California to West Virginia: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
California does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is West Virginia'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 journeyman plumber: licensure without examination under the reciprocity rule and RECAP (no named partners)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
West Virginia publishes no list of plumber reciprocity partner states. Under section 14 of the Division of Labor's plumbing rule (42CSR32), where another state licenses journeyman plumbers with requirements equivalent to West Virginia's, the Commissioner may grant a journeyman license without examination to a plumber from that state who proves compliance with every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)) and pays the $75 license fee. Those conditions are a current license in a similar occupation with comparable education, experience and exam requirements, held at least one year; having met that state's education and exam requirements; good standing everywhere licensed, with no revocation or surrender for negligence or misconduct and no pending complaint; no disqualifying criminal record; and established West Virginia residency. A plumber who worked for at least two years in a state that does not license plumbers may instead qualify on that work experience under W. Va. Code 21-17-4. Applicants who do not qualify take the Division's journeyman plumber exam through Prov ($59.95 per attempt, 70 percent to pass). The 2009 grandfather window in W. Va. Code 21-14-4(2) is closed.
Ohio's OCILB lists West Virginia Master Plumber for Ohio plumbing contractor reciprocity; that is Ohio inbound contractor licensing, not a WV journeyman agreement, so it is not listed under agreements.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- 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.
- You must have held your California license for at least 1 year.Required by W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(2), which 42CSR32 section 14.1 applies to plumbers licensed in other states.
- Your California license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Established West Virginia residency (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(5), applied through 42CSR32 section 14.1)
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Annual journeyman plumber license fee (42CSR32 section 9.1), paid to the West Virginia Division of Labor.
- 2Other. Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (R.E.C.A.P.) forms, which the Division provides on request by email at [email protected] or by phone at (304) 356-3928 rather than as a download.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia journeyman plumber exam through Prov, required only if the Commissioner does not grant the license without examination: 80 questions in 3 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(b); 42CSR32 section 10), with no waiting period to retake.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee per attempt when the exam is required, paid to Prov rather than the Division.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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 · if applicable
How West Virginia licenses journeyman plumbers
West Virginia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 (Supervision of Plumbing Work). Since January 1, 2009 a person performing or offering to perform plumbing work in the state must hold a Commissioner of Labor license and carry it on the job; the statute defines a journeyman plumber as a person who has passed a written journeyman examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to instruct and supervise a plumber in training. A plumber-in-training registration (fee capped at $25) exists for persons who have not yet passed the journeyman exam. Out-of-state journeymen can apply under the reciprocity section of the Division's plumbing rule (42CSR32 section 14), which lets the Commissioner grant a license of the same classification without examination to a plumber licensed in a state with equivalent requirements who meets every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), including holding the origin license for at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber reciprocity partners. Plumbing contractor work is a separate Contractor Licensing Board license (W. Va. Code 30-42) and is not this credential.
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. Other cities and some counties may also card plumbers; ask the building department where the job is for its current rules.
- 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 West Virginia journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in California?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my California license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a West Virginia journeyman plumber license from California?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my California work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to California?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to California, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-4 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: work experience · W. Va. Code 21-17-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Fees · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Forms (application, candidate bulletin, R.E.C.A.P. forms) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 42CSR32 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (Division of Labor legislative rule, effective May 1, 2023) · W. Va. Code R. 42-32-4, 42-32-6, 42-32-8, 42-32-9, 42-32-10, 42-32-14 · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.