Arizona to Louisiana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Arizona does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Louisiana's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state plumbing license accepted as exam eligibility (all states other than Texas and Arkansas)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A plumber who holds a valid, unexpired plumbing license from any other state may use it to qualify for the Louisiana Journeyman Plumber exam in place of Louisiana apprentice registration and the 7,000/8,000-hour payroll documentation. The applicant attaches a copy of the out-of-state license to the standard journeyman application for Board approval; the journeyman application states that 'Only States that require at least 8,000 hours on-the-job training will be accepted', so a license from a state with a lower hour threshold will be refused. Nothing else is waived: the applicant files the notarized application at least 30 days before a quarterly exam with $135, passes the 80-question written exam on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and International Residential Code and the 1-hour practical (floor plan, screw pipe and copper projects) with 70% in each category, then pays $50 for the initial license. There is no separate law or business exam at the journeyman level. Once licensed, the journeyman must be employed by a licensed Louisiana master company to work and renews annually before December 31 with continuing education.
R.S. Act 908 of 2026 moves plumbing licensing to the LSLBC; requirements may change after the transfer.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Arizona license must be active and in good standing.
- The origin state must require at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training for the license held; licenses obtained with fewer hours are not approvedJourneyman application, eligibility paragraph c, and the licenses page out-of-state note.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The out-of-state license stands in for the 8,000 hours (unindentured) or 7,000 hours (indentured) of Louisiana apprentice payroll documentation that in-state applicants must submit.
What you'll do to get licensed in Louisiana
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($125). Journeyman Plumber Exam Fee payable to SPBLA by check or money order with the notarized application (filed at least 30 days before the quarterly exam date; forfeited for no-show or cancellation under 30 days, 50% retained for earlier withdrawal).
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($10). Processing Charge added to the exam fee ($135 total).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Board-administered Journeyman Plumber exam in Baton Rouge or Shreveport: 80-question, 3-hour written exam on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and 2021 International Residential Code plus a 1-hour practical (floor plan, screw pipe and copper projects); minimum 70% in each category; a passed part is kept for one year.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Initial Journeyman License fee paid with the Initial Journeyman License form after passing; license expires December 31 each year (renewal fee not published on the pages reviewed).
- 5Other. Copy of the valid out-of-state plumbing license attached to the notarized application; applicants convicted of a plumbing-related felony must contact the Board.
- 6Other. Temporary Work Permit ($75, one per lifetime) allowing an approved candidate to work as a journeyman until the scheduled exam date (if applicable).
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Continuing education every year through an SPBLA-approved provider before the December 31 renewal (hour count for journeymen not stated on the pages reviewed).
Published fees on this path total $185, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Exam fee · $125
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Louisiana licenses journeyman plumbers
Louisiana journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA)
Louisiana licenses Journeyman Plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA), which also registers apprentices and licenses Residential Plumbers, Master Plumbers, natural gas fitters and medical gas and WSPS endorsements. A new in-state applicant must be a registered apprentice with 7,000 hours (indentured, in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved program) or 8,000 hours (unindentured) of supervised plumbing work documented by payroll records or W-2s, file a notarized application with $135 ($125 exam + $10 processing), and pass a Board-administered 80-question, 3-hour written exam on the 2021 IPC/IRC plus a 1-hour practical, scoring at least 70% in each category. The first license costs $50; licenses expire December 31 each year and renewal requires annual continuing education (hours for journeymen are not stated on the pages reviewed). A journeyman works under a licensed Louisiana Master Plumber and must be employed by a licensed master company for the license to be 'workable'. The Board has signed journeyman reciprocity agreements only with Texas and Arkansas; a plumbing license from any other state qualifies the holder to sit the Louisiana journeyman exam without Louisiana apprentice registration, provided the origin state required at least 8,000 on-the-job hours. Act 908 of the 2026 session transfers plumbing licensing to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors; the transition was under public discussion in late 2026 and no changed requirements had been published.
