Pennsylvania to Louisiana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Louisiana'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 plumbing license accepted as exam eligibility (all states other than Texas and Arkansas)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A plumber who holds a valid, unexpired plumbing license from any other state may use it to qualify for the Louisiana Journeyman Plumber exam in place of Louisiana apprentice registration and the 7,000/8,000-hour payroll documentation. The applicant attaches a copy of the out-of-state license to the standard journeyman application for Board approval; the journeyman application states that 'Only States that require at least 8,000 hours on-the-job training will be accepted', so a license from a state with a lower hour threshold will be refused. Nothing else is waived: the applicant files the notarized application at least 30 days before a quarterly exam with $135, passes the 80-question written exam on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and International Residential Code and the 1-hour practical (floor plan, screw pipe and copper projects) with 70% in each category, then pays $50 for the initial license. There is no separate law or business exam at the journeyman level. Once licensed, the journeyman must be employed by a licensed Louisiana master company to work and renews annually before December 31 with continuing education.
R.S. Act 908 of 2026 moves plumbing licensing to the LSLBC; requirements may change after the transfer.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
- The origin state must require at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training for the license held; licenses obtained with fewer hours are not approvedJourneyman application, eligibility paragraph c, and the licenses page out-of-state note.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The out-of-state license stands in for the 8,000 hours (unindentured) or 7,000 hours (indentured) of Louisiana apprentice payroll documentation that in-state applicants must submit.
What you'll do to get licensed in Louisiana
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($125). Journeyman Plumber Exam Fee payable to SPBLA by check or money order with the notarized application (filed at least 30 days before the quarterly exam date; forfeited for no-show or cancellation under 30 days, 50% retained for earlier withdrawal).
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($10). Processing Charge added to the exam fee ($135 total).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Board-administered Journeyman Plumber exam in Baton Rouge or Shreveport: 80-question, 3-hour written exam on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and 2021 International Residential Code plus a 1-hour practical (floor plan, screw pipe and copper projects); minimum 70% in each category; a passed part is kept for one year.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Initial Journeyman License fee paid with the Initial Journeyman License form after passing; license expires December 31 each year (renewal fee not published on the pages reviewed).
- 5Other. Copy of the valid out-of-state plumbing license attached to the notarized application; applicants convicted of a plumbing-related felony must contact the Board.
- 6Other. Temporary Work Permit ($75, one per lifetime) allowing an approved candidate to work as a journeyman until the scheduled exam date (if applicable).
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Continuing education every year through an SPBLA-approved provider before the December 31 renewal (hour count for journeymen not stated on the pages reviewed).
Published fees on this path total $185, 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.
- Exam fee · $125
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Louisiana licenses journeyman plumbers
Louisiana journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA)
Louisiana licenses Journeyman Plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA), which also registers apprentices and licenses Residential Plumbers, Master Plumbers, natural gas fitters and medical gas and WSPS endorsements. A new in-state applicant must be a registered apprentice with 7,000 hours (indentured, in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved program) or 8,000 hours (unindentured) of supervised plumbing work documented by payroll records or W-2s, file a notarized application with $135 ($125 exam + $10 processing), and pass a Board-administered 80-question, 3-hour written exam on the 2021 IPC/IRC plus a 1-hour practical, scoring at least 70% in each category. The first license costs $50; licenses expire December 31 each year and renewal requires annual continuing education (hours for journeymen are not stated on the pages reviewed). A journeyman works under a licensed Louisiana Master Plumber and must be employed by a licensed master company for the license to be 'workable'. The Board has signed journeyman reciprocity agreements only with Texas and Arkansas; a plumbing license from any other state qualifies the holder to sit the Louisiana journeyman exam without Louisiana apprentice registration, provided the origin state required at least 8,000 on-the-job hours. Act 908 of the 2026 session transfers plumbing licensing to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors; the transition was under public discussion in late 2026 and no changed requirements had been published.
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (city-issued; no state licence)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumber licence at the journeyman level: none of the Department of State's 29 professional licensing boards covers plumbers or plumbing contractors (the only construction-related board is Crane Operators), and there is no Commonwealth journeyman or master plumber credential. Individual licensing exists only where a city ordinance creates it. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, advised by the Plumbing Advisory Board, issues a Journeyman Plumber License (Philadelphia Code Title 9-1003) that authorises plumbing work under a licensed master plumber but not running a business: four years as a Philadelphia-registered apprentice (or a similar authorisation from another state or local jurisdiction with equal or greater requirements, subject to L&I approval), the ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination referencing the current Philadelphia Code or applied within 12 months of passing, and a $126 annual fee ($25 of that is the non-refundable application fee). Allentown posts 2026 journeyman and master plumber exam applications and licenses the plumbing trade separately from a business licence. Scranton's published form is a master electrical/mechanical/plumbing/general contractor application with no journeyman plumber form on that page. There is no state-level reciprocity; Philadelphia's other-jurisdiction clause substitutes for local apprentice registration only and does not waive the ICC exam.
How local licensing works in Pennsylvania
How local licensing works. Pennsylvania does not license plumbers. Each city that licenses the trade does so under its own ordinance through L&I, a plumbing board, or a codes office. Residential plumbing contractors doing $5,000 or more of home-improvement work in a year must also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act; that registration is not a trade licence and involves no exam.
Philadelphia (verified). L&I issues Plumber Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber and Master Plumber licences (trade-licence list). The journeyman page, last updated with the Plumbing Advisory Board, is the only plumbing service page opened in full. Scope: drainage, cesspools, traps, waste vents, water piping, and fixtures attached to plumbing elements, excluding gas or electric heaters; work must be under a licensed master plumber; the card does not authorise operating a business. Experience: registered Philadelphia apprentice for a minimum of four years, or proof of a similar authorisation from any other state or local jurisdiction with equal or greater qualification requirements, subject to L&I approval. Exam: ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination; must reference the current Philadelphia Code and associated standards, or the application must be filed within 12 months of passing. Photo: 2 in. × 2 in. colour. Fees: $126 licence ($25 non-refundable application fee applied to that amount; balance due on approval); $126 annual renewal; 1.5% of the licence fee per month if more than 60 days late. Apply via eCLIPSE or in person at 1401 JFK Blvd. (Permit and License Center). PLI issues person-held trade licences in other trades; plumbing exam, fee, experience and whether a journeyman tier exists were not verified. Do not assume Pittsburgh waives a plumber exam.
Allentown. Building Standards and Safety licenses electrical, plumbing and sheet metal trades. Operating a contracting company requires both a trades licence and a city business licence. No reciprocity language appears on the trades-licensing page. In Philadelphia, document four years (local apprentice or equivalent out-of-jurisdiction authorisation) and pass the ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination on the Philadelphia Code (or apply within 12 months of that exam). Elsewhere, expect a separate city application and usually a local or ICC exam. Statewide reciprocity: none.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Louisiana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Louisiana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Louisiana journeyman plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $185, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Louisiana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Louisiana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Louisiana to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Louisiana to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- SPBLA home page - 'Open Discussion: Plumbing Licensing Transition' (Act 908 of the 2026 Legislative Session) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- SPBLA - Journeyman Plumber Exam Application and Candidate Bulletin · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - Licenses (Apprentice, Residential Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, WSPS, Medical Gas, Natural Gas) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · 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.