Michigan to Massachusetts: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Massachusetts has no reciprocity agreement with Michigan. Your Michigan experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Massachusetts exam.
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)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An out-of-state journeyman plumber applies online through eLIPSE 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.
Education or experience gained outside Massachusetts counts only if the Board accepts it on written petition under 248 CMR 11.02(7); a plumber licensed in another state documents that the other state's requirements are substantially equivalent and supplies a good-standing statement from the issuing agency. The Massachusetts standard is 6,800 hours of work as a licensed apprentice plus 550 hours of Board-approved plumbing and gas fitting theory. The exam is given in two closed-book parts, written and practical, and 70% is required on each.
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 signature
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 eLIPSE.
- 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 after passing both parts of the exam.
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 eLIPSE 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, paid after passing, is $52. 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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Michigan?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts journeyman plumber license from Michigan?
- Published fees on this path total $83, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Michigan work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- 248 CMR 11.00 - Education and experience standards and requirements for licensure · 248 CMR 11.00 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 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 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 23, 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 23, 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 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 5 - Fees for licenses and examinations · M.G.L. c. 142, § 5 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 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.