Home / Plumbers / District of Columbia
Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 8,000 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In DC
- 1 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In DC
- Community colleges nearby
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed plumbing contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
Journeyman license from DLCP.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$110 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Board of Industrial Trades
- Cost
- $110 registration
Log 8,000 hours8,000 hrs
About 4 years of full-time work under a licensed plumber. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 8,000 hrs
Pass the journeyman exam$65 application
Apply to DLCP with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Board of Industrial Trades
- Cost
- $65 application
Keep it currentEvery 2 years$110 renewal
Renew every 2 years.
- Issued by
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Board of Industrial Trades
- Time
- Every 2 years
- Cost
- $110 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades (electricians, plumbers, HVAC)
$101,020
a year is the median for plumbers in District of Columbia ($48.57 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentileQuestions
How long does it take to become a plumber in District of Columbia?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does a plumber license cost in District of Columbia?
State fees to get licensed: $175, not counting school or tools.1
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia licenses plumbing contractors through DLCP.1
Are plumbers in demand in District of Columbia?
Projections Central expects about 60 plumber openings a year in District of Columbia through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
1 registered programs in District of Columbia. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in District of Columbia
Sources
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Board of Industrial Trades (dlcp.dc.gov, 2026-10-27)
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Board of Industrial Trades: experience requirements (dlcp.dc.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, District of Columbia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)