WAC 296-400A-120   What do I need to know about plumber trainee certificates (excluding backflow assembly maintenance and repair specialty certification)?  (1) Journeyman and specialty plumber trainee certification:

     (a) Original trainee certificates. The department will issue an original trainee certificate when the trainee applicant submits a complete trainee certificate application including:

     (i) Date of birth, mailing address, Social Security number; and

     (ii) All appropriate fees as listed in WAC 296-400A-045.

     (iii) If an individual has previously held a plumbing trainee certificate, then that individual is not eligible for a subsequent original trainee certificate.

     All applicants for a plumbing trainee certificate must be at least sixteen years of age and must follow requirements as defined in WAC 296-125-030.

     (b) Renewal. The department issues separate trainee certificates once a year.

     (c) The plumbing trainee may not apply for renewal more than ninety days prior to the expiration date. Plumber trainee certificates are valid for one year.

     (d) All applicants for trainee certificate of renewal must:

     (i) Submit a complete renewal application;

     (ii) Pay all appropriate fees; and

     (iii) Provide accurate evidence on the renewal form that the individual has completed the continuing education requirements described in chapter 296-400A WAC.

     (e) If an individual files inaccurate or false evidence of continuing education information when renewing a plumbing trainee certificate, the individual's certificate may be suspended or revoked.

     (f) An individual who has not completed the required hours of continuing education cannot renew a trainee certificate.

     (g) Individuals will not be able to apply to test for journeyman plumber, domestic pump specialty plumber, or residential specialty plumber certificates until the continuing education requirements have been met.

     (h) If continuing education hours have not been met, trainee certificates will become expired and any experience obtained by the trainee in expired status will not be credited toward plumbing certificate application.

     (i) An individual may renew an expired certificate of competency by submitting a complete renewal application including obtaining and submitting the continuing education required for renewal. However, the certificate will remain in an expired status for the duration of the expired period.

     (j) An individual may not renew a revoked trainee certificate.

     (k) Apprentices registered in an approved program according to chapter 49.04 RCW who are obtaining classroom training consistent with the continuing education requirements under chapter 18.106 RCW and this chapter, as approved by the department, are deemed to have met the continuing education requirements necessary to renew a trainee certificate. Included under this exemption are active trainees that are not in the formal approved program according to chapter 49.04 RCW but are attending all hours of required classroom training along with the apprentices and meeting the work experience as required under chapter 18.106 RCW and this chapter. The plumber craft training school shall be required to supply the department the necessary documentation to prove there was full hourly attendance of these trainees as is required of the apprentices while they attend the classroom training.

     (l) If you are a trainee applying for a journeyman certificate, you must complete a minimum of two of the required four years in commercial plumbing experience.

     (m) A certified residential specialty plumber or domestic pump specialty plumber working on a commercial job site may work as a journeyman trainee only if they have a current trainee certificate on their person while performing commercial plumbing work.

     (n) On a job site, the ratio of certified plumbers to noncertified plumbers must be:

     (i) One residential specialty plumber or journeyman working on a residential plumbing job site may supervise no more than two trainees.

     (ii) One journeyman plumber working on a commercial job site may supervise no more than one trainee or one residential specialty plumber who holds a current trainee certificate.

     (iii) One appropriate domestic pump specialty plumber or one journeyman plumber working on a domestic pump system may supervise no more than two trainees.

     (o) A plumber trainee who has a current trainee certificate with the state of Washington and has successfully completed or is enrolled in an approved medical gas piping installer training course may work on medical gas piping systems. Work may only occur when there is direct supervision by an active Washington state certified journeyman plumber with an active medical gas piping installer endorsement issued by the department. Supervision must be one hundred percent of the working day on a one-to-one ratio.

     (p) Plumber trainee shall renew the certificate annually but not more than ninety days before the expiration date.

     (q) The trainee will not be issued a renewed or reinstated training certificate if the individual owes the department money as a result of an outstanding final judgment.

     (r) Trainee hours will not be credited if the trainee owes outstanding penalties for violations of this chapter.

     (2) At the time of renewal, the holder shall provide the department with an accurate list of the holder's employers in the plumbing construction industry for the previous annual period. The individual must submit a completed, signed, and notarized affidavit(s) of experience. The affidavit of experience must accurately attest to:

     (a) The plumbing installation work performed for each employer the individual worked for in the plumbing trade during the previous period;

     (b) The correct plumbing category the individual worked in; and

     (c) The actual number of hours worked in each category, worked under the proper supervision of a Washington certified journeyman plumber, certified domestic pump specialty plumber, or residential specialty plumber.

     (3) The trainee should ask each employer and/or apprenticeship-training director for an accurately completed, signed, and notarized affidavit of experience for the previous certification period. The employer(s) or apprenticeship training director(s) must provide the previous period's affidavit of experience to the individual within twenty days of the request.

     (4) If hours for previous period are not submitted within the thirty days after renewing a plumbing training certificate, the individual may not receive credit for these previous period hours.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.040 and 18.106.140. 10-06-051, § 296-400A-120, filed 2/24/10, effective 4/1/10; 09-10-080, § 296-400A-120, filed 5/5/09, effective 6/5/09; 06-24-040, § 296-400A-120, filed 11/30/06, effective 12/31/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.040, 18.106.140, 2002 c 82, and 2003 c 399. 04-12-046, § 296-400A-120, filed 5/28/04, effective 6/30/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.040, 18.106.140, 2001 c 281, and chapter 18.106 RCW. 02-14-074, § 296-400A-120, filed 6/28/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.106 RCW. 98-13-126, § 296-400A-120, filed 6/17/98, effective 7/20/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.050, [18.106.]070, [18.106.]110, [18.106.]125,[18.106.]140 and [18.106.]270. 97-11-052, § 296-400A-120, filed 5/20/97, effective 6/30/97.]