Well Drilling Licensing and Registration

Refer to the "Well Driller Licensing Process" button below (or click here) to access specific details, forms, and guidance related to the well driller's licensing process. Refer the "Pump Installer Licensing Process" button below (or click here) to access specific details, forms, and guidance related to the pump installer licensing process. In general, an applicant must meet the following requirements to become licensed as a Utah Water Well Driller or Pump Installer:

• Applicants must be 21 years of age or older.
• Complete and submit the application form provided by the state engineer.
• Pay the application fee approved by the state legislature.
• For water well drillers and pump installers, provide documentation of at least two (2) years of full time prior water well drilling or pump installation/repair experience OR documentation of sixteen (16) wells constructed by the applicant under the supervision of a licensed well driller in good standing. For monitoring well drillers, provide documentation of at least two (2) years of full time prior monitoring well drilling experience OR documentation of thirty two (32) monitoring wells constructed by the applicant under the supervision of a licensed well driller in good standing. For heating/cooling exchange wells and other non-production well drillers, provide documentation of at least six (6) months full time monitoring well drilling experience with a licensed driller in good standing AND documentation of sixteen (16) well drilling projects by the applicant under the supervision of a licensed well driller in good standing. A copy of the well log for each well constructed must be included. The documentation must also show the applicant's experience with each type of drilling rig to be listed on the license. Acceptable documentation will include registration with the Division of Water Rights, letters from licensed well drillers (Utah or other states), or a water well drilling license granted by another state, etc.
• File a well bond (e.g., surety bond or cash bond in the form of a CD) in the sum of $5,000 with the Division of Water Rights which is conditioned upon proper compliance with the law and these rules and is effective for the two year licensing period in which the license is to be issued. The bond shall stipulate the obligee as the "Office of the State Engineer".
• Obtain a score of at least 70% on each of the written licensing examinations required and administered by the state engineer. The required examinations test the applicant's knowledge of:
1. The Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers and Utah water law as it pertains to underground water.
2. The minimum construction standards established by the state engineer for water well construction.
3. Geologic formations and proper names used in describing underground material types.
4. Reading maps and locating points from descriptions based on section, township, and range.
5. Groundwater geology and the occurrence and movement of groundwater.
6. The proper operating procedures and construction methods associated with the various types of water well drilling rigs. (A separate test is required for each type of water well drilling rig to be listed on the license).
7. Pump Installers will only be required to take an Administrative Rules exam that is specific to pump installation/repair work.
• Demonstrate proficiency in resolving problem situations that might be encountered during performance of regulated well activity by passing an oral examination administered by the state engineer.

Successful completion of classroom study in geology, well drilling, map reading, and other related subjects may be substituted for up to, but not exceeding, twenty five percent of the required experience, and for up to, but not exceeding, twenty five percent of the required drilled wells or well drilling projects. The state engineer will determine the number of months of drilling experience and the number of drilled wells that will be credited for the classroom study.

Refer to the "Drill Rig Operator Registration Process" section below (or click here) to access specific details, forms, and guidance related to the drill rig operator registration process. An applicant must meet the following requirements to become registered as an operator:

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
• Complete and submit the application form provided by the state engineer.
• Pay the application fee approved by the state legislature.
• Provide documentation of at least six (6) months of prior water well drilling/pump installation experience. The documentation must show the applicant's experience with each type of drilling rig to be listed on the registration. Acceptable documentation will include being listed as an apprentice with the Division of Water Rights, letters from licensed well drillers, or registration as an operator in another state.
• Obtain a score of at least 80% on a written examination of the minimum construction standards established by the state engineer for well construction. The test will be provided to the licensed well driller/pump installer by the state engineer's office. The licensed well driller/pump installer will administer the test to the prospective operator and return it to the state engineer's office for scoring.

Shallow water wells can be drilled and constructed by a licensed well driller or dug/excavated and constructed by a licensed shallow water well constructor. A shallow water well constructor license is limited to digging/excavating and constructing shallow water wells, and this license would not cover the drilling and construction of non-shallow water wells (generally deeper than 30 feet).

