Do I have to take the Maryland journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?

Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.

How long do I need to have held my New York license?

At least 4 years before applying.

What does it cost to get a Maryland journeyman plumber license from New York?

Published fees on this path total $43.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in Maryland?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maryland's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Maryland to New York?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maryland to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

New York to Maryland: journeyman plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 9 sources

New York does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Maryland'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.

Out-of-state journey plumber by examination (PSI), unless a reciprocal license applies

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

For any origin that is not the District of Columbia, WSSC, or Baltimore County, Maryland does not waive the journey plumber exam. The License Requirements page sets eligibility at four years as an apprentice plumber plus 7,500 hours of apprentice work, a 32-hour backflow prevention certification, and the PSI journey exam. Upload proof of hours, backflow certification and a driver's license to PSI's Client Portal, then register at test-takers.psiexams.com/mdplu (centers in Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown, Lanham and Salisbury). After passing, apply for the original Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter license and pay the $43.50 fee (July 1, 2025 schedule). Reciprocal licenses for DC, WSSC and Baltimore County are authored as agreements (WSSC/Baltimore County are municipal origins, not state codes). There is no published separate Maryland law or business exam on the pages reviewed.

Occ. & Prof. qualification and waiver sections after §12-101. WSSC and Baltimore County are Maryland municipal issuers, not origin state codes; they are recorded via acceptsMunicipalOriginLicenses and municipalNotes rather than agreements.origin. Insurance on plinsure.shtml is written for masters. Do not treat this default path as Reciprocity.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

You must have held your New York license for at least 4 years.Four years as an apprentice plumber (Maryland License Requirements page).
You must document at least 7,500 hours of qualifying work experience.7,500 hours of work as an apprentice plumber (Maryland License Requirements page). Out-of-state apprentice hours are uploaded to PSI as proof of hours worked.
32-hour backflow prevention certification, uploaded to PSI with the exam application

What you'll do to get licensed in Maryland

1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maryland Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter examination administered by PSI after the applicant uploads eligibility documents; required before applying for the license..
2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. 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..
3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($43.50). Original Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter license fee, updated July 1, 2025 (renewal is also $43.50).
4Other. Copy of backflow certification, uploaded to PSI's Client Portal with the exam application.
5Other. Copy of driver's license, uploaded to PSI's Client Portal.
6Other. Proof of hours worked, uploaded to PSI's Client Portal.

Published fees on this path total $43.50, 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
Exam fee

How Maryland licenses journeyman plumbers

Maryland journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter”

State license plus local requirements

Verified September 16, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Department of Labor)

Maryland issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter license (statutory name: journey plumber) through the State Board of Plumbing in the Department of Labor. A journey plumber provides plumbing services under the direction and control of a master plumber or limited master plumber. Qualification on the Board's License Requirements page is four years as an apprentice plumber plus 7,500 hours of apprentice work, a 32-hour backflow prevention certification, and the PSI journey exam. State plumber licenses are required throughout Maryland except Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) service area in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, which issue their own plumber licenses. The original license fee is $43.50 (updated July 1, 2025). The Board issues reciprocal Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter licenses to holders licensed by the District of Columbia, WSSC, or Baltimore County (WSSC and Baltimore County applicants must hold both plumbing and gas licenses obtained by examination). Apprentice plumber licenses may be renewed for only two consecutive cycles before the journey exam is required (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-308.1).

How local licensing works in Maryland

The Board's home page states that State plumber and natural-gas-fitter licenses are required throughout Maryland except (1) Baltimore County and (2) areas served by WSSC in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties; those two jurisdictions issue their own licenses and have their own plumbing code. Propane-gas-fitter certificates from the State Board are valid statewide, including those counties. Inbound plumbers who will work only in Montgomery or Prince George's County should apply to WSSC, not (or not only) to the State Board; work only in Baltimore County goes through Baltimore County. Work in the remaining counties and Baltimore City uses the State Board license. The reciprocal-license page states the Board may issue a State journey or master plumber license to a person already licensed by WSSC or Baltimore County if that person holds both plumbing and gas licenses obtained by examination.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (Montgomery County)
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (Prince George's County)
Baltimore County

