Plumber

Alabama has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. Out-of-state plumbers must complete Alabama's standard certification process.

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed via a source citing official board information: 'Alabama has no reciprocity agreements for this license.' Out-of-state plumbers must go through Alabama's standard licensure process.

Note: No direct fetch of pgfb.state.al.us was completed to confirm this in the board's own words; based on a secondary source citing official information.

Arizona has no formal plumbing license reciprocity with any state. A case-by-case Out-of-State Waiver Request is the main alternative path; Arizona's Statutes & Rules exam, bonding, and insurance are always still required.

Why, and what applies instead: RESOLVED via the Arizona Registrar of Contractors' own official page (roc.az.gov, applying/reciprocity section), confirmed and echoed by a secondary source directly quoting it: 'Arizona does not operate a universal reciprocity system for contractor licenses.' There is no named bilateral reciprocity agreement for this trade. Two real alternative pathways exist agency-wide: (1) The NASCLA Accredited Examination Program - the NASCLA program'S coverage of the plumbing (C-37) classification specifically was not confirmed - do not assume it applies without checking roc.az.gov directly; (2) An Out-of-State Waiver Request - a case-by-case review where the Registrar may waive the AZ trade exam if the applicant's out-of-state exam is judged comparable. Neither is a named reciprocity list, so this is recorded as 'No' formal reciprocity with a clear description of the real alternative paths, per this project'S standing rule that a conditional case-by-case process is not the same claim as a named reciprocity agreement.

Colorado has no formal plumbing reciprocity agreements with any state - the State Plumbing Board evaluates out-of-state licenses case by case through an endorsement process rather than a named-state list.

Why, and what applies instead: Multiple consistent sources, including a source directly citing Colorado Revised Statutes Title 12 Article 155: Colorado has no formal, named reciprocity agreements with any state for plumbing. Instead, DORA runs a case-by-case 'endorsement' review of out-of-state licenses for substantial equivalency (exam basis, code edition, training hours). Denver operates its own separate licensing authority outside this state framework.

Note: Relabeled 2026-07-24: previously marked official but cited only secondary sources (caught in final full-dataset audit).

Connecticut has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state, consistent with its electrical program - DCP generally does not offer reciprocity for its state-licensed building trades.

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed via a detailed source describing DCP's general policy: 'The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) generally does not offer reciprocity for state-licensed building trades.' This matches the confirmed pattern for electrical.

Note: Inferred from DCP's general stated policy rather than a plumbing-specific official page quote.

Florida has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. (Florida's reciprocity agreements with Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina cover general/building/residential contractors only - not plumbing.) Out-of-state plumbers may apply for case-by-case endorsement; Florida'S business & finance exam still applies.

Why, and what applies instead: Florida's formal reciprocity application (DBPR form CILB 32) covers only General, Building, and Residential contractor classifications from Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Plumbing contractors are not covered by any formal reciprocity agreement. The only out-of-state path is certification by endorsement (form CILB 10) - a case-by-case exam-equivalency review - or NASCLA-based endorsement where applicable. Florida business & finance exam still required.

Georgia has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. All out-of-state plumbers must meet Georgia's full requirements and pass the Georgia exam.

Why, and what applies instead: Official GA Secretary of State FAQ: 'No, Georgia does not have reciprocity with any other states for Master or Journeyman Plumbers.' Some aggregator sites claim otherwise - they are wrong; the official source controls.

Hawaii has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state, consistent with its electrical program (same board, same general DCCA policy).

Why, and what applies instead: Given the same Board of Electricians and Plumbers administers both trades with a documented no-reciprocity policy for electrical, and Hawaii's DCCA describes itself as generally having 'No universal reciprocity agreements' across its licensing boards, plumbing is recorded as no reciprocity by the same policy pattern - not independently confirmed with a plumbing-specific official quote.

Note: Inferred from the shared board and DCCA's general policy; not independently confirmed with a plumbing-specific quote.

Illinois has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. Out-of-state plumbers must meet the full Illinois requirements and pass the Illinois exam. (An internal transfer process exists between Chicago city licenses and the state license - that is not interstate reciprocity.)

