Pennsylvania to Maryland: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania 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.
Qualifications are set by Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-302, which accepts four years under another state's apprentice license or a license of equal stature. The Board may waive qualifications for Baltimore County and WSSC licensees (§12-305) and may waive the exam for a licensee of a state that waives it for Maryland licensees (§12-305.1). WSSC and Baltimore County are Maryland municipal issuers, not origin state codes; they are recorded via acceptsMunicipalOriginLicenses and municipalNotes rather than agreements.origin. Journey plumbers need no separate liability insurance (§12-501(c)).
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 Pennsylvania 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 ($65). PSI examination fee per attempt, paid after PSI approves your eligibility; nonrefundable.
- 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 $108.50, 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 · $65
How Maryland licenses journeyman plumbers
Maryland journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber/Gas Fitter”
State license plus local requirements
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
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (city-issued; no state license)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumber license 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 authorizes plumbing work under a licensed master plumber but not running a business: four years as a Philadelphia-registered apprentice (or a similar authorization 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 license. 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 license and involves no exam.
Philadelphia (verified). L&I issues Plumber Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber and Master Plumber licenses (trade-license 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 authorize operating a business. Experience: registered Philadelphia apprentice for a minimum of four years, or proof of a similar authorization 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. color. Fees: $126 license ($25 non-refundable application fee applied to that amount; balance due on approval); $126 annual renewal; 1.5% of the license 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 licenses 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 license and a city business license. No reciprocity language appears on the trades-licensing page. In Philadelphia, document four years (local apprentice or equivalent out-of-jurisdiction authorization) 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 Maryland journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?
- At least 4 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Maryland journeyman plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $108.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maryland to Pennsylvania, 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
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §12-302 - Qualifications of applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-302 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §12-305 - Waiver for Baltimore County and WSSC licensees · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-305 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §12-305.1 - Waiver of examination for out-of-state licensees · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-305.1 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §12-501 - Liability insurance for master plumbers · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-501 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 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 23, 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 23, 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
- PSI Qualification Information Bulletin - Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Master/Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter, Master/Journey Natural Gas Fitter) · PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Plumbing · Form · verified September 23, 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 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Plumbing - License Requirements · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.