Georgia to West Virginia: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
West Virginia has no reciprocity agreement with Georgia. A Georgia journeyman plumber applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman plumber — reciprocity rule plus RECAP (no named partners)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
West Virginia has no published list of plumber reciprocity partner states. W. Va. Separately, the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3) obliges the Division to issue the occupational license when the applicant holds a current license in another state in the same or a similar occupation with comparable requirements, has held it at least one year, met that state's education and examination requirements, is in good standing with no revocation, surrender or pending complaint, has no disqualifying criminal record, has established West Virginia residency, and pays the applicable fees. That statutory path does not add a West Virginia trade exam. Applicants who cannot meet RECAP (or whatever the unread plumbing reciprocity rule requires) sit the Division of Labor journeyman plumber written exam, which the statute sets at a 70 percent passing score and which the DOL/Prov candidate bulletin prices at $59.95 through Prov. The 2009 without-examination grandfather in 21-14-4(2) is closed. Statute 21-14-2 states no experience-hour minimum for the journeyman class. License and application fee amounts for journeyman plumbers were not published on the pages that opened.
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 Georgia license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Georgia license for at least 1 year.RECAP route (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)). The unread 21-14-4(3) reciprocity rule may use a different or no holding period.
- Your Georgia license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- West Virginia residency is required for the mandatory RECAP route (W. Va.
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Va. Code 21-14-2 through 21-14-4; plumber-in-training fee is capped at $25 by 21-14-2(d) but that cap is not the journeyman fee).
- 2Other. 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. You can also call the board at 304-356-3928..
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia journeyman plumber written exam through Prov if the applicant does not qualify under RECAP or the unread reciprocity rule. Statute: at least 70 percent (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(b)). DOL/Prov bulletin (HVAC-session extract): $59.95 computer-based, 70 percent cut, no waiting period to retake..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee when the written exam is required (DOL/Prov Candidate Information Bulletin extract; paid to the testing vendor, not the Division).
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 are expected to use the Commissioner's reciprocity rules (W. Va. Code 21-14-4(3), text unread) and, where they qualify, the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3), which requires the board to issue an occupational license without adding West Virginia's own exam when the origin license has been held 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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the West Virginia journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Georgia?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Georgia license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- Do my Georgia 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 Georgia?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to Georgia, the mechanism is experience credit.
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 16, 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 16, 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 16, 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 16, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Supervision of Plumbing Work (legislative-rule PDF linked from the Licensing hub) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 (rule-making authority for Article 14) · West Virginia Division of Labor · 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.