Wisconsin Plumber License Renewal Requirements

The State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) issues a variety of different plumbing licenses. Not only does that make it a little complicated to figure out which license type you need in the first place, but it also muddies the waters when it comes time to renew whichever license you ended up getting.

That could leave you trying to navigate the complex web of the DSPS website or searching through the state administrative code to get the info you need about your renewal. Or you can just read this guide. Here’s everything you need to know to get the required continuing education and renew several different types of Wisconsin plumbing licenses.

Things that apply to all plumbing license types in WI

First up, you should know that you’re going to be required to complete a certain amount of continuing education (CE) hours. The DSPS can ask you to submit evidence that you’ve complied with the relevant CE requirement at any point, so hang onto the paperwork you get when you complete a course.

Secondly, you should know that you need to take DSPS-approved CE hours or they won’t count. Look for the DSPS Provider ID (for example, ours is #1217892) to double-check that the CE you’re about to take will work for your renewal.

The good news is that the state has approved some online plumbing CE providers such as the courses we offer here. That allows you to take your CE hours whenever you have time from any place where you have access to an internet-connected device.

When to take CE and how much you need varies by license type, so let’s take a look.

Renewing a Wisconsin journeyman plumber license

If you have a standard journeyman plumber, journeyman plumber restricted appliance, or journeyman plumber restricted service license, you need to renew every four years on March 31. The renewal fee is $180 if you get everything in on time, $190 if your renewal is late, or $215 if your CE is late.

As far as CE goes, you need:

24 hours to renew a journeyman plumbing license
12 hours to renew a journeyman restricted plumbing license

Renewing a Wisconsin master plumber license

Just like your journeyman peers, Wisconsin master plumber — including restricted appliance and restricted service — licensee renewal is due March 31 every four years. Normal renewal costs $500. If you submit your renewal late, it’s $520. If your CE is late, it’s $545.

The CE hours you need to renew your master license hinge on the license type you have:

24 hours to renew a master plumbing license
12 hours to renew a master restricted plumbing license

Renewing other license types

We won’t get into the full details here, but to give you a brief overview, here are the CE requirements for some other Wisconsin plumbing-focused licenses:

24 hours for commercial plumbing inspectors
24 hours for UDC plumbing inspectors
6 hours for utility contractors
6 hours for cross connection control testers

Submitting your renewal to the DSPS

Once you have your CE done, you still need to take some steps to get your license renewed: submit your renewal and pay the renewal fee.

You can do all of this online using the DSPS trade credentialing portal.

If you have any questions and want to contact the DSPS for clarification, you can email them at DSPSCredTrades@wisconsin.gov.