New Jersey to Indiana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
New Jersey does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Indiana'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.
Commission review of out-of-state journeyman credentials (IC 25-28.5-1-19; no named partner states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Indiana publishes no list of reciprocal partner states for plumbing, so every out-of-state journeyman is handled under the same Commission review (Endorsement, not Reciprocity). IC 25-28.5-1-19 provides that a journeyman plumber licensed in another state shall without examination be granted an Indiana journeyman license of the same category if the applicant is at least 18, the origin requirements were substantially equal at the time of last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees. The applicant files a Journeyman Plumber application in MyLicense One with origin-licence verification. If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may still require the Indiana journeyman examination administered by PROV. Licence issuance fees depend on whether the licence is issued in an odd or even year.
Mechanism stays Endorsement because no named partner states were published; Reciprocity is reserved for exam-waived named origins. examTradeRequired is false because IC 25-28.5-1-19 is an exam waiver conditioned on substantial equality and mutual privilege, not an automatic partner list. Do not invent partner states.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your New Jersey license must be active and in good standing.
- Applicant is at least 18 years of age (IC 25-28.5-1-19)
- Origin state's licensing requirements were substantially equal to Indiana's at the time of the applicant's last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees (IC 25-28.5-1-19). If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may require the PROV exam.
What you'll do to get licensed in Indiana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Journeyman Plumber application/licence issuance fee paid in MyLicense One; amount not captured (PLA fee schedule accordion was collapsed). Initial fee is prorated by whether the licence is issued in an odd or even year..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Indiana Journeyman Plumber examination administered by PROV. Waived under IC 25-28.5-1-19 when origin requirements were substantially equal and Indiana licensees receive the same privilege; otherwise required after Commission review. Fee and passing score not captured..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PROV examination fee, paid to the vendor; amount not captured.
- 4Other. Verification of the out-of-state licence from the issuing state authority and documentation of apprenticeship completion or equivalent experience, uploaded in MyLicense One.
- 5Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). PLA FAQs describe a criminal background check step for applications; whether it applies to plumbing applicants was not confirmed.
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 Indiana licenses journeyman plumbers
Indiana journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)
Indiana licenses plumbers statewide through the Indiana Plumbing Commission, which is administered by the Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) under IC 25-28.5-1. The Commission registers Plumbing Apprentices and approves apprenticeship programs and schools, and it issues Journeyman Plumber and Plumbing Contractor licences to individuals, a Temporary Plumbing Contractor licence, and a Corporate Plumbing Business registration for entities. Applications, renewals and licence verification are handled online in MyLicense One with an Access Indiana account. The Indiana journeyman examination is administered by the testing vendor PROV, and initial licence fees are prorated by whether the licence is issued in an odd or even year of the two-year cycle. Indiana's statute contains a reciprocity section (IC 25-28.5-1-19) and a nonresident provision (IC 25-28.5-1-12), so an out-of-state journeyman applies to the Commission rather than to any city or county.
Why New Jersey has nothing to transfer
New Jersey journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber (defined status under a licensed master; no statewide journeyman license)”
No individual license at this level
Issued by New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Division of Consumer Affairs)
New Jersey does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license. The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (N.J.S.A. 45:14C; N.J.A.C. 13:32) licenses the Master Plumber and requires plumbing contractors to have a licensed master as bona fide representative. N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3 defines a 'journeyman plumber' as a person who works under a licensed master plumber or a supervisory journeyman plumber after completing a four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship (or a qualifying engineering bachelor's degree), and a 'supervisory journeyman plumber' as a journeyman with three additional years working with tools; those are experience statuses, not Board licenses. An out-of-state journeyman license therefore has nothing to transfer to in New Jersey: the arriving plumber works as a W-2 employee (or equivalent supervised worker) of a New Jersey licensed master / plumbing contractor, and the origin hours are useful mainly as documentation toward the master exam under N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2.
How local licensing works in New Jersey
Not coded as Municipal because the state occupies the field with a statewide master license and a statewide definition of who may work as a journeyman under that master. If a municipality still issues a local journeyman or plumber card (historically some cities did so before or alongside the state master license), that card is not a New Jersey Board credential and is not verified here. Confirm locally before assuming a city exam or fee.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Indiana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in New Jersey?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- Do my New Jersey work hours count in Indiana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Indiana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Indiana to New Jersey?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to New Jersey, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Indiana Code Title 25, Article 28.5 (Plumbers), Chapter 1 - Regulation of Plumbers; Creation of Commission; Licensing · IC 25-28.5-1-12, -15, -17, -18.1, -18.3, -18.5, -19, -20, -22, -23, -33 · Indiana General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Home (Indiana Plumbing Commission) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Licensing Information (application instructions, renewal, fee schedule) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Wayback Machine snapshot (2025-09-02) of PLA Plumbing Licensing Information · Internet Archive (capture of in.gov) · 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.