Plumber License Reciprocity by State (2026)
No plumber compact — licensure is state or local
Plumbing licences do not transfer through a national compact. As with electrical work, licensing authority sits with state boards and local jurisdictions, and bilateral board agreements cover specific state pairs.
- Covers:
- Individual state or local plumbing licences.
- Governing body:
- Each state plumbing board, or the local jurisdiction where the state does not license
What to know before you rely on it
- Where licensing is municipal, moving one town over can mean a different authority and a different exam.
- Some state boards maintain bilateral agreements that waive the trade exam for licence holders from the partner state.
- The business-and-law or code examination is rarely waived, even where the trade exam is.
Verify this first: Contact the specific licensing authority for your destination and ask about reciprocal agreements and code-exam requirements.
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association ↗State-by-state reciprocity notes
11 of 51 states have a published reciprocity note in our dataset. For the remaining states, the note is not published — check both state boards before you move. Installs and repairs water, gas and drainage systems. Journeyman plumber licenses vary by state and locality; many require apprenticeship hours plus an exam.
| State | Reciprocity note | Verify with |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | No state-level journeyman plumber license — the Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses plumbing contractors (C-37) | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) ↗ |
| California | No state-level plumber license — plumbing contractors are licensed by the CSLB (C-36 Plumbing Contractor); journeymen are not state-licensed | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) ↗ |
| Florida | No state-level journeyman plumber license — DBPR licenses plumbing contractors (Certified/Registered) | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) ↗ |
| Georgia | No — Georgia has no plumbing reciprocity agreements; out-of-state plumbers apply and pass the exam | Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) — Division of Master Plumbers and Journeyman Plumbers ↗ |
| Illinois | No state license — plumber licensing is municipal in Illinois (Chicago and other local jurisdictions); there is no statewide plumbing license | City of Chicago Department of Buildings (no state-level plumber license in Illinois) ↗ |
| Michigan | No — Michigan does not have reciprocity agreements for plumbers | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) — Bureau of Construction Codes, Plumbing Division ↗ |
| New York | No state license — NYC DOB licenses master plumbers locally; other jurisdictions (counties, upstate cities) license separately | New York City Department of Buildings (licensing is at the local, not state, level) ↗ |
| North Carolina | Limited/none — NC licenses Plumbing Technicians and Plumbing Contractors (P-I/P-II); reciprocity is not offered for most paths | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors ↗ |
| Ohio | No state-level journeyman plumber license — OCILB licenses plumbing contractors (commercial) at the state level | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce ↗ |
| Texas | No blanket reciprocity — TSBPE reviews each case; holding a journeyman/master license from another state waives the 48-hour training requirement | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) ↗ |
| Washington | Yes — Idaho only, for journey level plumbers (bilateral) | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Plumber Certification Program ↗ |
| Alabama | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Alaska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Arkansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Colorado | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Connecticut | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Delaware | check both state boards | board site pending |
| District of Columbia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Hawaii | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Idaho | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Indiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Iowa | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kentucky | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Louisiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maine | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maryland | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Massachusetts | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Minnesota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Mississippi | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Missouri | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Montana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nebraska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nevada | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Hampshire | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Jersey | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Mexico | check both state boards | board site pending |
| North Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oklahoma | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oregon | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Pennsylvania | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Rhode Island | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Carolina | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Tennessee | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Utah | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Vermont | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| West Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wisconsin | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wyoming | check both state boards | board site pending |
Frequently asked questions
How does a Plumber license transfer between states?
Plumbing licences do not transfer through a national compact. As with electrical work, licensing authority sits with state boards and local jurisdictions, and bilateral board agreements cover specific state pairs.
Which states participate in No plumber compact — licensure is state or local?
Plumbing licences do not transfer through a national compact. As with electrical work, licensing authority sits with state boards and local jurisdictions, and bilateral board agreements cover specific state pairs. Confirm the current position with Each state plumbing board, or the local jurisdiction where the state does not license.
Does No plumber compact — licensure is state or local mean I skip the exam entirely?
Not automatically. Where licensing is municipal, moving one town over can mean a different authority and a different exam. The only reliable answer for your situation comes from the destination board, so verify before you pay application fees.
Can I transfer my Plumber license to another state?
In our dataset, 11 states have a published reciprocity note (see the table). For every other state the rule is not published here — check both state boards before moving.
What does reciprocity mean for a license?
Reciprocity lets an already-licensed professional from one state qualify for a license in another state without repeating the full education and exam process. Some states have formal agreements or compacts; others require a state-specific exam or extra coursework even when they accept your license. Many states do not grant a license on reciprocity at all — they grant it by comity or endorsement, meaning you still file an application and meet their requirements.
Why do some states say "check both state boards"?
State reciprocity tables are not consistently published in machine-readable form. When a state has not published an official note in our verified sources, we point you to both boards rather than guess. That is the safest answer for a decision that can affect your eligibility to work.
Does holding a license in one state guarantee a license in another?
No. Every state sets its own licensing law. Even in states with reciprocity or a compact, you typically still file an application, pay a fee, pass a background check and sometimes pass a state-specific exam. Always confirm directly with the destination state board.
Plan your move with Plumber data
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Reciprocity rules and compact membership change frequently and are set by each state legislature and board. “Check both state boards” means the note is not published in our dataset — it is not a negative answer. Mechanism data retrieved 2026-09-13; always verify with both boards before relocating.