confirm which editions the board adopted or their effective dates, so check the board's rulemaking notices for the code editions in effect.
Does Colorado register any other plumbing workers?
Beyond the license ladder, the plumbing program registers Water Installers and Water Principals, its registrations for water conditioning work.
These sit under the same State Plumbing Board program rather than on the plumber license ladder, and they are filed through the board's applications process.
Our research did not confirm their experience or exam requirements, so ask the board what each registration requires.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Colorado board pages, statutes, rules and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state plumbing licensing series, current as of September 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the Colorado State Plumbing Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Colorado, see HVAC licensing in Colorado, plumbing apprenticeships in Colorado, plumbing contractor licensing in Colorado, and plumber pay in Colorado.
What Plumber Job Listings in Colorado Show Right Now
From the 17 active plumber listings on HVACHires as of October 7, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
- Benjamin Franklin Plumbing4
- Comfort Systems USA2
- Nytech Heating & Cooling2
- Plumbing Systems Inc2
- Plumbline Services2
Pay employers post
- 41% of plumber listings in Colorado state any pay at all.
Benefits listings name
- 401k Matchnamed in 100%
- PTO / Paid Time Offnamed in 88%
- Dental & Visionnamed in 65%
- Health Insurancenamed in 65%
- Company Vehiclenamed in 53%
Source: active plumber listings on HVACHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range), hourly and yearly counted separately. Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 17 jobs →Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a plumbing license in Colorado?
The experience ladder sets the timeline: 2 years (3,400 hours) of practical experience for Residential Plumber, 4 years (6,800 hours) for Journeyworker Plumber, and 5 full-time years (8,500 hours) for Master Plumber, with one month of full-time work counted as 163 hours.
Every level also passes its PSI exam, and your hours accrue while you work as a registered apprentice.
Do you have to register as an apprentice before working as a plumber in Colorado?
Yes.
Anyone employed in the plumbing trade in Colorado who is not a licensed plumber must be registered as a plumbing apprentice with the State Plumbing Board, and the registration continues until you actually obtain a Colorado plumber's license.
The rule covers every unlicensed person working in the trade, whether or not they are enrolled in a formal apprenticeship program.
What score do you need to pass the Colorado plumbing exam?
Residential and Journeyworker examinees need an overall written-exam score of 70% to pass, and Master examinees need 75%.
PSI delivers the exams in English.
Our research does not describe the exam content outline, so check the board's examination information before you book a test date.
How many CE hours do Colorado plumbers need?
At least 8 hours of approved continuing education in each year of the two-year license period, with the CE year running March 1 through February 28.
The requirement applies to each year of the cycle separately, and our research did not confirm the renewal fee, so check the board's plumbing pages as your renewal approaches.
Does Colorado have a plumbing contractor license?
For businesses, Colorado uses a Plumbing Contractor registration with the State Plumbing Board rather than a worker license.
The registration requires naming a Responsible Master Plumber: a Colorado-licensed Master Plumber who affirms they are actively engaged full time and assumes responsibility for all plumbing work the contractor performs.
Our research did not verify the registration's bond, insurance or fee requirements, so confirm those with the board.
More Colorado Resources
Sources
- Colorado DPO: Plumbing program (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Colorado DPO: Plumbing applications (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Colorado DPO: Plumbing Contractor Acknowledgment of Responsibility form (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the Colorado State Plumbing Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA).