South Carolina to Indiana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina has nothing to transfer
South Carolina journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber trade certification card (CAGC SC Trades Certification, formerly MASC) - not a state license”
Licensed by cities and counties
South Carolina has no state journeyman plumber license. The LLR Contractor's Licensing Board licenses mechanical contractors (entities qualified by an individual qualifying party) for mechanical contracting work over $10,000, including the Plumbing (PB) classification confirmed on the Board's Reciprocity/Waiver Agreements list, and the Residential Builders Commission licenses residential specialty contractors for residential work over $500; neither Chapter 11 nor Chapter 59 of Title 40 creates a journeyman or master plumber credential, so a plumber who is not a contractor works under one of those licensees with no state license. The journeyman-level credential that does exist is the trade certification card of the SC Mechanical Trades Certification Program, run since 1965 by the Municipal Association of South Carolina (the association of the state's cities) and, since January 1, 2026, by the Carolinas AGC Foundation; the program's own page says the card is not a license and must not be represented as one. Whether a card is needed depends on the city or county building department. No reciprocity or out-of-state acceptance is published for the journeyman card, so an arriving journeyman plumber should expect to apply to CAGC ($35 application, PROV exam) if a local jurisdiction or employer requires a card.
How local licensing works in South Carolina
How local licensing works. State law licenses contractors, not journeyman plumbers. S.C. Code § 40-11-30 requires a Contractor's Licensing Board license (Mechanical Contractor) for mechanical contracting work whose total cost exceeds $10,000. Chapter 59 requires a Residential Builders Commission license for residential specialty contracting work over $500. Employees of those licensees need no state plumber credential. The Contractor's Licensing Board home page lists no journeyman license.
The trades certification card. The SC Mechanical Trades Certification Program was created in 1965 by the Municipal Association of South Carolina to give municipalities a common examination and certification for the mechanical trades, including journeyman and master plumbers (as described on the electrical SC seed from the same official program pages). MASC handed the program to the Carolinas AGC Foundation on January 1, 2026; cards issued by MASC remain valid until the expiration printed on them. CAGC charges a $35 application fee ($35 to re-test), uses PROV as its exam provider, and states that the card should not be confused with the LLR mechanical contractor or residential specialty licenses and that a holder will not represent the card as evidence of a license. Journeyman plumber hours, exam outline and passing score are not published on the CAGC or MASC pages extracted. Do not assume a city-issued plumber card. Confirm with each building official whether a CAGC/MASC journeyman plumber card, a local registration, or only a licensed contractor is required to pull plumbing permits or to work as an employee. The 2026-09-15 electrical SC reading of Greenville County Building Safety and the City of Greenville Building & Permit Center did not state a journeyman card requirement for electricians; plumbing may differ.
Out-of-state journeymen. There is no state path, no defaultPath, and no agreements at this level. A city or employer that wants a CAGC card will typically require the PROV exam; out-of-state journeyman plumber licenses are not described as accepted on the official pages used here.
- City of Charleston (Building Inspections) - plumber card requirement UNCONFIRMED this session
- City of Columbia (Planning and Development Services) - plumber card requirement UNCONFIRMED this session
- City of Greenville (Building & Permit Center) - plumber card requirement UNCONFIRMED this session
- Greenville County (Building Safety) - plumber card requirement UNCONFIRMED this session
- Horry County (Code Enforcement / Building) - plumber card requirement UNCONFIRMED this session
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Indiana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- Do my South Carolina 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 South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to South Carolina, 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.