Refer to the "New Shallow Water Well Constructor Licensing" section below (or click here) to access specific details, forms, and guidance related to the shallow water well constructor licensing process. In general, an applicant must meet the following requirements to become licensed as a Shallow Water Well Constructor:

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
• Complete and submit the application form provided by the state engineer.
• Pay the application fee approved by the state legislature, if any.
• Provide documentation of experience constructing shallow water wells.
• Pass the Shallow Water Well Constrictor licensing exam. This exam will pertain to the rules and requirements for the construction of shallow water wells.

1. Complete and submit a signed and notarized well drillers license application and a signed Lawful Presence Certificate. This must be accomplished prior to scheduling any exams. The Water Rights staff will need up to one week to evaluate the application information and contact references, if necessary, to verify adequate drilling experience before exams can be scheduled.

2. Pay a $350 non-refundable application fee to be submitted with the application. If a check or money order is submitted, it must be made payable to the "The Utah State Engineer".

3. Take the following written tests and pass each test with a score of 70% or better:
a. Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers Test (includes administrative requirements and minimum construction standards)
b. Well Location and Map Reading Test
c. General Groundwater and Well Test
d. Operation/Rig Test (there is a separate test for cable tool, mud rotary, air rotary, reverse circulation, and well rehab, repair, cleaning, and development)
e. Monitor Well Test (this test is required only if you intend to install monitor wells)
f. Other exams as required for a limited license.

After the Water Rights staff reviews the driller application, they will contact the driller to schedule the appropriate exams. As mentioned in requirement no. 1, it may take up to one week to review the application. To take the necessary tests, please fill out and submit the enclosed application form and the application fee and make a testing appointment with our office.

Tests may be taken at any of the Water Rights regional offices (Logan, Vernal, Price, Richfield, or Cedar City) if arrangements are made in advance, but you must notify us if that is your intention. Click here for a contact list of well drilling and regional office staff.

The written licensing exams are to be taken closed-book. Test takers are not allowed to review any materials or text books while taking the exams. Logistically, all that is needed to complete the exams is a pencil with an eraser. However, there are one or two questions in which a calculator could be used. Use of a calculator is acceptable. The driller may also use a ruler, engineers scale, or map scale to complete the map reading questions. The driller can bring his/her own scaling devices or borrow one from the Water Rights office.

In order to obtain a license, drillers must take at least four exams; the Administrative Rules Exam, the Well Location and Map Reading Exam, the General Groundwater and Wells exam, and the exam specific to the drilling method or operation that they plan to utilize. Drilling method/operation exams include Mud Rotary, Air Rotary, Reverse Rotary, Cable Tool, well rehab/repair/cleaning/development, and Monitoring Wells. Drillers must take at least one of these drilling method/operation exams, but they may take more than one if they request. The Administrative Rules exam will be administered first, followed by the Well Location and Map Reading Exam, and the General Groundwater and Rules exam, concluding with the drilling method exam(s).

Each exam consists of 8 to 150 questions, consisting of multiple choice questions, true-false questions, and fill-in-the-blank/short answer questions. It is strongly advised that no question be left unanswered, even if the test taker is unsure of the answer, in that partial credit can be given for an incomplete answer. For the Well Location and Map Reading Exam, the applicant should be familiar with reading a standard USGS 7.5 minute (1:24,000 scale) topographic quadrangle map. The driller should understand the Township & Range cadastral coordinate system (Public Land Survey) and be able to use this system with the USGS topographical maps. Approved well locations depicted on driller start cards and well logs in Utah are always in the Township & Range system, so it is important that the driller understands this system. If the applicant does not understand this system, the Water Rights staff can provide, upon request, a short map reading training prior to taking the exams. The applicant should call the Water Rights office to schedule the training.