Why, and what applies instead: Illinois has no reciprocity agreements with any other state. Out-of-state plumbers apply as new applicants and meet the full Illinois requirements. The only 'reciprocity' application that exists is internal - between a City of Chicago plumbing license and the state license.

Note: The 'no reciprocity' statement is consistent across multiple independent sources but was not found verbatim on the IDPH page. Confirm with IDPH before launch.

Indiana's plumbing statute technically allows reciprocity, but only where the other state'S licensing standards are equal to Indiana's and that state reciprocates back - and no state currently appears to meet that bar in practice. Out-of-state plumbers must apply through the standard Indiana process and pass the Indiana exam, though prior experience may count toward it.

Why, and what applies instead: RESOLVED with a genuine nuance found by checking the actual statute: IC 25-28.5-1-19 technically provides for reciprocity 'without examination' for any out-of-state licensed plumbing contractor or journeyman, but only if (per subsection c) the other state's standards were 'Substantially equal' and that state extends the same reciprocal privilege back to Indiana licensees. In practice, no state currently appears to satisfy this mutual-recognition condition - every current (2025/2026) secondary source consistently reports Indiana has no working plumbing reciprocity, and out-of-state applicants must complete Indiana'S application and pass its exam, though prior experience can be credited. This is a case where the letter of the statute promises more than the practical reality delivers.

Note: The 2025 Indiana Code confirms IC 25-28.5-1-19 (Reciprocity) is still active/unrepealed. One outlier source (contractorlicenserequirements.com) claims active bilateral reciprocity specifically with Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky - this conflicts with every other source found and was not corroborated; do not publish those three states without direct IPLA confirmation.

Massachusetts has no named-state plumbing reciprocity agreements. The Board will review an out-of-state license case-by-case if it's 'substantially equivalent' and has been active 3+ years, but this isn't a guaranteed exam waiver, and reciprocal applicants still take the Massachusetts exam.

Why, and what applies instead: Multiple consistent secondary sources state Massachusetts has no formal reciprocity agreements for plumbing; the Board instead does a case-by-case 'substantially equivalent' review requiring the out-of-state license to have been active 3+ years. One source notes the actual regulation (248 CMR 11.00) vaguely references reciprocity with 'relevant jurisdictions' without naming any - applicants are directed to contact the Board directly to check.

Note: No single official mass.gov page with an unambiguous 'no reciprocity' statement was located; the regulation itself (248 CMR 11.00) reportedly references reciprocity without naming states. Confirm directly with the Board before publishing as certain.

Michigan has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. Out-of-state experience may qualify you to take the Michigan exam, but the exam is not waived.

Why, and what applies instead: Michigan does not have reciprocity agreements with any state for LARA/BCC contractor trades. Out-of-state credentials are reviewed case by case for exam eligibility only.

Note: 'No reciprocity' is LARA's stated policy for its electrical program and reported consistently for all LARA/BCC trades; confirm the plumbing-specific page wording with LARA before launch.

New Jersey has no reciprocal agreements with other states for plumbing licenses. A conditional review path exists (comparable standards + the other state must also recognize NJ), but no specific state is published as currently qualifying - treat this as no practical reciprocity unless the Board confirms otherwise.

Why, and what applies instead: New Jersey has no formal reciprocal agreements with other states for plumbing licensing (consistent across multiple independent sources; no single official FAQ page with this exact sentence was located, so this is held at secondary confidence pending a direct board-page hit). A conditional path exists: the Board may grant a license to an out-of-state master plumber if that state's standards are comparable and that state also reciprocates with New Jersey - in practice this depends on board-by-board review, not a published state list.

Note: No single official njconsumeraffairs.gov FAQ page with the exact 'no reciprocity' sentence was located directly, though the claim is highly consistent across independent professional-licensing guides. Confirm directly with the Board before publishing as certain.

New Mexico has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. Out-of-state plumbers must complete New Mexico's standard journeyman/contractor certification process.

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed via a source stating this twice, explicitly: 'No. New Mexico does not have reciprocity agreements with other states for plumbing licenses.' One other secondary source claims plumbing MIGHT share the same reciprocal list as electrical - given the clearer and more explicit denial, and that New Mexico's own confirmed electrical reciprocity page specifically describes 'Electrician' reciprocity (not plumbing), this dataset treats plumbing as having no reciprocity.

