California to Connecticut: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
California does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Connecticut'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.
Journeyperson (P-2) by equivalent out-of-state license (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A plumber licensed in any other state applies under DCP's 'Plumbing Journeyperson - Equivalent Out of State License' path. DCP reviews one out-of-state license for equivalency: it must have required the same classroom hours (576 for the P-2), an equivalent classroom curriculum matching Exhibit A, and the same on-the-job training hours (8,000 for the P-2) as the Connecticut class applied for. Limited classes have lower hour tables (J-2 4,000/288, J-4 2,000/144, P-6 2,000/180, P-8 2,000/144). The applicant submits a copy of the license, official license verification, the laws and regulations that set the requirements met to obtain it, and that license's scope of work, with the non-refundable $90 application fee; only one origin license is reviewed. If the license is found equivalent, CGS 20-333 and 20-334a(a)(2) still require the Connecticut journeyperson examination before the $120 initial license is issued—the origin license does not waive the trade exam. If equivalency cannot be proven, DCP will not approve the application on this path (the applicant must instead document apprenticeship or equivalent experience and training). No named reciprocal partners appear on the plumbing out-of-state pages.
The out-of-state page does not itself restate that an exam is required; the exam follows from the scope page ('qualify for this license examination') and CGS 20-333 / 20-334a(a)(2)(A) (unlimited journeyman: apprenticeship of not less than four years and the state licensure examination). Typical processing time is not published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your California license must be active and in good standing.
- The out-of-state license must be equivalent: same classroom hours (576 for P-2), equivalent curriculum matching Exhibit A, and same OJT hours (8,000 for P-2) as the Connecticut class applied forOnly one out-of-state license is reviewed for equivalency. Limited-class hour tables: J-2 4,000/288, J-4 2,000/144, P-6 2,000/180, P-8 2,000/144.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.On-the-job training hours required for the P-2; demonstrated through the equivalent out-of-state license or, failing that, through a registered apprenticeship or equivalent experience and training (CGS 20-334a(a)(2)(A) also requires not less than four years' apprenticeship experience for an unlimited journeyman).
What you'll do to get licensed in Connecticut
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($90). Journeyperson application fee, non-refundable (CGS 20-333); DCP out-of-state page restates that application fees are nonrefundable.
- 2Other. Copy of the out-of-state license, official license verification, the laws/regulations listing the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license (one origin license only).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Connecticut P-2 Unlimited Journeyperson Plumber licensure examination after DCP determines eligibility (scope of work: qualify for this license examination; CGS 20-333 / 20-334a)..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination vendor fee per portion, due at exam registration..
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Initial license fee for a journeyperson license after passing the exam (CGS 20-335); renews annually for $120. Plumbing expiration month not confirmed on pages retrieved..
Published fees on this path total $210, 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.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee
How Connecticut licenses journeyman plumbers
Connecticut journeyman plumber · “P-2 Unlimited Journeyperson Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing
Connecticut licenses plumbers statewide through the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) under CGS Chapter 393 (plumbing and piping work). The journeyman-level credential is the P-2 Unlimited Journeyperson Plumber, which covers all plumbing and piping work defined in CGS 20-330 while employed by a contractor licensed for that work. Narrower journeyperson classes exist (J-2 well pumps, J-4 lawn sprinkler, P-6 sewer/storm/water, P-8 gasoline tank piping, PP-2 process piping, SP-2 spa and pool). A new P-2 applicant qualifies through a registered apprenticeship, equivalent experience and training, or an equivalent out-of-state license (576 classroom hours matching Exhibit A and 8,000 on-the-job hours) and, under CGS 20-333 and 20-334a(a)(2), must pass the state licensure examination. CGS 20-333a would allow the Commissioner to waive the exam only if the origin state reciprocates for Connecticut licensees; DCP's P-1/P-2 out-of-state pages name no partner states. Application fee $90 (non-refundable) and initial/renewal license fee $120; licenses expire annually (plumbing expiration month not confirmed on the pages retrieved).
Why California has nothing to transfer
California journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber / certificate of competency (city-issued)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by City and county building departments (no statewide journeyman plumber license)
California does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber or master plumber license. The only state plumbing credential is the C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), which is a contractor license qualified by a named individual, not a personal tradesperson card. Business and Professions Code §7053 takes wage employees outside the Contractors State License Law, so a plumber who works for a C-36 contractor needs no CSLB license; California's personal electrician certification (Labor Code §108) has no plumbing counterpart. Some cities and counties still examine and card journeyman plumbers (certificate of competency / journey-level plumber) for work in that jurisdiction. Those cards are not statewide, are not issued by CSLB, and an out-of-state journeyman plumber license is not recognized by any state board. An arriving journeyman should ask the building department where the job is whether a local plumber card is required and sit that city's exam; contracting independently requires a C-36 license, described at the master level.
How local licensing works in California
No state journeyman. CSLB's C-36 page and fee/reciprocity materials describe only contractor licensing. B&P §7053 leaves employed plumbers unlicensed at the state level. There is no DIR-style plumber certification.
How local cards work. Cities that still license individual plumbers typically issue a certificate of competency or journey-level plumber card after documented experience and a local exam. The card does not authorize contracting (that is C-36). Cards are not portable statewide; a Los Angeles card does not satisfy San Francisco, and vice versa. San Francisco DBI 'certificate-competency' redirected to the SF.gov Department of Building Inspection hub without the certificate list. City of San Diego /development-services/permits/contractor-licenses returned HTTP 404. Other cities and some counties may also card plumbers.
- Los Angeles (Department of Building and Safety - licensing / plumber exams)
- San Francisco (Department of Building Inspection - certificate of competency)
- San Diego (Development Services)
- San Jose (Planning, Building and Code Enforcement)
- Sacramento (Community Development / Building)
- Oakland (Building permits / trade licensing)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Connecticut journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in California?
- Yes. Connecticut requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Connecticut journeyman plumber license from California?
- Published fees on this path total $210, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my California work hours count in Connecticut?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Connecticut's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Connecticut to California?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Connecticut to California, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 393 - Occupational Licensing (Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, Heating, Cooling...) · CGS §§ 20-330, 20-333, 20-333a, 20-334a, 20-335 · Connecticut General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP Exhibit A - Required Courses for Plumbing License Types · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing Journeyperson: Equivalent Out of State License · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing and Pipefitting Licensing (renewal, reinstatement and CE hub linked from the contractor out-of-state page) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing Licenses and Scope of Work · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- RCSA § 20-332-2 (eRegulations link from DCP plumbing journeyperson out-of-state page) · RCSA § 20-332-2 · Connecticut eRegulations System · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.