The majority of the questions on the Administrative Rules exam are derived directly from the Water Well Handbook which includes the Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers, selected well drilling-related water right statutes, and guidance memorandums on reporting requirements and the well drilling authorization/approval process. The Utah Division of Drinking Water rules for Public Supply Wells can be accessed by clicking here or by calling that agency at (801)536-4200.. No other study materials should be required for this exam. The General Groundwater and Wells exam consists of questions pertaining to groundwater hydrogeology for well drilling and well applications that apply to all drilling techniques. Several good reference books pertaining to this subject include:

• Groundwater and Wells authored by Fletcher Driscoll and published by U.S. Filter Johnson Screens
• Ground Water Hydrology for Water Well Contractors authored by Stuart Smith and published by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA)
• Well Drilling Operations published by the NGWA
• Manual of Water Well Construction Practices published by the NGWA

These reference books as well as others related to the well drilling industry can be obtained from the NGWA Bookstore (800-551-7379). Each separate operation/rig exam consists of questions related to that specific well drilling/construction method. Experienced drillers should know and understand most of this materials because it is applied information that they should be using in their everyday drilling operations. Some basic reference books pertaining to well drilling methods include those references listed above as well as the following:

• Water Well Driller's Beginning Training Manual published by the NGWA
• Well Drilling Manual published by the NGWA)

These references can also be obtained from the NGWA Bookstore.

Only one exam shall be provided to the driller per sitting. That is, the Administrative Rules exam shall be given to the driller first. The driller must complete this exam and turn it into the administrator before taking an extended break and before receiving the General Groundwater and Wells exam and so forth until the driller has completed all of his/her exams. The driller should only have one exam in his possession at a time. Once completed with an exam, the driller cannot request to have it back and make changes to it.

The driller can take more than one day to complete the exams. However, any single exam must be completed on the day the driller started working on the exam. For example, a driller cannot start a rig exam on one day and return the next day and complete the same rig exam. It is recommended the driller start taking the exams as early as possible in the day to allow sufficient time for completion. On average, it takes drillers one to two hours to complete a given exam and approximately four to five hours to complete the minimum three-exam test.

A score of at least 70% must be obtained on each exam to be considered successful. The driller need only retake the exam for which a score of less than 70% was obtained. If an exam is failed, the driller will not be informed of the specific incorrect questions/answers or be allowed to review the failed exam. However, if requested, we will provide the driller with general guidance, topics, and issues pertaining to the incorrect questions which will assist the driller in studying for the exam retake. Failed exams may be retaken at any time upon proper scheduling with the SLC and/or regional offices.

The tests will be graded as soon as possible, however, it may up to one week before the test results are available. The Water Rights office will notify the applicant by telephone or letter of exam results. The applicant may also call the Water Rights office to request the scores if they are graded.

4. Have an oral exam/interview with the administrators of the Water Well Drilling Program (this may be done in person or by telephone). If the applicant passes each test with a score of 70% or better, the oral exam/interview (approximately 30 minutes) will be scheduled. The oral exam will be conducted at either the Salt Lake office or a regional office and will be scheduled after the written exams are passed. For convenience, the interview may be done before the tests are graded if the program administrators are available. The oral exam will be conducted by well drilling program administrators, and may also include the regional engineer of the area where the driller intends to drill, if applicable.

5. Submit either a $5000 cash bond or a $5000 surety bond using either the cash bond form or the surety bond form. Keep in mind that a Utah Water Well Driller's License is issued to individual drillers and not to drilling companies. The same applies to the bond in that every licensed driller must obtain their own bond. That is, regardless of the number of licensed drillers working for one company, each licensed driller must post their own bond, under their name, with the State Engineer Office.

After proper submission of the application and fee, successful completion of written and oral exams, and upon receipt of the $5000 bond, the Utah Water Well Drillers License will be issued. The license documentation will consist of a portrait-sized license certificate as well as a laminated card-sized certificate that can be carried in a driller's wallet. Keep in mind that the well driller's license must be renewed every other year at the end of June as per the driller's last name (A-L on odd years and M-Z on even years). Renewal requirements consist of submission of a renewal application, a $100 renewal fee, submission of proof of at least 12 continuing education credits, and proof of bond continuation. In addition, the driller must be current on all start card and well log submissions for the previous licensing period before a license can be renewed.

