Rhode Island Journeyman Plumber Exam Prep

About the Rhode Island Journeyman Plumber license

Rhode Island licenses plumbers through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), Board of Examiners of Plumbers (Professional Regulations Unit, Workforce Regulation and Safety Division). The Journeyman Plumber license authorizes you to perform plumbing work, generally under the responsibility of a master plumber. You earn it by documenting at least five years of trade experience plus 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction — or, for graduates of a Rhode Island Indentured Apprenticeship, a Certificate of Completion from the DLT Apprenticeship Office in place of the instruction-hours documentation — and passing the trade exam.

Your exam is built on the International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted by Rhode Island (confirm the exact edition on the bulletin — the exam is written to the adopted edition, not necessarily the newest). The two model codes — the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) published by IAPMO and the International Plumbing Code (IPC) published by the ICC — agree on the physics but differ in tables. Rhode Island works from 2018 IPC as DLT names it, not from a UPC table.

Know these scope facts cold: the license is held by the individual; most work requires a permit and inspection (rough-in/top-out and final); you must work within the classification you hold; and unlicensed or out-of-scope plumbing work is a violation that can cost you the license and carry penalties. Plumbing protects public health — the exam constantly returns to the two core purposes of the code: deliver safe potable water and remove waste without contaminating that water.

How Rhode Island licensing works

• Experience: Journeyperson applicants document at least five (5) years of trade experience (verified by a notarized statement from a present or past employer) plus 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction. Graduates of a Rhode Island Indentured Apprenticeship submit a Certificate of Completion from the DLT Apprenticeship Office instead. Master applicants need five years of experience and must hold a valid Journeyperson license for at least one year before sitting the master exam.
• Application: submit the application, a $75 non-refundable application fee, government-issued ID, and the notarized employer verification of experience to the DLT Professional Regulations Unit before you are approved to sit.
• Exam: administered by DLT Professional Regulation in Cranston (not PSI); the Journeyperson exam is 50 multiple-choice questions based on 2018 IPC. Passing score is 70 percent (35 of 50). DLT does not print minutes; this course practices 180 minutes.
• License fee: once you pass, a 2-year Journeyperson license runs $72 (Master $240), invoiced after a passing score of 70 or greater.
• Renewal: licenses renew on a two-year cycle. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-23(f), the Board of Examiners has approved a 7-hour continuing-education requirement per two-year cycle before renewal, enforced beginning January 2027 (a licensee is exempt once their combined years licensed as Master/Journeyperson plus their age total 80).