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How many hours do you need for the journeyman license in Alaska?
8,000 hours of supervised work, about 4 years full time.2
- Gas license
- 4,000 hrs4,000 hours, at least 2,000 of them installing fuel gas piping
- Journeyman license
- 8,000 hrs8,000 hours of commercial or residential plumbing installation while holding a trainee certificate (no more than 2,000 hours of gas work or 500 of utility work)
Keep your own record of hours, employers and pay stubs. Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection can ask for proof when you apply.
What is the Alaska plumber exam like?
Required for journeyman, gas and utility plumbers; no exam for trainees. Passing score is 70%, and a failed exam can be retaken after 30 days. State-administered. Mechanical Inspection gives the exams in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks on the first and third Wednesday of each month; Department of Labor job centers proctor in other cities. Code book: 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code (the study guide listed for the journeyman plumber exam). Open book: you bring your own copy of the code book.1
How much does the journeyman license cost?
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection lists these fees.2
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $50 |
| Certificate fee | $200 |
| Renewal certificate fee | $200 |
How do you renew it?
Every 2 years (renewal allowed within 2 years of expiration).2 Continuing education: 16 hours in the preceding 24 months; at least 8 must cover changes to the Uniform Plumbing Code and no more than 8 may be industry related.2
Does a license from another state count in Alaska?
Journeyman certificates from states with substantially similar requirements are reciprocated with no exam after a full year holding the other license ($50 application plus $200 certificate, valid 2 years). A provisional certificate ($50 plus $100, up to 1 year) can be issued even where the other state's license does not qualify.2
License levels in Alaska
Plumber Trainee, Plumber Journeyman, Plumber Gas (restricted), Plumber Restricted Utility and Plumber Utility Trainee, plus reciprocal and provisional journeyman certificates. Alaska has no master plumber certificate.
Applications, exam booking and hour forms are on Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection's site.
More for plumbers in Alaska
Sources
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection: exam (labor.alaska.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection: experience (labor.alaska.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection: licensing (labor.alaska.gov, 2026-10-27)