Click here for a contact list, if you have any questions concerning this material or the licensing process.

The following is required to become licensed as a Shallow Water Well Constructor in the State of Utah. Complete and submit a signed shallow water well constructor license application. The shallow water well constructor exam is included and is part of this application. It must be completed and submitted as part of the application. At this time, there is no fee associated with the application for Shallow Water Well Constructor license.

After proper submission of the application, the Utah Shallow Water Well Constructor License will be issued. The license documentation will consist of a portrait-sized license certificate as well as a laminated card-sized certificate that can be carried in a wallet. Click here for a contact list, if you have any questions concerning this material or the licensing process.

1. Complete and submit a signed and notarized well drilling operators registration application, a signed Lawful Presence Certificate, and a $100 registration fee (Effective July 1, 2001).

2. Take a written exam covering the minimum construction standards of the Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers and pass the exam with a score of 80% or better. This test is an open book, take-home test that will be sent to the licensed driller to administer to the operator. When the operator has completed and signed the exam, it should be returned with the application to the State Engineer’s Office for grading.

As an alternative, the applicant may request that the test be administered by the Utah Division of Water Rights instead of by a Utah Licensed Water Well Driller. In this situation, the exam may be taken either at the Well Drilling Section office in Salt Lake or at one of the division’s regional offices. This request must be made in writing and must be submitted with the Operator Registration application. The appointment to take the exam will then be arranged with the Well Drilling Section Office or the local regional office.

The exam will be graded as soon as possible, however, it may be up to one week from the time the exam is received at the division before the results are available. The Well Drilling Section office will notify the applicant by letter of the exam results. The applicant may also call the Well Drilling Section office to determine if the exam has been graded and to request the results. Failed exams may be re-taken at any time upon request to the Well Drilling Section office.

We highly recommend that the applicant read and understand the minimum construction standards before attempting to complete the exam.

After proper submission of the application and successful completion of the written exam, the Utah Drill Rig Operator’s Registration will be issued. The registration documentation will consist of a portrait-sized registration certificate as well as a laminated card-sized certificate that can be carried in a operator’s wallet. Keep in mind that the operator’s registration must be renewed every other year and at the same time as the licensed driller with whom they are associated. A registered operator must always be associated with a licensed driller. Annual renewal requirements will consist of submission of a renewal application and $50 renewal fee at the end of each licensing period. For renewal, the operator must also be in good standing with the State Engineer.

Click here for a contact list, if you have any questions concerning this material or the licensing process.

1. Complete and submit a signed and notarized pump installers license application and a signed Lawful Presence Certificate. This must be accomplished prior to scheduling any exams. The Water Rights staff will need up to one week to evaluate the application information and contact references, if necessary, to verify adequate pump installation experience before exams can be scheduled.

2. Pay a $200 non-refundable application fee to be submitted with the application. If a check or money order is submitted, it must be made payable to the "The Utah State Engineer".

3. Take the following written tests and pass each test with a score of 70% or better:
a. Administrative Rules for Test applicable to pump installation/repair (includes administrative requirements and minimum construction standards)
b. General Groundwater and Well Test
c. Pump Installer Test

After the Water Rights staff reviews the pump installer application, they will contact the installer to schedule the appropriate exams. As mentioned in requirement no. 1, it may take up to one week to review the application. To take the necessary tests, please fill out and submit the enclosed application form and the application fee and make a testing appointment with our office.

Tests may be taken at any of the Water Rights regional offices (Logan, Vernal, Price, Richfield, or Cedar City) if arrangements are made in advance, but you must notify us if that is your intention. Click here for a contact list of well drilling and regional office staff.

The written licensing exams are to be taken closed-book. Test takers are not allowed to review any materials or text books while taking the exams. Logistically, all that is needed to complete the exams is a pencil with an eraser.

In order to obtain a license, pump installer must take all three exams listed above. The Administrative Rules exam will be administered first, followed by the General Groundwater and Rules exam, concluding with the pump installer exam.

