Pennsylvania to Utah: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah'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 applicants without an equivalent license (standard route with out-of-state experience credit)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
If the origin jurisdiction is gray on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber map (California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York as of the 7/1/2020 map), the applicant must meet Utah's standard journeyman qualifications: completion of an approved apprenticeship program of at least 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 hours of licensed plumbing experience under a licensed journeyman or master, or 16,000 hours without the program. Hours earned outside Utah count when documented on the Verification of Plumbing Experience form by the employer together with official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained; the map says city, county or non-equivalent state licenses 'may be used to assist with documentation of compliance with some Utah qualifications'. Since January 19, 2026 first-time candidates attach the experience form (and, for out-of-state trade-program graduates, official transcripts) to their Prov exam registration; no DOPL pre-approval is needed. The applicant then passes the Utah Plumber Written Exam and the Utah Plumber Practical Exam through Prov, and submits the DOPL application with the $116 fee after passing.
Hour thresholds conflict between DOPL pages: the apply page and the v20260420 application require 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 apprentice hours (or 16,000), while the Exam Information page lists testing eligibility as '7 semesters or the competency exam equivalence; and 6,000 hours' (or 16,000) and the 2020 map describes 4 years in a program or 8 years outside one. The 8,000-hour figure from the current application is used here.
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 document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice under a licensed journeyman or master plumber together with completion of an approved 576-classroom-hour apprenticeship program; otherwise 16,000 hours. At least 2,000 and no more than 3,000 hours may be credited per 12-month period.
- Hours obtained outside Utah must be supported by official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained, in addition to the employer-completed Verification of Plumbing Experience form.
What you'll do to get licensed in Utah
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($116). Non-refundable DOPL application-processing fee (application v20260420).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Utah Plumber Written (theory) Exam and Utah Plumber Practical Exam, administered by Prov; register directly with Prov and pay exam fees to Prov; pass before submitting the DOPL application.
- 3Other. Verification of Plumbing Experience form(s) completed by employers, official apprenticeship transcripts if using the 8,000-hour route, and official out-of-state license verification.
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core, 4 core or professional) to renew.
Published fees on this path total $116, 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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Utah licenses journeyman plumbers
Utah journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Utah issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act (Utah Code 58-55) and Rule R156-55c; DOPL also licenses Apprentice Plumbers, Residential Journeyman Plumbers (residential work only, 6,000 hours plus schooling or 12,000 hours) and Residential Master Plumbers. A new journeyman needs either completion of an approved apprenticeship program (576 classroom hours) plus 8,000 hours of licensed apprentice experience, or 16,000 hours, and must pass the Prov-administered Utah Plumber Written (theory) and Practical exams before applying; the DOPL application fee is $116 and exam fees are paid to Prov. Utah has no signed reciprocity agreements. Instead, under Utah Code 58-1-302 it licenses by endorsement anyone whose license appears in green on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber map, provided the license has been held at least one year and is active and in good standing; no Utah exam is required for journeyman endorsement. Applicants from jurisdictions without an equivalent statewide license use verified out-of-state hours toward the standard route. Renewal requires 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core).
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 Utah journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Utah requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Utah journeyman plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $116, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Utah?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Utah to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act) · Utah Code 58-55-302; 58-1-302 (license by endorsement) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Apply for a Journeyman Plumber License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Endorsement to Utah: Journeyman Plumber (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Plumber Application (JP / RJP / MP / RMP) with Verification of Plumbing Experience forms, checklist and instructions · Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301 (cited on the form) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55c - Plumber Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55c · Utah Office of Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.