Hawaii to Georgia: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Hawaii. Your Hawaii experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Georgia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (no named reciprocity partners)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An out-of-state journeyman applies for the Georgia Journeyman Plumber license by examination under Rule 121-3-.02, the same as a first-time applicant. O.C.G.A. § 43-14-23 (effective July 1, 2026) lets the Division recognize licensees of substantially equal states that extend equivalent privileges to Georgia, and Rule 121-2-.03 allows formal written agreements, but the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity for plumbers. The applicant documents one year of full-time plumbing experience (2,000 documented hours) of a type covered by the state plumbing code, which counts regardless of whether that code applied where the work was done, with a signed affidavit from each supervising master. The statute requires that supervision to come from a 'licensed Master Plumber Class I or Class II', a term it defines as a plumber licensed under the Georgia chapter; Rule 121-3-.02 still also lists secondary experience such as county water or public-works maintenance and full-time plumbing inspection. Whether work supervised by a master licensed in another state qualifies is not stated, so confirm with the Division before applying. After two failures the applicant must complete a Board-approved review course before a third sitting (Rules 121-2-.06 and 121-3-.03). Licenses obtained elsewhere by grandfathering without an exam never qualify for Rule 121-2-.03 reciprocity and give no advantage beyond the experience credit.
Rule 121-2-.03 authorizes formal written agreements but names no states, and the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for master or journeyman plumbers. The rule speaks of 'other state licensing Boards', so city or county licenses from elsewhere are not a basis for recognition. The re-enacted statute defines a year of full-time experience as 2,000 documented hours.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- One year of full-time plumbing experience (2,000 documented hours) of a type covered by the state plumbing code, supervised by a licensed Master Plumber Class I or Class II and attested by each supervising master's signed affidavit (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-13(j)); Rule 121-3-.02(5) also lists secondary experience
- Three licensed plumbers who can attest to the applicant's plumbing experience (Rule 121-3-.02(3))
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Application and processing fee, paid in the GOALS portal (goals.sos.ga.gov) and non-refundable. The Board publishes the current amount only on its GOALS fee schedule..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Journeyman Plumber examination given by PSI after Board approval; open book; scaled score of 70 to pass (Rule 121-3-.02(2)). After two failures, a Board-approved review course is required before a third sitting..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when you register after Board approval. The Board does not publish the amount; PSI quotes it at registration (test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco, 855-898-0711)..
- 4Other. Three licensed-plumber references attesting to experience (Rule 121-3-.02(3)).
- 5Other. Experience record documenting at least one year of Primary or Secondary plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code.
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 Georgia licenses journeyman plumbers
Georgia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Georgia issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. Rule 121-3-.02 is the only CILB licensing rule that creates both master and journeyman credentials (electrical and conditioned-air rules license contractors only). Senate Bill 553 (2026) repealed and re-enacted the licensing statute, O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14, effective July 1, 2026, and the qualifications are now set in law: a journeyman applicant documents one year of full-time plumbing experience (2,000 documented hours) of a type covered by the state plumbing code, supervised by a licensed Master Plumber and attested by a signed affidavit from each supervising master, scores at least 70 on the Board-approved examination, consents to a criminal background check, and pays the Board's published application fee. The Division's application checklist still also asks for three licensed-plumber references, and Rule 121-3-.02 still lists secondary experience such as county water or public-works maintenance and full-time plumbing inspection, so confirm with the Division how it applies the new statute. Medical-gas piping is a separate statewide certificate (Rule 121-2-.11) available only to a current Georgia master or journeyman. O.C.G.A. § 43-14-23 lets the Division, in its discretion, license without examination someone who has practiced for at least two years under a license from a state with substantially equal requirements that gives Georgia licensees equivalent privileges; Rule 121-2-.03 still frames this as a formal written agreement, and the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for master or journeyman plumbers. In practice everyone therefore applies by examination, with out-of-state plumbing work counting toward the experience minimum. Exams are given by PSI, and licenses renew every two years by November 30 of even-numbered years with 8 hours of continuing education.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Hawaii?
- Yes. Georgia requires the trade exam on this path.
- Do my Hawaii work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Senate Bill 553 (2026), as passed and signed - repeals and re-enacts O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 (Electrical Contractors, Plumbers, Conditioned Air Contractors, Low Voltage Contractors, and Utility Contractors) · O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-2(13), (24), (25); 43-14-5; 43-14-6; 43-14-13; 43-14-20; 43-14-23 (as enacted by SB 553, 2026) · Office of the Governor of Georgia (signed legislation) · Statute · verified October 12, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Applications and Examinations (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Licensing (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.01, 121-3-.02 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02 - Statewide Master and Journeyman Plumber License · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02; O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-5, 43-14-6 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- How-To Guide: Plumber License · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Georgia State Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Georgia Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.