Washington Journey Level (PL01) Plumber Certificate requirements
Requirements for the Washington Journey Level (PL01) Plumber Certificate: scope, eligibility, issuing authority and application evidence with official sources.
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Scope: which credential this guide covers
PL01 is the journey-level plumber certificate. Residential, pump and other specialty certificates are different categories. Official source ↗
Requirements
The journey-level path requires 8,000 hours of qualifying supervised plumbing experience, including the required commercial/industrial component. Official source ↗
Obtain L&I approval for the examination, pass it and pay the certificate issuance fee. Official source ↗
Application fees
$202.10 examination application; $242.70 certificate after passing. Official source ↗
Preserve the type of plumbing experience
The experience file should identify where the supervised work was performed and the category of work, rather than only a combined hour total. Ask the applicant to reconcile the commercial or industrial component with the L&I eligibility requirements. Keep examination approval and certificate payment as separate milestones until issuance is confirmed.
The checklist above is a suggested application workflow. The authority determines eligibility.
After issuance: plan the renewal
Three-year birthday-based renewals; the initial certificate may run 25–37 months. Official source ↗
See the renewal requirements, education and expiration guidance →Employer compliance considerations
Record PL01 explicitly instead of a generic “plumber” label when reviewing the workforce. A residential or pump specialty certificate should trigger a different scope check. Keep the plumbing contractor’s business record distinct from each individual’s certificate, especially when reviewing subcontractor crews.
Open the complete employer checklist →Official sources
- L&I plumber certification ↗Verified 2026-09-05
- L&I plumber certification and renewal fees ↗Verified 2026-09-05
Frequently asked questions
Which authority issues this Washington credential?
Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). This guide covers the Journey Level (PL01) Plumber Certificate; other categories require a separate review.
Is application approval the same as an active credential?
Keep application, examination and issuance evidence separate. Confirm the final authority record and its scope before treating an application as a completed license check.
Related licenses and state guides
How this guide is maintained
Regulatory facts cite official government or licensing-authority pages. Unconfirmed values stay unknown. Employer checklists are suggested internal workflows, not additional licensing rules. Reviewed records have a maximum 90-day review window; overdue records leave the sitemap and search indexing until rechecked. This guide does not cover every exception, local permit or individual circumstance.
Editorial update: . Browse verified coverage.