Ohio to Indiana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio has nothing to transfer
Ohio journeyman plumber
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by No state authority; Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses plumbing contractors only
Ohio does not issue a journeyman plumber license. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) licenses individual plumbing contractors for commercial work under R.C. Chapter 4740, and R.C. 4740.01 defines everyone else on the job as a 'tradesperson' employed by a contractor, with no state license or card. Where a personal journeyman plumber credential exists it comes from a city ordinance: Toledo's Division of Building Inspection examines and licenses Plumbing Journeymen and registers apprentices, and Hamilton County Public Health directs consumers to journeyman or master plumber licenses issued by 'surrounding cities such as City of Cincinnati, Middletown or Norwood' because Ohio counties are not permitted to license plumbers. An out-of-state journeyman plumber license therefore has no state-level recognition in Ohio; it is useful only as proof of experience where a city requires it, or as one of the documents OCILB accepts (an active journeyman's card) toward the five-year tradesperson requirement for the state plumbing contractor exam.
How local licensing works in Ohio
How local licensing works. Ohio's contractor licensing statute (R.C. Chapter 4740) covers only the individual plumbing contractor license issued by OCILB and does not license tradespersons; any journeyman requirement is local. Most jurisdictions require only that plumbing work be done by or under a state-licensed plumbing contractor who has registered locally.
Toledo. The Division of Building Inspection issues Plumbing Journeyman and Apprentice licenses (alongside Electrical, HVAC and Refrigeration journeyman licenses and Plumbing, Electrical and Mechanical contractor licenses). New journeyman applicants file the Plumbing Journeyman Exam/Apprentice Application and sit a city exam; all licenses renew by December 31 each year, and a license that lapses past the deadline requires a new application, payment and exam. Toledo's HVAC application accepts a journeyman certificate obtained by testing in another city jurisdiction for its traveler registration; whether the plumbing application does the same was not confirmed.
- Toledo (Division of Building Inspection, Plumbing Journeyman and Apprentice licenses)
- Hamilton County Public Health (plumbing contractor registration only; OCILB license and $10,000 bond required)
- Cincinnati (journeyman/master plumber license per Hamilton County Public Health; city page not reviewed)
- Middletown (journeyman/master plumber license per Hamilton County Public Health; city page not reviewed)
- Norwood (journeyman/master plumber license per Hamilton County Public Health; city page not reviewed)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Indiana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- Do my Ohio 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 Ohio?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to Ohio, 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.