Note: One contradicting secondary source exists claiming plumbing might share the electrical reciprocity list - the clearer, twice-stated denial was used instead. Confirm directly with CID.

North Carolina has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state. Exception paths: South Carolina license holders may qualify for a technical-exam waiver (NC business/law exam still required), and NC residents who previously held licenses in GA, SC, TN, VA, or WV may qualify under the Neighbor State License Recognition Act. Everyone else takes the full NC exams.

Why, and what applies instead: Official board statement: 'There are no license reciprocity agreements with any other state.' Two narrower pathways exist and should be described exactly: (1) A Technical Examination Waiver Agreement with South Carolina for plumbing contractors - the NC business/law exam is still required; (2) The Neighbor State License Recognition Act - a residency-based pathway for NC residents who previously worked licensed in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia. Neither is a reciprocity agreement.

Rhode Island has no plumbing license reciprocity with any state, consistent with its electrical program under the same DLT division.

Why, and what applies instead: Given ri dlt's Division of Professional Regulation administers electrical, plumbing, and other trades under the same 'No formal statutory reciprocity' framework confirmed for electrical, plumbing is recorded as following the same pattern - not independently confirmed with a plumbing-specific quote.

Note: Inferred from the shared division and confirmed electrical policy; not independently confirmed with a plumbing-specific quote.

South Carolina was not confirmed to have plumbing reciprocity with any specific named state in this research pass. A MASC/CAGC exam-waiver certification pathway exists for the Master Plumber classification, but which other states' licenses South Carolina accepts was not established - treat as no confirmed reciprocity until a specific state list is verified with LLR.

Where it applies: Trade-exam waiver via MASC/CAGC-issued Master Plumber Certifications (issued by exam)

Why, and what applies instead: South Carolina's licensing structure is genuinely fragmented across multiple boards: the SC Mechanical Contractors Board (SCMCB, commercial work over $10,000), the SC Residential Builders Commission (SCRBC, residential work over $500), and certifications historically issued by the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) - being transitioned to Carolinas AGC (CAGC) as the new certification provider effective January 1, 2026. This reflects the clearest confirmed findings; the wider picture across all boards, and the transition to the new certification provider, still needs checking. The official LLR page confirms Master Plumber Certification (issued by exam, either MASC through Dec. 2025 or CAGC from Jan. 2026 onward) is an accepted reciprocity/exam-waiver pathway for the Contractor'S Licensing Board - but a specific list of other states' plumbing licenses accepted was not confirmed. No list of accepted states is recorded here, because none was confirmed — that is deliberate rather than an oversight.

Note: Follow-up needed: confirm the specific out-of-state plumbing reciprocity list directly with LLR/SCMCB/SCRBC.

West Virginia's plumbing reciprocity list was not confirmed from the state'S own sources in this research pass - recorded as not established rather than guessed. Confirm directly with the WV Contractor Licensing Board.

Why, and what applies instead: The confirmed direction here is limited - only weak/indirect cross-references were found, not a direct WV-sourced confirmation. Treat this as unconfirmed and needing a dedicated follow-up search.

Note: Needs a dedicated, direct follow-up search - the accepts_from entry here is a weak inference, not a confirmed finding.

Wisconsin has no formal plumbing reciprocity agreements with any state. A case-by-case 'comity' review exists for comparable out-of-state licenses, but applicants generally still need to pass Wisconsin'S exam.

Why, and what applies instead: Consistently confirmed across multiple sources: Wisconsin has no formal state-to-state plumbing reciprocity agreements. Instead, DSPS runs a case-by-case 'Comity (Out of State)' review process (confirmed via an actual DSPS application form, #3129) for applicants whose out-of-state license is judged comparable to Wisconsin's - this still typically requires passing the Wisconsin exam.

Note: No single official DSPS FAQ page with an unambiguous 'no reciprocity' statement was located, though the finding is well-corroborated including by an official DSPS form referencing the case-by-case 'Comity' process.