Florida to Texas: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Florida does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Texas'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 or master plumber: exam eligibility without Texas apprenticeship or 48-hour training
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A plumber who currently holds a Journeyman or Master Plumber license issued by another state may apply directly for the Texas Journeyman Plumber Examination; the out-of-state license takes the place of the Texas apprentice registration or Tradesman license that in-state applicants need, and TSBPE's journeyman and exam-training pages state that such licensees 'do not have to complete the 48-hour training program.' The applicant must still document at least 8,000 hours of plumbing-trade experience on Employer Certification Forms (out-of-state hours count), submit fingerprints, pay the $40 exam fee, pass the Texas exam and then pay the $40 license fee. TSBPE's pages describe no exam waiver, but Occupations Code §1301.3581 (2021) lets the Board waive any prerequisite for a holder of a substantially equivalent license and says such an applicant 'may not be required to undergo an examination' if the equivalent license has been held at least two years; the Board has not published rules, equivalency findings or a separate form implementing this, so applicants should expect to test unless TSBPE grants a waiver on request. There is no separate Texas law or business exam at this level.
TSBPE's journeyman page treats an out-of-state license as exam eligibility and waives only the 48-hour training. Occupations Code §1301.3581 may let the Board skip the exam if you have held a substantially equivalent license for at least two years, but TSBPE has not published a form or partner-state list for that. Plan to take the Texas exam unless the Board tells you otherwise. See https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/journeyman.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Florida license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 8,000 hours of experience working in the plumbing trade, documented on TSBPE Employer Certification Form(s) signed by the employer; Occ. Code §1301.354(c)/(c-1) allows up to 1,000 hours of credit for the classroom portion of a DOL apprenticeship and up to 250 hours for an approved CTE course sequence.
- US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas
- You must have held your Florida license for at least 2 years.Only relevant to a statutory exam waiver: Occ. Code §1301.3581(d) applies to an applicant who has held an equivalent license in another jurisdiction for at least two years. Not a condition for sitting the exam.
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($40). Journeyman Plumber Examination application fee payable to TSBPE (listed as 'Exam Fee: $40'); the page does not state whether a separate Pearson VUE seat fee applies.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Texas Journeyman Plumber Examination (required unless TSBPE grants a waiver under Occ. Code §1301.3581 for a substantially equivalent license held at least two years); passing score set by the Board.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($40). Initial license fee for the certificate of licensure and pocket card after passing; renewal $40 per year (late: $20 within 90 days, $40 after 90 days).
- 4Background check. Complete a background check. One-time fingerprint submission for a DPS/FBI criminal history check (Occ. Code §1301.3515); Supplemental Criminal History Information Form if convicted of a felony.
- 5Other. Employer Certification Form(s) documenting the 8,000 hours, plus a copy of the current out-of-state Journeyman or Master Plumber license.
- 6Other. 48-hour TSBPE training program - waived for holders of a current out-of-state Journeyman or Master Plumber license (if applicable).
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of TSBPE-approved continuing professional education each year to renew, three hours in health protection, energy conservation and water conservation (Occ. Code §1301.404).
Published fees on this path total $80, 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 · $40
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other · if applicable
- Continuing education
How Texas licenses journeyman plumbers
Texas journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Texas licenses Journeyman Plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), which also issues Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector licenses and registers Plumber's Apprentices. A new applicant must be a registered Texas apprentice (or Tradesman Plumber-Limited), document at least 8,000 hours of plumbing experience on Employer Certification Forms, complete a TSBPE-approved 48-hour training program (waived for DOL apprenticeship enrollees/graduates, AAS plumbing-technology graduates and out-of-state journeyman or master licensees), submit fingerprints for a DPS/FBI criminal history check, pay a $40 exam fee, pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination and pay a $40 initial license fee. Licenses renew annually for $40 and require six hours of continuing professional education a year. A journeyman works under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber and may supervise apprentices. TSBPE publishes no reciprocity agreements; a plumber licensed in another state applies for the same exam, with the training requirement waived and the out-of-state license accepted in place of Texas apprentice registration.
