Illinois to New Hampshire: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Hampshire'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.
Traditional application and New Hampshire plumbing examination (non-qualifying jurisdictions)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state journeyman whose origin is not on OPLC's Plc 313.34 qualifying-jurisdiction list cannot use endorsement and applies through the traditional Mechanical Licensing Board process. Saf-Mec 302.14 states that an out-of-state licensee is eligible for the New Hampshire plumbing licensing examination upon proof of licensure or certification from the state where the applicant claims to have worked; the out-of-state credential does not waive the exam. After passing, the applicant pays the $198 two-year journeyman plumber fee in Plc 1002.25. Plc 313.11 lets an individual from a non-listed jurisdiction request a waiver of endorsement criteria based on education, training and experience; OPLC's reciprocity FAQs (electrical extraction) also allow a request to reconsider whether a jurisdiction is substantially similar.
Re-open https://www.oplc.nh.gov/new-changes-reciprocity-new-hampshire in a browser and add Endorsement agreements (examTradeRequired false) for each listed plumber origin; use Reciprocity only if a signed waiver-of-exam agreement is published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 14 days
What you must already have
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
- 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.
What you'll do to get licensed in New Hampshire
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. New Hampshire journeyman plumber licensing examination (Mechanical Licensing Board; Prov candidate bulletin is linked from the board home page)..
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($198). Journeyman plumber application / two-year license fee (Plc 1002.25 and OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board fee table)..
- 3Other. Demonstrate proof of origin-state plumber licensure or certification with the application (Saf-Mec 302.14)..
Published fees on this path total $198, 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 New Hampshire licenses journeyman plumbers
New Hampshire journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC)
New Hampshire issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Mechanical Licensing Board in the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). The same board licenses trainee/apprentice plumbers, master plumbers and mechanical business entities, and also regulates fuel gas fitters; it does not license HVAC technicians. The published two-year journeyman plumber fee is $198 (OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board fee table; Plc 1002.25). Since 3 May 2024, out-of-state journeymen from jurisdictions OPLC has determined substantially similar under RSA 310:17 and Plc 313.34 may be licensed by endorsement without the New Hampshire exam; Plc 313.34 treats a comparable journeyman path as a four-year apprenticeship with 560 instruction hours plus an exam, and the origin code must be the same or a later edition of New Hampshire's building and fire codes. Everyone else uses the traditional route: Saf-Mec 302.14 makes an out-of-state plumber license sufficient to sit the New Hampshire plumbing examination (Prov bulletin linked from the board page); the exam itself is not waived.
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 New Hampshire journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. New Hampshire requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Hampshire journeyman plumber license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $198, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in New Hampshire?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Hampshire's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 14 days.
- Does it work the other way, from New Hampshire to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Hampshire to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- NH OPLC - Mechanical Licensing Board (who we regulate; plumber licenses) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- NH OPLC - License Fees for the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OPLC - Reciprocity Licensing (HB 594 overview) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (endorsement qualifying jurisdictions by board) · RSA 310:17; Plc 313.34 · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 1002.25 - Mechanical Licensing Board application and licensing fees · Plc 1002.25 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 313.34 - Substantially similar requirements for Mechanical Licensing Board professions · Plc 313.34 (eff. 5-3-24, #13954); Plc 313.01; Plc 313.11 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- RSA Chapter 153 - Fire Safety; Mechanical Licensing Board (plumber and fuel gas licensing) · RSA 153:16-b; RSA 153:27-a; RSA 153:28; RSA 153:36, VII · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- RSA 310:17 - License Reciprocity (OPLC endorsement of out-of-state licenses) · RSA 310:17 (2023, 111:1, eff. Aug. 27, 2023) · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Saf-Mec 300 - Initial fuel gas fitting and plumbing licensing · Saf-Mec 302.14 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · 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.