The State Plumbing Board of Louisiana handles all plumber licenses related matters. The board also sets the contracting laws for plumbers that they must follow. In Louisiana, plumbers must go through three levels of plumbing licenses.
These start from an apprentice plumbing license and go through the journeyman license to reach the master license.
Apprentices can also become plumbing tradesmen without obtaining a master’s or journeyman license. It allows them to perform maintenance on existing plumbing but doesn’t let them take on other plumbing work.
Similarly, plumbers that want to perform specialty services or jobs above $10,000 must obtain a general contracting license.
Can licensed contractors from other states work in Louisiana?
Louisiana is one of the few states across the United States having license reciprocity with multiple other states.
It allows contractors from all these states to work without obtaining a Louisiana state license. The list of these states is as below.
- Alabama.
- Arkansas.
- California.
- Georgia.
- Kentucky.
- Mississippi.
- Nevada.
- North Carolina.
- Ohio.
- South Carolina.
- Tennessee.
- Texas.
- Utah.
Apart from these states, Louisiana does not have license reciprocity with any other states in the US.
How to get a plumbing license in Louisiana?
As mentioned, every plumber can obtain three levels of plumbing licenses in Louisiana. Prospective plumbers start with an apprentice plumbing license.
From there, they can either get a journeyman license or a plumbing tradesman license. If they choose the journeyman license route, they can also get a master license later.
Apprenticeship
Prospective plumbers must go through an apprenticeship program before getting other licenses. The program must be approved by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, provided by the Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors of Louisiana.
The requirements for apprenticeship for prospective plumbers are as follows.
- Plumbers must be at least 16 years of age.
- They must have a high school diploma or GED.
- They must be physically capable of performing essential functions.
- They must be under active employment in an approved plumbing contracting company.
Louisiana also allows apprentices to demonstrate previous skills or knowledge to receive credit. Similarly, apprentices need to be in active employment during their enrollment period.
Journeyman Plumbing License
After completing their apprenticeship, plumbers can get a journeyman plumbing license. The license allows them to work on more advanced plumbing tasks.
Plumbers must also pass the journeyman plumber exam, given by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana’s Administrative office. Every three months apart, there is an exam in January, April, July, and October.
The requirements for this level are.
- Applicants must go through an apprenticeship program.
- They must fill out the journeyman application and pay $75 fee.
- They must take and pass the exam. The exam fee is $135.
- Once they pass, they must pay a $50 fee to receive their Initial license.
Louisiana may also waive the exam for plumbers who have at least 8,000 hours or five years of experience.
However, they must have worked under a licensed plumbing company. They must provide proof of their W2’s or official payroll documentation.
Tradesman Plumbing License
Instead of getting the journeyman license, apprentices can get a tradesman license. It allows them to repair existing plumbing systems in single or double family houses.
However, they cannot perform journeyman tasks. Apprentices need to pass the tradesman exam to get their license. It consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and has a three hours limit.
Given below are the requirements for the tradesman plumbing license.
- Plumbers must have 4,000 hours (or two years) of manual labour under supervision.
- They must take and pass the tradesman exam. The exam fee is $135.
- Once they pass the exam, they can get their Initial License for $50 within 90 days.
Master Plumbing License
Only plumbers with a current Louisiana journeyman plumbing license can apply for the master plumbing license in Louisiana.
It does not allow tradesman plumbers to apply. Similarly, journeyman plumbers from other states must also get a license in Louisiana before their master plumbing license. The requirements for the master plumbing license are as follows.
- Plumbers must have a current Louisiana journeyman plumbing license.
- They must take and pass the master plumber exam. The exam fee is $110.
- Once they pass the exam, they must complete an Initial License form within 90 days.
- They must pay a $190 active fee and a $40 inactive fee with the form.
Summary
Below is a summary of the requirements for each level of plumbing license in Louisiana.
Apprenticeship
- Plumbers must be at least 16 years of age.
- They must have a high school diploma or GED.
- They must be physically capable of performing essential functions.
- They must be under active employment in an approved plumbing contracting company.
Journeyman Plumbing License
- Applicants must go through an apprenticeship program.
- They must fill out the journeyman application and pay $75 fee.
- They must take and pass the exam. The exam fee is $135.
- Once they pass, they must pay a $50 fee to receive their Initial license.
Tradesman Plumbing License
- Plumbers must have 4,000 hours (or two years) of manual labour under supervision.
- They must take and pass the tradesman exam. The exam fee is $135.
- Once they pass the exam, they can get their Initial License for $50 within 90 days.
Master Plumbing License
- Plumbers must have a current Louisiana journeyman plumbing license.
- They must take and pass the master plumber exam. The exam fee is $110.
- Once they pass the exam, they must complete an Initial License form within 90 days.
- They must pay a $190 active fee and a $40 inactive fee with the form.
References
- “State Plumbing Board of Louisiana” – https://www.spbla.com
- “Licenses” – https://www.spbla.com/licenses/
- “Forms” – https://www.spbla.com/forms2/
- “Exam Schedule” – https://www.spbla.com/exam-schedule/
- “Louisiana Plumbing Exams” – https://www.tests.com/Louisiana-Plumbing-License-Exam