Why Arizona has nothing to transfer
Arizona journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (City of Phoenix)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department (no state journeyman licence)
Arizona has no state journeyman plumber licence. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses only plumbing contractors (C-37 commercial, R-37 residential including solar, CR-37 dual), and an individual plumber works as an employee of a licensed contractor without any personal state credential. The one large jurisdiction verified here that licenses individuals is Phoenix, whose Building Construction Code requires all permitted plumbing and mechanical work to be performed by a City of Phoenix Journeyman (Plumber and Gas Fitter) or a registered Apprentice: the journeyman card requires passing a $100 exam based on the 2024 UPC or IPC plus the 2024 IFGC at an approved testing site, documenting at least four years of trade experience, and paying a $50 fee for a three-year licence. An out-of-state journeyman plumber licence has no state-level recognition and Phoenix publishes no reciprocity, so an arriving journeyman takes the Phoenix exam to pull permits there and otherwise simply works under an ROC-licensed contractor. Other Arizona cities (Tucson, Mesa and others) were not verified for this entry.
How local licensing works in Arizona
How local licensing works. Arizona licenses plumbing contractors at the state level through the Registrar of Contractors and leaves individual tradesperson licensing to cities. The Registrar's classification page, application page and A.R.S. 32-1122 describe no journeyman, master or individual plumber licence; the state credential is a business contractor licence in the C-37, R-37 or CR-37 classification qualified by a named qualifying party. Phoenix is the only jurisdiction verified here that licenses individual plumbers.
Phoenix. The Planning and Development Department issues Journeyman licences in the Plumber and Gas Fitter, Mechanical, Gas Fitter, Mechanical and Gas Fitter, and combined Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Fitter trades, plus Apprentice licences. A journeyman plumber applicant must first pass a journeyman exam at an approved testing site (Arizona Sheet Metal JATC in Phoenix for union and non-union candidates, or P.I.P.E. in Tempe for union members; $100 paid to the site; based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, or the 2024 International Plumbing Code and 2024 IFGC), then apply in person or by mail to 438 W. Adams St. with proof of at least four years of experience in the trade (a United Association Journeyman Plumber, Fitter or Refrigeration Fitter union card, a Sheet Metal Workers union card, or a notarized statement on company letterhead signed by a company official), photo ID, the exam result and the $50 fee (paid within 60 days of the exam; $100 for the combined Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Fitter card). The licence is valid three years and renews for $20 ($40 combined). An apprentice licence (one year, no exam) requires a notarized letter confirming current employment as a plumber, mechanical or gas fitter apprentice and work under a licensed journeyman or Arizona-licensed contractor at all times. The qualifying party of an ROC-licensed contractor does not need a journeyman licence to perform or observe work under the Phoenix code, and may optionally buy one for $50.
Other cities. Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe and other municipalities were not checked for this entry; a plumber should confirm local requirements before pulling permits outside Phoenix.
Out-of-state holders. Neither the Registrar of Contractors nor Phoenix recognizes an out-of-state journeyman plumber licence or exam. Phoenix's page and brochure contain no reciprocity or endorsement language: every applicant passes the local exam and documents four years of experience, although the experience letter may come from an out-of-state employer or a national union card. Outside Phoenix no personal licence is required to work for a licensed contractor. Documented out-of-state experience does count toward the four years of practical trade experience an ROC qualifying party needs to open a plumbing contracting business (see the master level).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Louisiana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Arizona?
- Yes. Louisiana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Louisiana journeyman plumber license from Arizona?
- Published fees on this path total $185, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Arizona work hours count in Louisiana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Louisiana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Louisiana to Arizona?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Louisiana to Arizona, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- SPBLA home page - 'Open Discussion: Plumbing Licensing Transition' (Act 908 of the 2026 Legislative Session) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- SPBLA - Journeyman Plumber Exam Application and Candidate Bulletin · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - Licenses (Apprentice, Residential Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, WSPS, Medical Gas, Natural Gas) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.