Delaware to Massachusetts: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Delaware does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Journeyman by examination with documented education and experience (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state journeyman plumber applies online through ePLACE for Board approval to sit the Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber examination. There is no published reciprocal agreement and M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 directs the examiners to examine each applicant, so the Massachusetts trade exam is not waived. The applicant uploads an Education Verification Form signed by a school official, a Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber, a 2x2 passport-style photo and a notarized CORI Acknowledgement Form, and pays the $31 non-refundable application fee. If the Board finds the minimum education and work experience shown, PSI notifies the candidate to schedule; scores are available immediately after the test, a failing candidate may retake within 12 months of Board approval, and a passing candidate pays the $52 license fee at the test center.
Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Education Verification Form signed by an official at the applicant's plumbing school (applicants who began schooling before September 2008 must contact the Board first)
- Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber; the Employer's Statement section cannot be modified after signatureFee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more.
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($31). Non-refundable Journeyman Plumber application fee collected by the Board of Examiners (Valor Act reductions may apply); filed through ePLACE.
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Acknowledgement Form; second page must be notarized.
- 3Other. 2x2 passport-style photo uploaded with the online application.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber examination administered by PSI after Board approval; retake allowed within 12 months of approval..
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($52). Journeyman license fee paid at the PSI test center after passing (credit card, money order, cashier's or company check payable to PSI Exams).
Published fees on this path total $83, 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
How Massachusetts licenses journeyman plumbers
Massachusetts journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Massachusetts issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters under M.G.L. c. 142. No one may work as a journeyman plumber unless licensed by the examiners; a licensed journeyman plumber may also do gas-fitting work throughout the commonwealth, subject to local permits and bonding. Applicants file online through ePLACE with an Education Verification Form, a Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber, a 2x2 photo and a notarized CORI form. The Board must approve eligibility before PSI administers the exam; the published non-refundable application fee is $31 and the license fee after passing is $52, paid at the test center. M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 requires the examiners to examine each master and journeyman applicant and contains no reciprocity or exam-waiver clause. The Board's journeyman how-to does not list partner states.
Why Delaware has nothing to transfer
Delaware journeyman plumber
No individual license at this level
Delaware does not issue a journeyman or journeyperson plumber license. The Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners licenses only master plumbers (and master HVACR / master HVACR restricted), and 24 Del. C. § 1807(c)(1) lets an apprentice, journeyman, mechanic or other person provide plumbing services without a Board license while working under the supervision of a master plumber who is their employer or a full-time employee of the same business. An out-of-state journeyman plumber license therefore has nothing to transfer to in Delaware and is neither required nor recognized as a Delaware credential for employment. Delaware's own 'journeyman's certificate' in 24 Del. C. § 1808(a)(1) is a certificate of completion from a plumbing apprenticeship that meets or exceeds federal BAT/OA standards, issued in any state: it is an experience credential used toward the Master Plumber license, not a license. With that certificate, two years of post-apprenticeship work under a master plumber (or a similar-level licensee in another state) qualifies an applicant for the master exam; without it, seven years of such supervised experience plus the apprenticeship equivalency (bypass) tests are required. Out-of-state journeyman hours gained under a licensed master count toward those master-exam experience requirements.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Delaware?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts journeyman plumber license from Delaware?
- Published fees on this path total $83, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Delaware work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to Delaware?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Delaware, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 248 CMR - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters regulations · 248 CMR · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Journeyman Plumber license · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 3 - Master plumbers or gas fitters, journeymen and apprentices; licensing; advertising; display of license or certificate · M.G.L. c. 142, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 4 - Rules of examiners; qualifications of applicants; applications; examinations; issuance of license; probationary license; credit for veterans · M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 5 - Fees for licenses and examinations · M.G.L. c. 142, § 5 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI Exams - Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters exam catalog · PSI Services LLC (for the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.