Well Driller/Pump Installer License, Operator Registration, & Shallow Water Well Constructor License

Revised: August 8, 2022

Section 73-3-25 of the Utah Code requires every person that performs drilling, construction, deepening, repair, renovation, replacement, cleaning, development, abandonment, and pump installation/repair on a regulated well in the state to obtain a license from the state engineer. Shallow water wells can also be dug and completed by a licensed shallow water well constructor. Licenses and registrations are valid for a two-year period and are not transferable. Licensed drillers/pump installers whose last name begins with A-L will expire at twelve midnight on June 30th of every odd year. Licensed drillers/pump installers whose last name begins with M-Z will expire at twelve midnight on June 30th of every even year. The well driller bond must be valid and in effect for the entire two year licensing cycle otherwise the license will lapse prematurely. Licensed well drillers/pump installers will also need to earn 12 credits of continuing education and provide that documentation in order to renew.

Any person found to be conducting regulated well activity without a valid well license will be ordered to cease the activity by the state engineer. The order may be made verbally but must also be followed by a written order. The order may be posted at an unattended well site. A person found conducting regulated well activities without a license will be prosecuted under Section 73-3-26 of the Utah Code annotated, 1953.

License & Pump Installer's License

Click on the "New Driller Licensing" button above to access specific details, forms, and guidance related to the well driller's licensing process. Click on the "New Pump Installer Licensing" button above 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.

Operator's Registration

Click on the "New Drill Rig Operator Registration" button above 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 70% 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 Well Constructor License

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).

Click on the "New Shallow Water Well Constructor Licensing" button above 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.