Illinois to Massachusetts: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Illinois 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 Illinois has nothing to transfer
Illinois journeyman plumber · “No journeyman tier (Apprentice Plumber is the only sub-licence)”
No individual license at this level
Issued by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program
Illinois has no journeyman plumber licence. Under the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320) the Department of Public Health issues a single Plumber licence plus an Apprentice Plumber licence; there is no intermediate journeyman card and no master tier, and the City of Chicago's parallel programme under Section 16 follows the same two-tier structure. Every person who performs plumbing must hold one of those two licences (Section 3(1)). An out-of-state journeyman therefore has nothing to transfer to: the choices are (1) register as an Illinois Apprentice Plumber (age 16 or older, sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship programme, maximum six years as an apprentice) and work under supervision, or (2) qualify for the full Illinois Plumber licence, where Section 17(b) lets a plumber licensed by another state with substantially equal requirements sit the Illinois examination without first serving the four-year Illinois apprenticeship. Whether a journeyman-level origin licence counts as 'substantially equal' to the Illinois Plumber licence is decided by the State Board of Plumbing Examiners case by case and is not addressed on the IDPH page reviewed; see the master level for the licence route.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts journeyman plumber license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $83, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois 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 Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Illinois, 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.