Journeyman Plumber - Other Application Methods

• Qualifications for Examination

  • Applicants who plan to use the examination pathway for licensure must have completed one of the following:

    • A person applying for a Journeyman Plumber license examination shall have completed a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wisconsin Statute chapter 106 or the Federal Department of Labor

    • A person applying for a Journeyman Plumber license examination shall have completed an out of state plumbing apprenticeship 5-year program, including plumbing related instruction of a minimum of 576 hours, recognized under Wisconsin Statute 106.025 or the Federal Department of Labor.

• Qualification for Licensure 

  • The below pathways do not require applicants to complete the Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber examination

  • Must have completed one of the following:

    • Completed of an out-of-state plumbing apprenticeship, passed a journeyman plumber, or equivalent, exam in another state, and has practiced for at least five years under a journeyman plumber, or equivalent, license issued by another state having licensure provisions governing plumbers that the department determines are substantially similar to the requirements under Wisconsin Statute chapter 145 and the rules promulgated under the chapter, and the person has not been the subject of any disciplinary actions related to that license or any other equivalent license

    • Hold a Wisconsin Master Plumber credential that can be exchanged for a Journeyman Plumber credential.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

When an applicant selects other application methods, they will select a method within the application. Each method has its own accordion below. Below is a brief summary of each method:

• WI Apprenticeship and Examination

  • Requires completing an apprenticeship and passing the Journeyman Plumber license examination. Plumbing Apprenticeship: A person applying for a Journeyman Plumber license examination shall have completed a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wisconsin Statute chapter 106 or the Federal Department of Labor.

• Comity (Out-of-State) and Exam

  • Requires completing an out-of-state apprenticeship and passing the Journeyman Plumber license examination. Plumbing Apprenticeship: A person applying for a Journeyman Plumber license examination shall have completed an out of state plumbing apprenticeship 5-year program, including plumbing related instruction of a minimum of 576 hours, recognized under Wisconsin Statute chapter 106 or the Federal Department of Labor.

• Comity (Out-of-State), Experience and Exam

  • Requires completing an apprenticeship, passing the Journeyman Plumber license examination, and practiced for at least five (5) years under a journeyman plumber’s license or equivalent license issued by another state.

    The Department shall accept for a journeyman plumber’s examination a person to whom all of the following apply:

    • The person completed a plumbing apprenticeship under Wis. Stat. § 106.025 or under the laws of any other state. Attach copy of certificate of completion of plumbing apprenticeship.

    • The person passed a journeyman plumber’s examination in any other state.

    • The person has practiced for at least five (5) years under a journeyman plumber’s license or equivalent license issued by another state having licensure provisions governing plumbers that the department determines are substantially similar to the requirement under this chapter and the rules promulgated under this chapter, and the person has not been the subject of any disciplinary actions related to that license or any other equivalent license.

• Wisconsin Master Plumber License to be exchanged for a Journeyman Plumber License

  • Requires holding a current Wisconsin Master Plumber credential

This is an option via the Other Application Methods, however, if you are utilizing this method for initial licensure, it is best to select Licensure by Examination.

Below are the required items:

• Proof of Wisconsin Plumbing Apprenticeship completion

  • Upload a copy of a letter from the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards stating that you have satisfied the requirements of a plumbing apprenticeship program in order to take the exam

• Take and pass examination examination in accordance with Wisconsin Administrative Code 305.09

  • Exam instructions will be provided after required qualifications for examination have been met.

• Proof of Out of State Apprenticeship Completion

  • Upload a copy of certificate of completion or equivalency from the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards stating that you have satisfied the requirements of a plumbing apprenticeship program in order to take the exam

• Take and pass examination examination in accordance with Wisconsin Administrative Code 305.09

  • Exam instructions will be provided after required qualifications for examination have been met.

• Proof of Out of State Apprenticeship Completion

  • Upload a copy of certificate of completion of plumbing apprenticeship

• Trades Experience Form (linked in Forms section)

  • Must answer Yes to "Are you applying via Comity (Out-of-State) and Examination" after selecting Journeyman Plumber, and provide the required information

  • Demonstrate proof of practicing for at least five years under a journeyman plumber’s license or equivalent license issued by another state having licensure provisions governing plumbers that the department determines are substantially similar to the requirements under Wisconsin Statute chapter 145 and the rules promulgated under this chapter, and the person has not been the subject of any disciplinary actions related to that license or any other equivalent license

• Proof of License

  • Upload copy of Master Plumber License

• Written Statement

  • Upload statement that details the wish to exchange the Master Plumber license for a Journeyman Plumber License

• This is a two part exam

• The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%

• The exam will cover information listed below:

  1. In one binder (can be PHCC)

     • Wisconsin Statute Chapter 145

     • Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 305

     • Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 381-387

     • Wisconsin Statute Chapter 106

     • Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 302

     • Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 325

     • Printed notes

  2. NFPA 13D - 2019 Standard - National Fire Protection Association

  3. 2019 NFPA 24 of the National Fire Protection Association

  4. At-Grade Pressure Distribution Component Manual

  5. Holding Tank Component Manual

  6. In-Ground Soil Absorption Component Manual

  7. Mound Component Manual

  8. Pressure Distribution Component Manual

  9. Multi-Purpose Piping Systems Design Manual

  • Please note - Pearson and DSPS exam locations will only allow the nine reference items above into the exam

  • Architect and Engineer Scale Rulers are permitted

• Please visit the Exam and FAQ Information section on the profession main page for additional exam information, including instructions for scheduling an exam, reference materials allowed, dates, and other important items

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.