Washington Plumber Certificate Renewal (L&I)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 5 min read

Washington plumber certificates from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) renew every 3 years on your birthday. Journey level, residential and residential service plumbers need 24 hours of approved continuing education completed before the certificate expires, and if it isn't, the renewal fee doubles even when you pay on time. More than 90 days late, and you retest. Plumber trainees renew every year with 8 hours.

At a glance

Renews every: 3 years, on your birthday: journey level (PL01), residential (PL02), residential service (PL04), pump and irrigation (PL03), domestic well (PL03A) and backflow (PL30) certificates, and the medical gas endorsement (MG01). Plumber trainee certificates renew every year
Continuing education: 24 hours before your certificate expires for journey level, residential and residential service plumbers: at least 12 hours of Uniform Plumbing Code and at least 4 hours of industry-related electrical; the other 8 hours can be from any category. Up to 4 hours can be L&I-approved behavioral health and wellness training
Pump, well and backflow: Pump and irrigation and domestic well plumbers need 24 hours, at least 12 of them in plumbing (the electrical program asks for its own CE too). Backflow plumbers take no CE: send a copy of your active Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) card from the Department of Health
Trainees: 8 hours of approved CE every year; within each two-year period, at least 8 hours of plumbing code and 4 hours of industry-related electrical. Send notarized affidavits of experience for each employer with your renewal
Getting credit: Your course provider reports your hours to L&I and has 30 days to do it; you don't send your certificates. Keep a copy of them anyway. You can't get credit for the same course twice in one renewal period
Fee: $242.70 for journey level, residential or residential service; $242.80 for pump and irrigation or domestic well; $167.40 for backflow; $166.90 for the medical gas endorsement; $60.00 for a trainee certificate
Renew: Online with your 12-digit certification number, your Social Security number and a card or e-check, once your CE is on file with L&I; or by mail or at an L&I field office. You can't renew online with unpaid plumbing infractions or a suspended certificate
Late renewal: For certified plumbers (not trainees): if you renew after your renewal date, or your CE isn't done by then, the fee doubles ($485.40 in all for journey level, residential or residential service). CE not finished by your renewal date also puts the certificate into inactive status. The late fee can't be paid online: mail it or pay at an L&I office
After 90 days: For certified plumbers: if the fee isn't paid or the CE isn't done within 90 days of your renewal date, you must retake the exam to get your certificate back
Medical gas: To renew the endorsement, send notarized affidavits of continuity (F627-043-000) showing your brazing experience, certified about every 6 months, before your renewal date

A course can take up to 30 days to appear on your online record, and the online renewal needs your CE on file: finish your hours at least five weeks before your birthday. Once you renew, the classes from the previous period no longer show in the online tool.

How to renew

Look yourself up in L&I's Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool and note your expiration date (your birthday, every 3 years).
Take your 24 hours from L&I's approved course lists: at least 12 of Uniform Plumbing Code and 4 of industry-related electrical for journey level, residential and residential service.
Allow up to 30 days for each course to show on your record, and ask the provider if one is missing.
Renew online with your 12-digit certification number and pay the fee ($242.70 for journey level, residential or residential service) before your birthday.
Check the lookup again to make sure your certificate shows the new expiration date.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

6 months outCheck your expiration date in L&I's lookup and book your 24 hours (12 code, 4 electrical) from the approved course lists.
2 months outFinish the hours. Providers have up to 30 days to report them, and you can't renew online until they're on file.
Before your birthdayRenew online and pay $242.70 (journey level, residential or residential service). After that the fee doubles.
90 days afterThe last day to pay and finish CE before you'd have to retake the exam.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your plumber trainees' certificates (every year, with 8 hours of CE and their affidavits of experience)
Your electrical certificate too, if you're a pump and irrigation or domestic well plumber
Your Backflow Assembly Tester card from the Department of Health, if you hold a backflow certificate
Your contractor registration with L&I, if you run your own plumbing business
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Washington plumber certificates expire?

Journey level, residential, residential service, pump and irrigation, domestic well and backflow certificates, and the medical gas endorsement, renew every 3 years on your birthday. Plumber trainee certificates renew every year.

How many CE hours does a Washington plumber need?

24 hours before your certificate expires for journey level, residential and residential service plumbers: at least 12 hours of Uniform Plumbing Code and at least 4 hours of industry-related electrical; the other 8 hours can be from any category. Trainees need 8 hours every year.

