The Montana Plumber Guide

Montana's Board of Plumbers regulates journeyman and master plumber licenses. Subject to statutory exemptions, a journeyman applicant needs five years of legally obtained plumbing experience, fulfilled through verified work or an approved apprenticeship program, and must complete the prescribed written examination. A licensed journeyman generally works in the employment of a licensed master plumber. The standard Montana statutory route for a master applicant requires four years as a licensed journeyman, including three years working with a licensed master plumber or in a supervisory capacity; those three years may run concurrently with the four-year requirement. Montana Registered Apprenticeship supplies the completion certificate that plumbing apprenticeship graduates use when applying to the Board.

1. Except for statutory exemptions, a person working as a master or journeyman plumber in Montana must first obtain a state license. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0010/0370-0690-0030-0010.html; verbatim: “Except as provided in 37-69-102 , a person working at the field of plumbing in this state, either as a master plumber or as a journeyman plumber, shall first obtain a license as provided in Title 37, chapter 69, part 3.”)

2. A journeyman plumber license requires five years of plumbing experience. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0690-0030-0040.html; verbatim: “a specific record of 5 years of legally obtained experience in the field of plumbing.”)

3. Experience for a journeyman plumber can be earned by working five years in a major phase of the plumbing business. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0690-0030-0040.html; verbatim: “working 5 years in a major phase of the plumbing business, verified by time or pay records;”)

4. The journeyman experience requirement can be fulfilled by completing an apprenticeship program that meets Montana department or U.S. Department of Labor standards. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0690-0030-0040.html; verbatim: “completing an apprenticeship program meeting the standards set by the department or the United States department of labor, bureau of apprenticeship.”)

5. Journeyman plumber applicants must pass a written examination to test their plumbing knowledge and techniques. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0690-0030-0040.html; verbatim: “satisfactory completion of a written examination prescribed by the board and conducted by the department”)

6. A licensed journeyman plumber is restricted to working under the employment of a licensed master plumber unless permitted otherwise. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0690-0030-0040.html; verbatim: “A licensed journeyman plumber may perform work only in the employment of a licensed master plumber unless otherwise permitted by rule of the board.”)

7. The standard Montana statutory route to a master plumber license requires four years of experience as a licensed journeyman plumber. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0050/0370-0690-0030-0050.html; verbatim: “evidence of 4 years of experience as a licensed journeyman plumber in the field of plumbing, verified by time or pay records of actual plumbing experience;”)

8. A master plumber applicant must document three years working with a licensed master plumber or in a plumbing supervisory role; those years may run concurrently with the four-year journeyman requirement. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0050/0370-0690-0030-0050.html; verbatim: “evidence of 3 years of experience, which may run concurrently with the requirement in subsection (1)(a): (i) working with a licensed master plumber; or (ii) in a supervisory capacity in the field of plumbing; and”)

9. A master plumber license requires passing an examination that tests plumbing knowledge, skill, and ability. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0050/0370-0690-0030-0050.html; verbatim: “satisfactory completion of an examination prescribed by the board for master plumbers testing the applicant's knowledge of the field of plumbing and demonstrating skill and ability in the field of plumbing.”)

10. For the master plumber experience requirements, one year means at least 1,500 hours of work in a continuous 12-month period. (Source: https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0690/part_0030/section_0050/0370-0690-0030-0050.html; verbatim: “For purposes of subsection (1), 1 year of experience is 1,500 hours or more of work in a continuous 12-month period.”)

Registered apprenticeship oversight in Montana runs through Montana Registered Apprenticeship (https://apprenticeship.mt.gov/apprentices).

Montana Registered Apprenticeship directs apprenticeship graduates to obtain an official completion certificate for a journeyman licensing exam or journeyman certificate.