Yes, Illinois licenses plumbers at the state level. A plumbing license in Illinois comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and it’s good anywhere in the state. You start as a licensed apprentice plumber, then pass one exam to become a licensed plumber. There’s no separate journeyman and master split. Chicago also runs its own plumber licensing, and a license from either one lets you work statewide.
Who issues the license
The IDPH Plumbing Program licenses apprentices and plumbers, gives the exam, registers plumbing contractors, and handles renewals. A 9-member State Board of Plumbing Examiners, all licensed plumbers, helps write and grade the exam.
The rules come from the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320) and the Plumbers Licensing Code (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750). Contractor registration has its own rule, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 894.
The Chicago piece. The law lets any city with 500,000 or more people run its own plumber board, and Chicago does. The Chicago Department of Buildings issues city plumber licenses through its Board of Plumbing Examiners, and Continental Testing Services handles applications and written exams. Under state law, a plumber licensed by Chicago or by IDPH can work anywhere in Illinois. Chicago accepts IDPH plumber and apprentice licenses as long as your employer holds a City of Chicago plumbing contractor license.
Requirements change, so always confirm with the Illinois Department of Public Health before you apply. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice.
License types
- Apprentice Plumber. Must be at least 16 and sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program. You work only under your sponsor or their licensed agent.
- Licensed Plumber. The one full license. You can plan, design, install, and repair plumbing anywhere in Illinois and sponsor apprentices.
- Retired Plumber. For licensed plumbers who are at least 62 or physically unable to do the work. You can’t do plumbing, sponsor apprentices, or inspect.
- Plumbing Contractor registration. For the business, not a person. Every plumbing business registers with IDPH yearly, and one owner, partner, or officer has to be a licensed plumber.
How to become a plumber in Illinois
It’s one ladder with one exam at the top. Here’s the path under the law and the IDPH rules:
- Step 1: Get sponsored and licensed as an apprentice. Find a licensed plumber or approved program to sponsor you, then send IDPH the apprentice application, a photo, and the fee. A plumber can sponsor only 2 apprentices at a time, and if they have 2, one needs at least 2 years in.
- Step 2: Put in your time. The standard route is at least 4 years as an Illinois licensed apprentice, with at least 1,400 hours a year, for 5,600 hours total. Or do 2 years as a licensed apprentice plus 2 years of IDPH-approved plumbing courses.
- Step 3: Check your schooling. To sit the exam you need at least 2 years of high school or the equivalent. The rules also require U.S. citizenship or a declared intent to become a citizen.
- Step 4: Apply and pass the exam. Get your application in at least 30 days before the exam date.
Watch the clock. You can’t serve more than 6 years as a licensed apprentice. If you haven’t passed the exam by then, your apprentice license won’t be renewed. And if your sponsor ends the relationship, your apprentice license ends too until you’re sponsored again.
Exams
IDPH gives the plumber exam at least once every 3 months, with no more than 50 people per date (40 in winter). You bring your own tools. There are three parts:
- Knowledge. True/false, multiple choice, or fill in the blank, based on the Illinois Plumbing Code.
- Construction drawings. Read and complete plans or answer questions about fixtures, piping, and code.
- Practical. Build projects with current materials from a drawing and instructions.
To pass, you need an average of 75 or better and at least 61 on each part. Fail and you file the retake form and fee for a later exam. If an apprentice fails three times, IDPH and the board call in both the apprentice and the sponsor to review the supervision.
Chicago’s exam is separate. You must be at least 21, pass the written exam before the practical, and wait at least 1 month after a failed exam to reapply.
Renewal
Illinois plumber and apprentice licenses expire April 30 every year. Pay your renewal before May 1 and you’re set for another year. IDPH renews online.
Licensed plumbers need 4 hours of IDPH-approved continuing education to renew, starting after the first license renewal. Plumbers with repeated code violations owe at least 2 extra hours. Chicago also requires 4 hours of CE for a city license.
Late? You pay a reinstatement fee on top of renewal. Expired less than 5 years, you reinstate by paying the missed renewal fees plus the reinstatement fee. After more than 5 years, you pay a restoration fee and pass the exam again.
Cost
Here are the fees in the IDPH rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100) and current IDPH forms:
- Apprentice license: $100 to start, $100 a year to renew.
- Plumber exam: $175 if you’re an Illinois licensed apprentice, $225 if you’re licensed or registered in another state. The IDPH exam application also charges Chicago-licensed applicants $225, though the rule only mentions other states, so ask IDPH which applies to you.
- Retake: $175.
- Plumber license: $150 initial, $150 a year to renew.
- Late or reinstatement fee: $100, plus any missed renewal fees.
- Restoration after 5+ years: $175, which includes your first exam.
- Plumbing contractor registration: $150 a year, plus a $20,000 bond or letter of credit, and insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 aggregate bodily injury, $50,000 property damage, and $500,000 workers’ comp employer’s liability. Registrations expire September 30.
IDPH doesn’t list a fingerprint or background check fee for plumbers. In Chicago for 2026, the exam is $175 if you’re already a Chicago or Illinois licensed apprentice and $225 for everyone else, then $150 for the license and $150 a year to renew.
Reciprocity
The law allows it, but IDPH doesn’t publish a list of partner states. Here’s what the official sources say:
- Other states. Under Section 17 of the law, a plumber licensed elsewhere can get an Illinois license without the exam if they’re at least 21, the board finds that state’s or city’s requirements substantially equal to Illinois’, and it gives Illinois plumbers the same deal. If not, you can apply to take the Illinois exam.
- Out-of-state apprentice time. The rules credit licensed apprentice time from another state hour for hour toward the 4 years.
- Chicago. IDPH has an application for a state license without an exam if you hold a Chicago plumber’s license. You need proof of a 48-month licensed apprenticeship, your Chicago license, proof of 4 hours of CE in the last year, and the $150 fee.
With no published partner list, plan on sitting the Illinois exam unless IDPH tells you otherwise. Our plumbing license reciprocity guide shows how other states handle it.
How to apply
- Get the forms. The apprentice, exam, retake, and Chicago reciprocity applications are all on the IDPH plumbing page.
- Mail it in. Send it with a check or money order payable to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Plumbing Program, 525 W. Jefferson St., 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL 62761. No cash, and fees aren’t refundable.
- Include a photo. Every application needs a recent head and shoulders photo, including each retake.
- List your apprentice years. The exam application asks for each year you worked as a licensed apprentice and who supervised you.
- Sign the child support certification. Every applicant fills it out, kids or not.
FAQ
How long does it take to get a plumbing license in Illinois?
At least 4 years as a licensed apprentice at 1,400 hours a year, or 2 years of work plus 2 years of approved courses. You have 6 years max as an apprentice.
How much does an Illinois plumbing license cost?
For an Illinois apprentice, the exam is $175 and the license is $150, then $150 a year to renew.
Do I need a separate license to work in Chicago?
Not as a plumber, if your employer has a Chicago plumbing contractor license. But for a new Chicago plumbing contractor license, an owner or officer has to be a Chicago-licensed plumber.
How much CE do Illinois plumbers need?
4 hours of IDPH-approved continuing education each year to renew.
Next steps
If you’re just starting, find a sponsor and get your apprentice license, because your time only counts once you’re licensed. To compare Illinois with other states, see our plumbing license by state page, the full plumbing license guide, and plumbing license cost by state. Working near the border? Check the Indiana plumbing license page too. Ready to register as a contractor and run your own shop? Read how to start a plumbing business.
