New York to West Virginia: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
New York does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is West Virginia'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 journeyman plumber: licensure without examination under the reciprocity rule and RECAP (no named partners)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
West Virginia publishes no list of plumber reciprocity partner states. Under section 14 of the Division of Labor's plumbing rule (42CSR32), where another state licenses journeyman plumbers with requirements equivalent to West Virginia's, the Commissioner may grant a journeyman license without examination to a plumber from that state who proves compliance with every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)) and pays the $75 license fee. Those conditions are a current license in a similar occupation with comparable education, experience and exam requirements, held at least one year; having met that state's education and exam requirements; good standing everywhere licensed, with no revocation or surrender for negligence or misconduct and no pending complaint; no disqualifying criminal record; and established West Virginia residency. A plumber who worked for at least two years in a state that does not license plumbers may instead qualify on that work experience under W. Va. Code 21-17-4. Applicants who do not qualify take the Division's journeyman plumber exam through Prov ($59.95 per attempt, 70 percent to pass). The 2009 grandfather window in W. Va. Code 21-14-4(2) is closed.
Ohio's OCILB lists West Virginia Master Plumber for Ohio plumbing contractor reciprocity; that is Ohio inbound contractor licensing, not a WV journeyman agreement, so it is not listed under agreements.
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 York license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your New York license for at least 1 year.Required by W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(2), which 42CSR32 section 14.1 applies to plumbers licensed in other states.
- Your New York license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Established West Virginia residency (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(5), applied through 42CSR32 section 14.1)
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Annual journeyman plumber license fee (42CSR32 section 9.1), paid to the West Virginia Division of Labor.
- 2Other. Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (R.E.C.A.P.) forms, which the Division provides on request by email at [email protected] or by phone at (304) 356-3928 rather than as a download.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia journeyman plumber exam through Prov, required only if the Commissioner does not grant the license without examination: 80 questions in 3 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(b); 42CSR32 section 10), with no waiting period to retake.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee per attempt when the exam is required, paid to Prov rather than the Division.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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 · if applicable
How West Virginia licenses journeyman plumbers
West Virginia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 (Supervision of Plumbing Work). Since January 1, 2009 a person performing or offering to perform plumbing work in the state must hold a Commissioner of Labor license and carry it on the job; the statute defines a journeyman plumber as a person who has passed a written journeyman examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to instruct and supervise a plumber in training. A plumber-in-training registration (fee capped at $25) exists for persons who have not yet passed the journeyman exam. Out-of-state journeymen can apply under the reciprocity section of the Division's plumbing rule (42CSR32 section 14), which lets the Commissioner grant a license of the same classification without examination to a plumber licensed in a state with equivalent requirements who meets every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), including holding the origin license for at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber reciprocity partners. Plumbing contractor work is a separate Contractor Licensing Board license (W. Va. Code 30-42) and is not this credential.
Why New York has nothing to transfer
New York journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (municipal; NYC registration / Westchester Journey-Level)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by New York cities and counties (no statewide plumber license)
New York has no statewide plumber license 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 license). Westchester County issues a Journey-Level plumber license (exam application $25, license and renewal $75) that is required to work as a plumber anywhere in the county, including Yonkers. Rochester publishes a Plumbing Licensing program on its Licensed Trades page but does not list class names or fees on that page. An out-of-state journeyman plumber license 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 license runs its own examining board under its own ordinance, so titles, exams and fees differ, and a license 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 license-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 license (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 license, 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 license $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 license; county law requires the Westchester trade license 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 license required to work in the county)
- Rochester (Licensed Trades — Plumbing Licensing)
- Syracuse (Division of Code Enforcement; plumber license unconfirmed on 2026 notice)
- Buffalo (plumbing landing page HTTP 404; journeyman plumber license unconfirmed)
- Albany (plumber examining board not verified this session)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the West Virginia journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my New York license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a West Virginia journeyman plumber license from New York?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New York work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to New York?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-4 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: work experience · W. Va. Code 21-17-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Fees · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Forms (application, candidate bulletin, R.E.C.A.P. forms) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 42CSR32 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (Division of Labor legislative rule, effective May 1, 2023) · W. Va. Code R. 42-32-4, 42-32-6, 42-32-8, 42-32-9, 42-32-10, 42-32-14 · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.