Wisconsin: State rules

Wisconsin licenses water well drillers and pump installers through the Department of Natural Resources. The licenses page says driller applicants need a rig operator registration and must work under a licensed driller before drilling experience counts toward the experience rule in NR 146.04. Training for a water well driller applicant includes grouting and filling and sealing, drilling fluids, Wisconsin geology, the well code, safety and first aid, and welding, with the hours listed on the page for each topic. After the experience and training, the applicant requests an exam, submits it with the fee by mail, and passes the exam. Pump installer licenses are issued by mail. Water well driller licenses are issued in person by appointment with regional staff. This record does not list licensees.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

The page separates heat exchange driller licenses from water well driller licenses. Each has its own application and exam. A person who will only install pumps follows the pump installer path rather than the driller path. Rig operator registration is the starting credential for someone who will drill under supervision. The department's email for driller license applications on the page is DNRDGLicensing@wisconsin.gov. Exam applications are requested from that address. The page is the procedural map. The administrative code chapter NR 146 is the experience rule the page cites.

Training hours on the page for a water well driller applicant are 6 hours of grouting and filling and sealing, 3 hours of drilling fluids, 3 hours of Wisconsin geology, 4 hours of the well code, 3 hours of safety and first aid, and 6 hours of welding. Those hours are specific to the driller applicant. The heat exchange list on the same page is shorter and does not copy the well-code and welding lines in the same way. A customer does not need to audit the training log, but should ask whether the person holds a driller license, a pump installer license, or only a rig operator registration.

Well construction standards and county or local notifications sit beside the license. Ask who will file the well construction report and whether a local permit is required before the rig arrives. Use the department's license information rather than a copied roster. The in-person issuance of driller licenses means a new driller is not finished when the exam is passed. The licenses page is the official description of that sequence for new applicants.

Official resources in Wisconsin

Wisconsin DNR well licenses

Driller, pump installer, and rig operator paths and the training hours.

Wisconsin DNR wells topic

Department index for private wells, construction, and licensing.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well households.

Key facts for Wisconsin

DNR licenses water well drillers and pump installers.
Driller applicants first hold a rig operator registration.
Experience toward the driller license is earned under a licensed driller.
The licenses page lists required training hours, including the well code.
Pump installer licenses are mailed. Driller licenses are issued in person.
Heat exchange drilling is a separate license.
The page gives DNRDGLicensing@wisconsin.gov for driller applications.

What to do next

Ask whether the person is a licensed driller, a pump installer, or a rig operator.
Confirm a rig operator is working under a licensed driller.
Ask who files the well construction report.
Ask the county whether a local well permit is required.

Looking for your city or county in Wisconsin?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Wisconsin we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Wisconsin, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
Wisconsin
Website →
Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
Your city or county office: Local governments →
Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Wisconsin page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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