Why Florida has nothing to transfer
Florida journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber certificate of competency (county-issued)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by County and municipal licensing boards (no state journeyman license)
Florida has no state journeyman plumber license. The Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR certifies and registers plumbing contractors only (occupation codes CF/RF); s. 489.105 never defines 'journeyman', and the Board's plumbing application list has no journeyman credential. Hillsborough County states there is 'no State of Florida requirement for anyone to hold a Journeyman Certificate of Competency.' Section 489.1455, F.S., instead authorizes counties and municipalities to issue journeyman licenses in the plumbing (and pipe fitting, mechanical, or HVAC) trades to a person who scores at least 75 percent on a proctored journeyman exam, has completed a registered apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, and completes Florida Building Commission coursework, and it requires every county and municipality to recognize a journeyman licensed by any other Florida county or municipality. Large urban counties run such programs (Hillsborough's Journeyman Plumber Certificate of Competency; Miami-Dade's Construction Trades Qualifying Board plumbing journeyman card). An out-of-state journeyman plumber license carries no state-level recognition, so an arriving plumber should expect to document experience and take the county exam in the first county that requires a card, after which that Florida county card is portable statewide under s. 489.1455(2).
How local licensing works in Florida
How local licensing works. DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board certifies (statewide) and registers (locally qualified) plumbing contractors and issues no personal license below contractor. Section 489.1455, F.S. lets counties and municipalities license journeymen in the plumbing, pipe fitting, mechanical and HVAC trades on three conditions: 75 percent on a proctored Block and Associates or other board-approved journeyman exam, a registered and state-approved apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, and Florida Building Commission-approved coursework (within 6 months of certification). Subsection (2) makes every county and municipality recognize a journeyman licensed by any other Florida county or municipality. A journeyman card never authorizes contracting; the holder works under a certified or registered plumbing contractor.
Hillsborough County. Development Services issues a Journeyman Electrician or Plumber Certificate of Competency. Fees on the 2026-09-16 page: $50 nonrefundable initiation, $100 on acceptance, $70 one-time registration. The holder 'must always work under the supervision of a properly licensed Electrical/Plumbing Contractor.' Application is through HillsGovHub with apprenticeship completion (if any), an approved-agency exam score if already tested, and a verification-of-experience form. From the 2026-09-15 reading of the same hub: three years of proven field experience (up to one-half education equivalent), open-book exam at 75 percent or above, $240 fee; the county 'only reciprocates with Broward and Palm Beach County in specific trade categories' and only for journeymen who scored 75% or higher. The 2026-09-16 hub extract did not reprint those figures.
Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board journeyman application (read 2026-09-15 for HVAC/electrical FL; pinellas.gov and the PDF failed to extract on 2026-09-16) offered Plumbing, Electrical, Pipe Fitting, Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal Journeyman classifications: open-book independent-agency exam, about six hours, passing grade 70%, $75 non-refundable application fee, notarized employer experience certificates, six-year employment history and three character letters. No out-of-state reciprocity is printed on that form. Journeymen must be certified by PCCLB to work in the county.
Broward, Palm Beach, Orange and Duval. Broward County's Building Code Division Central Examining Boards use a contractor/journeyman packet (Chapter 9) that the HVAC and electrical FL files document for mechanical and electrical journeymen ($225 journeyman application / $120 renewal / $50 letter of reciprocity as of January 1, 2025; 75% GITS or ProV exam). Treat those as leads.
Out-of-state journeymen. None of the county programs reviewed publishes an out-of-state reciprocity rule. Expect to sit the first county's exam; a qualifying Florida county card is then recognized statewide under s. 489.1455(2).
- Hillsborough County (Development Services, Journeyman Plumber Certificate of Competency)
- Miami-Dade County (Construction Trades Qualifying Board - Plumbing)
- Pinellas County (Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board - Plumbing Journeyman)
- Broward County (Building Code Division, Central Examining Boards)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Texas journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Florida?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Florida license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Texas journeyman plumber license from Florida?
- Published fees on this path total $80, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Florida work hours count in Texas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Texas to Florida?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Florida, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Texas Occupations Code ch. 1301 (Plumbing License Law) - definitions, apprentice/exam prerequisites, fingerprints, renewal and CE · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.002, 1301.354, 1301.3515, 1301.352, 1301.401, 1301.403, 1301.404 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code § 1301.3581 Reciprocity; § 1301.3585 military applicants; § 1301.403(e) former Texas licensees; § 1301.360 temporary license · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.3581, 1301.3585, 1301.403(e), 1301.360 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 22 TAC § 365.1 - License, Endorsement and Registration Categories; Scope of Work Permitted · 22 TAC § 365.1 (eff. 11/23/2022) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - Exam Training (48-hour journeyman training program and exemptions) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - Journeyman Plumber (eligibility, how to apply, fees) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - License Types (licenses, endorsements, registrations; renewal and CE overview) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · 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.