Journeyman Plumbing Exam 2026: Format and Hours by State

Journeyman plumbing license requirements in five places

Where	Experience	Also needed
Texas	8,000 hours as a registered apprentice	A 48-hour approved course, or a registered apprenticeship
Washington	8,000 hours as a trainee, at least 4,000 commercial or industrial	A current trainee certificate
Virginia	4 years plus 240 hours of vocational training, or other mixes of years and hours	Board approval before booking
Iowa	4 years as an apprentice in a registered program	Age 18
New York City	5 years under a licensed master plumber, 1 in the city	A $50 registration; DOB lists no exam

California and North Carolina license plumbing differently: California's state license is the C-36 contractor license, and North Carolina has plumbing technician and contractor licenses.

Texas →Washington →Virginia →Iowa →New York City →

What's on the journeyman plumbing exam?

Where	Exam	To pass
Texas	100 written questions in 120 minutes, then a 6-part practical in 240 minutes, closed book	70%, on both parts
Washington	100 code questions, then a waste and vent drawing and a water sizing drawing, 25 items each, 90 minutes per part, closed book	70% on every part
Virginia	80 items in 210 minutes, open book with the 2021 IPC	60 correct
Iowa	75 questions in 3 hours, open book with the 2024 UPC	75%

Texas's practical is real shop work at the board's Austin and Waco sites; the Texas page lists what you build.

Journeyman or master?

In Virginia, Iowa and Texas a master license comes after time as a licensed journeyman, and the master exam is longer. In Texas, for example, a master can directly supervise apprentices on any job site.

Master plumber requirements →

Preparing

Get your state's bulletin first, since it names the code and the topics. Then practice with questions and, for an open-book exam, with your tabbed code book.

Plumbing study guide →Plumbing practice test →

Sources: TSBPE · Pearson VUE · Washington L&I and 10 more. Checked October 2026.