Moving to Maryland Leaving Maryland

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (municipal; NYC registration / Westchester Journey-Level)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 16, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by New York cities and counties (no statewide plumber licence)

New York has no statewide plumber licence at any level: the Department of State's Division of Licensing Services regulates 35 occupations and none of them is plumber, plumbing contractor, journeyman plumber or master plumber. Journeyman-level plumbing credentials therefore exist only where a city or county ordinance creates them, and they are not interchangeable. New York City's Department of Buildings issues a Journeyman Plumber / Fire Suppression Piping Installer registration (employees work under a licensed Master Plumber; the registration is not an independent contracting licence). Westchester County issues a Journey-Level plumber licence (exam application $25, licence and renewal $75) that is required to work as a plumber anywhere in the county, including Yonkers. Rochester publishes a Plumbing Licensing programme on its Licensed Trades page but does not list class names or fees on that page. An out-of-state journeyman plumber licence has no state-level recognition in New York; the arriving worker must satisfy the city or county where the work will be done, and in New York City that typically means working under a licensed Master Plumber while holding (or obtaining) the city journeyman registration.

How local licensing works in New York

How local licensing works. No state agency licenses plumbers in New York. Each city or county that requires a licence runs its own examining board under its own ordinance, so titles, exams and fees differ, and a licence from one jurisdiction is not automatically valid in another. There is no defaultPath and no state-to-state agreement at this level.

New York City. DOB's licence-types list includes 'Plumbing and Fire Suppression (Master and Journeyman)'. The master-plumbers page links Obtain a Journeyman Plumber / Fire Suppression Piping Installer Registration (and a separate Gas Work Qualification). The registration is person-held and is the city's journeyman-level credential; independent plumbing contracting in the five boroughs requires the Master Plumber licence (see master level). New applications go through DOB NOW (since 7 September 2021). The master written (LIC41, $585) and practical (LIC42, $530) exam fees published on the master-plumbers page apply to the Master Plumber licence, not to the journeyman registration.

Westchester County (including Yonkers). 'Plumbers and Electricians must obtain a trade license from Westchester County in order to work in the county. The first step is to apply to take the licensing examination.' Journey-Level exam application $25.00; Journey-Level licence $75.00; Journey-Level renewal $75.00; vehicle decals $5.00 each. Exam and re-examination amounts are paid to the testing company and are not listed on the fee page. Yonkers does not appear to issue a separate city plumber licence; county law requires the Westchester trade licence to work in the county.

Rochester. The Licensed Trades page lists Plumbing Licensing alongside electrical and SE/RO and routes applications to the city's Infor portal (585-428-9339). Confirm the destination city or county before working; in NYC plan to work under a Master Plumber and obtain the city journeyman registration; in Westchester apply for the Journey-Level exam.

New York City (Department of Buildings — Journeyman Plumber / Fire Suppression Piping Installer registration)
Westchester County (Department of Consumer Protection — Journey-Level plumber)
Yonkers (Westchester County Journey-Level / Master plumber licence required to work in the county)
Rochester (Licensed Trades — Plumbing Licensing)
Syracuse (Division of Code Enforcement; plumber licence unconfirmed on 2026 notice)
Buffalo (plumbing landing page HTTP 404; journeyman plumber licence unconfirmed)
Albany (plumber examining board not verified this session)

Moving to New York Leaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the Maryland journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.
How long do I need to have held my New York license?: At least 4 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Maryland journeyman plumber license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $43.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Maryland?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maryland's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Maryland to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maryland to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §12-101 - Definitions (State Board of Plumbing licenses) · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-101 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland Department of Labor - Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (boards index) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Taking the Exam (PSI) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Frequently Asked Questions (hub) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Forms and Fees (updated July 1, 2025) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Home · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. Title 12 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Licensing Applications · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - Apply for a Reciprocal License · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Maryland State Board of Plumbing - License Requirements · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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