Kentucky Plumber License Exam

Exam Schedule

Kentucky administers plumber licensing exams quarterly — in February, May, August, and November. The State Plumbing Examining Committee oversees the process, and testing centers are set up in larger cities across the Commonwealth. Check-in starts at 7:30 AM, with testing beginning at 8:00 AM.

Registration Deadline

Register using Form PLB-3, submitted to the DHBC Licensing Branch in Frankfort. Your form, payment, and photograph must be physically received at least three weeks before the exam date. Late submissions are not accepted — miss the deadline and you wait until the next quarterly cycle.

The exam fee is $50 (non-refundable) for the journeyman exam and $150 for the master exam. Both are payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. Include a passport-sized color photograph taken within the preceding six months.

Journeyman Exam Format

The journeyman exam has two parts, each lasting 2.5 hours:

Written portion: You receive a prepared isometric drawing showing all stacks, wastes, vents, and connected plumbing fixtures. Your job is to insert the correct pipe size at each point. Sizing the main stacks properly is the primary focus — both under-sizing and over-sizing draw point deductions. The Kentucky Plumbing Code (tabbed copy) is the only permitted reference.

Practical portion: You demonstrate the physical ability to make connections with various plumbing materials. This is a hands-on test — you bring your own tools and materials. The DHBC mails the required materials list to you approximately one week before the exam date. Showing up without the correct materials means you cannot complete this section.

Passing requires 75% overall with a minimum of 70% on each individual section.

Master Exam Format

The master exam is written only — no practical portion. You have 2.5 hours to complete questions covering advanced code application, system design principles, project management, and supervision laws. The same tabbed Kentucky Plumbing Code is your only permitted reference.

The passing bar is higher: 80% overall with a minimum of 75% on each section.

The Retake Rule

Under 815 KAR 20:030, if you do not pass the exam within one year from the date of your first exam notice, your application becomes void. This means you would need to resubmit everything — fees, registration forms, and experience verifications — to start the process over.

With exams offered only four times per year, that one-year window gives you at most three or four attempts. Missing your first exam date without rescheduling compresses the window further.

What to Bring

For both exams:

• A tabbed copy of the Kentucky Plumbing Code
• Valid photo identification
• Your exam admission notice

For the journeyman practical portion specifically:

• Personal tools as listed in the DHBC materials notice
• Plumbing materials specified by the department (the list arrives approximately one week before the exam)

The Kentucky Plumber License Guide covers the full exam registration workflow, experience documentation requirements, and what happens after you pass — including the license activation steps most candidates overlook.

See more Kentucky guides →