Each exam consists of 50 to 100 questions, consisting of multiple choice questions, true-false questions, and fill-in-the-blank/short answer questions. It is strongly advised that no question be left unanswered, even if the test taker is unsure of the answer, in that partial credit can be given for an incomplete answer.

The majority of the questions on the Administrative Rules exam are derived directly from the Water Well Handbook which includes the Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers, selected well drilling-related water right statutes, and guidance memorandums on reporting requirements and the well drilling authorization/approval process. No other study materials should be required for this exam. The General Groundwater and Wells exam consists of questions pertaining to groundwater hydrogeology for well drilling and well applications that apply to all drilling techniques. Several good reference books pertaining to this subject include:

• Groundwater and Wells authored by Fletcher Driscoll and published by U.S. Filter Johnson Screens
• Ground Water Hydrology for Water Well Contractors authored by Stuart Smith and published by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA)

These reference books as well as others related to the well drilling industry can be obtained from the NGWA Bookstore (800-551-7379).

Only one exam shall be provided to the applicant per sitting. That is, the Administrative Rules exam shall be given to the applilcant first. The applicant must complete this exam and turn it into the administrator before taking an extended break and before receiving the General Groundwater and Wells exam and so forth until the applicant has completed all of his/her exams. The applicant should only have one exam in his possession at a time. Once completed with an exam, the applicant cannot request to have it back and make changes to it.

The applicant can take more than one day to complete the exams. However, any single exam must be completed on the day the applicant started working on the exam. For example, an applicant cannot start the rules exam on one day and return the next day and complete the same rules exam. It is recommended the applicant start taking the exams as early as possible in the day to allow sufficient time for completion. On average, it takes applicants one to two hours to complete a given exam and approximately four to five hours to complete the minimum three-exam test.

A score of at least 70% must be obtained on each exam to be considered successful. The applicant need only retake the exam for which a score of less than 70% was obtained. If an exam is failed, the applicant will not be informed of the specific incorrect questions/answers or be allowed to review the failed exam. However, if requested, we will provide the applicant with general guidance, topics, and issues pertaining to the incorrect questions which will assist the driller in studying for the exam retake. Failed exams may be retaken at any time upon proper scheduling with the SLC and/or regional offices.

The tests will be graded as soon as possible, however, it may up to one week before the test results are available. The Water Rights office will notify the applicant by telephone or letter of exam results. The applicant may also call the Water Rights office to request the scores if they are graded.

4. Have an oral exam/interview with the administrators of the Water Well Drilling Program (this may be done in person or by telephone). If the applicant passes each test with a score of 70% or better, the oral exam/interview (approximately 30 minutes) will be scheduled. The oral exam will be conducted at either the Salt Lake office or a regional office and will be scheduled after the written exams are passed. For convenience, the interview may be done before the tests are graded if the program administrators are available. The oral exam will be conducted by well drilling program administrators, and may also include the regional engineer of the area where the applicant intends to conduct regulated activity, if applicable.

5. Submit either a $5000 cash bond or a $5000 surety bond using either the cash bond form or the surety bond form. Keep in mind that a Utah Pump Installer's License is issued to individual's and not to drilling/pumpinstallation companies. The same applies to the bond in that every licensed pump installer must obtain their own bond. That is, regardless of the number of licensed pump installers working for one company, each licensed pump installer must post their own bond, under their name, with the State Engineer Office.

After proper submission of the application and fee, successful completion of written and oral exams, and upon receipt of the $5000 bond, the Utah Pump Installer's License will be issued. The license documentation will consist of a portrait-sized license certificate as well as a laminated card-sized certificate that can be carried in a pump installer's wallet. Keep in mind that the pump installer's license must be renewed every other year at the end of June as per the pump installer's last name (A-L on odd years and M-Z on even years). Renewal requirements consist of submission of a renewal application, a $100 renewal fee, submission of proof of at least 12 continuing education credits, and proof of bond continuation.

Click here for a contact list, if you have any questions concerning this material or the licensing process.