How much does it cost to renew a Washington plumber certificate?

$242.70 for journey level, residential or residential service; $242.80 for pump and irrigation or domestic well; $167.40 for backflow; $166.90 for the medical gas endorsement; $60.00 for a trainee certificate.

What if I renew my Washington plumber certificate late?

For certified plumbers (not trainees): if you renew after your renewal date, or your CE isn't done by then, the fee doubles ($485.40 in all for journey level, residential or residential service). If the fee isn't paid or the CE isn't done within 90 days of your renewal date, you must retake the exam to get your certificate back.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Get or Renew Your Plumber Certification

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Washington guides

All Washington guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet

Washington Plumber Certificate Renewal (L&I)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 5 min read

At a glance

Renews every: 3 years, on your birthday: journey level (PL01), residential (PL02), residential service (PL04), pump and irrigation (PL03), domestic well (PL03A) and backflow (PL30) certificates, and the medical gas endorsement (MG01). Plumber trainee certificates renew every year
Continuing education: 24 hours before your certificate expires for journey level, residential and residential service plumbers: at least 12 hours of Uniform Plumbing Code and at least 4 hours of industry-related electrical; the other 8 hours can be from any category. Up to 4 hours can be L&I-approved behavioral health and wellness training
Pump, well and backflow: Pump and irrigation and domestic well plumbers need 24 hours, at least 12 of them in plumbing (the electrical program asks for its own CE too). Backflow plumbers take no CE: send a copy of your active Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) card from the Department of Health
Trainees: 8 hours of approved CE every year; within each two-year period, at least 8 hours of plumbing code and 4 hours of industry-related electrical. Send notarized affidavits of experience for each employer with your renewal
Getting credit: Your course provider reports your hours to L&I and has 30 days to do it; you don't send your certificates. Keep a copy of them anyway. You can't get credit for the same course twice in one renewal period
Fee: $242.70 for journey level, residential or residential service; $242.80 for pump and irrigation or domestic well; $167.40 for backflow; $166.90 for the medical gas endorsement; $60.00 for a trainee certificate
Renew: Online with your 12-digit certification number, your Social Security number and a card or e-check, once your CE is on file with L&I; or by mail or at an L&I field office. You can't renew online with unpaid plumbing infractions or a suspended certificate
Late renewal: For certified plumbers (not trainees): if you renew after your renewal date, or your CE isn't done by then, the fee doubles ($485.40 in all for journey level, residential or residential service). CE not finished by your renewal date also puts the certificate into inactive status. The late fee can't be paid online: mail it or pay at an L&I office
After 90 days: For certified plumbers: if the fee isn't paid or the CE isn't done within 90 days of your renewal date, you must retake the exam to get your certificate back
Medical gas: To renew the endorsement, send notarized affidavits of continuity (F627-043-000) showing your brazing experience, certified about every 6 months, before your renewal date

How to renew

Look yourself up in L&I's Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool and note your expiration date (your birthday, every 3 years).
Take your 24 hours from L&I's approved course lists: at least 12 of Uniform Plumbing Code and 4 of industry-related electrical for journey level, residential and residential service.
Allow up to 30 days for each course to show on your record, and ask the provider if one is missing.
Renew online with your 12-digit certification number and pay the fee ($242.70 for journey level, residential or residential service) before your birthday.
Check the lookup again to make sure your certificate shows the new expiration date.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

6 months outCheck your expiration date in L&I's lookup and book your 24 hours (12 code, 4 electrical) from the approved course lists.
2 months outFinish the hours. Providers have up to 30 days to report them, and you can't renew online until they're on file.
Before your birthdayRenew online and pay $242.70 (journey level, residential or residential service). After that the fee doubles.
90 days afterThe last day to pay and finish CE before you'd have to retake the exam.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your plumber trainees' certificates (every year, with 8 hours of CE and their affidavits of experience)
Your electrical certificate too, if you're a pump and irrigation or domestic well plumber
Your Backflow Assembly Tester card from the Department of Health, if you hold a backflow certificate
Your contractor registration with L&I, if you run your own plumbing business
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Washington plumber certificates expire?

How many CE hours does a Washington plumber need?

How much does it cost to renew a Washington plumber certificate?

What if I renew my Washington plumber certificate late?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Get or Renew Your Plumber Certification

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Washington guides

All Washington guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet