- Master plumber: five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience, verified by employer affidavits. Journeyworker: up to 4 years (6,800 hours). Residential: 2 years (3,400 hours).
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Every two years. Licenses and contractor registrations expire on the last day of February in odd-numbered years. Licensed plumbers need 8 hours of continuing education each license year.
Do you need a state license in Colorado?
Colorado licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Colorado license types for plumbing work
Colorado splits the work into 5 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential Plumber | State plumber license with 2 years (3,400 hours) of experience |
| Journeyworker Plumber | State plumber license with up to 4 years (6,800 hours) of experience |
| Master Plumber | Highest plumber license, 5 years (8,500 hours) of experience |
| Plumbing Contractor | Business registration with the state |
| Plumbing Apprentice | Required registration for anyone in the trade who is not yet licensed |
Steps to get licensed in Colorado
- Register as a plumbing apprentice with the state.
- Log practical experience under licensed plumbers and get employer affidavits.
- Apply online for the master plumber exam once you have 8,500 hours.
- Pass the PSI exam with at least 75 percent.
- Register your plumbing contractor business with the state.
- Renew every two years and complete 8 hours of continuing education each license year.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Master plumber: five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience, verified by employer affidavits. Journeyworker: up to 4 years (6,800 hours). Residential: 2 years (3,400 hours).
The license to apply for. Master Plumber license with Plumbing Contractor registration.
Colorado plumbing exams
Trade exam. Yes. A multiple-choice PSI exam based on the International Plumbing Code, International Fuel Gas Code and board rules. Masters need 75 percent to pass.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Colorado
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA).
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every two years. Licenses and contractor registrations expire on the last day of February in odd-numbered years. Licensed plumbers need 8 hours of continuing education each license year.
Reciprocity. Licensees from other states may qualify by endorsement if their credentials are substantially equivalent and they passed a comparable state plumbing exam.
Good to know in Colorado
- Experience is counted at 163 hours per full-time month.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a plumber near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how plumbing companies run on Koira.