1. Complete and submit a signed and notarized pump operators registration application, and a signed Lawful Presence Certificate, and $75 registration fee (Effective July 1, 2012).

2. Take a written exam covering the minimum construction standards of the Administrative Rules for Water Well Drillers and pass the exam with a score of 80% or better. This test is an open book, take-home test that will be sent to the licensed pump installer to administer to the operator. When the operator has completed and signed the exam, it should be returned with the application to the State Engineer’s Office for grading.

As an alternative, the applicant may request that the test be administered by the Utah Division of Water Rights instead of by a Utah Licensed pump installer. In this situation, the exam may be taken either at the Well Drilling Section office in Salt Lake or at one of the division’s regional offices. This request must be made in writing and must be submitted with the Operator Registration application. The appointment to take the exam will then be arranged with the Well Drilling Section Office or the local regional office.

The exam will be graded as soon as possible, however, it may be up to one week from the time the exam is received at the division before the results are available. The Well Drilling Section office will notify the applicant by letter of the exam results. The applicant may also call the Well Drilling Section office to determine if the exam has been graded and to request the results. Failed exams may be re-taken at any time upon request to the Well Drilling Section office.

We highly recommend that the applicant read and understand the minimum construction standards before attempting to complete the exam.

After proper submission of the application and successful completion of the written exam, the Utah Pump Rig Operator’s Registration will be issued. The registration documentation will consist of a portrait-sized registration certificate as well as a laminated card-sized certificate that can be carried in an operator’s wallet. Keep in mind that the operator’s registration must be renewed every other year and at the same time as the licensed pump installer with whom they are associated. A registered operator must always be associated with a licensed driller. Annual renewal requirements will consist of submission of a renewal application and $25 renewal fee at the end of each licensing period. For renewal, the operator must also be in good standing with the State Engineer.

Click here for a contact list, if you have any questions concerning this material or the licensing process.

The well driller/pump installer license and operator registration (drill rig and pump rig) is valid for a two-year period and expires at midnight on June 30th. Licensees whose last name begins with A-L renew by June 30th of odd years. Licensees whose last name begins with M-Z renew by June 30th of even years. Operators renew at the same time as the licensed driller renews with which they are associated. License renewal requirements include:

1. Complete a renewal application. Renewal Applications are mailed to qualified licensees by the Division.
2. Pay the Driller License renewal fee of $100, or Pump Installer License renewal fee of $75 payable to State Engineer
3. Provide documentation of $5,000 driller bond for the next two-year licensing period (not applicable if cash bond)
4. Proper submission of all start cards, official well driller's reports (well logs), and abandonment reports for the previous licensing period (Licensed Well Drillers Only). This can be verified by reviewing your drilling status report issued quarterly to licensed drillers by the State Engineer's Office.
5. Documentation of at least twelve (12) continuing education credits (Click here to access Continuing Education web page for details on CE program and reporting requirements)

A $50 late fee will be assessed and the license will be void if the application materials are not received at the State Engineer's Office before the end of the current licensing period. In other words, if a complete application is not submitted by the end of the licensing period, regulated well activity must cease at that time until the driller/pump installer completes the application.

Drillers/pump installers failing to renew within 24 months of the license expiration date must re-apply for a license and meet all the requirements for a new license.

Drill rig operator registration renewal requirements include:

1. Complete renewal application (provided to licensee with which operator is registered).
2. Pay Drill Rig Operator registration renewal fee of $50, or Pump Rig Operator registration renewal fee of $25 payable to the State Engineer
3. Be in good standing as an operator with the State Engineer's Office

A late fee of $50 (Drill Rig Operator) or $25 (Pump Rig Operator) will be assessed and the operator registration will be void if the application materials are not received at the State Engineer's Office before the end of the current licensing period. In other words, if an application is not submitted by the end of the current period, the operator must cease regulated drilling activity at that time until the operator completes the application.

Operators failing to renew within 12 months of the registration expiration date must re-apply for a rig operator registration and meet all the requirements for a new registration.