South Carolina to Maine: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Maine'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.
Licensure by endorsement (32 M.R.S. §3501-C); examination if origin requirements are not substantially equivalent
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Maine has a statutory endorsement path for plumbers and no published list of signed reciprocity partners was found. Under 32 M.R.S. §3501-C the Plumbers' Examining Board must establish licensure by endorsement in accordance with 10 M.R.S. §8003-H: an applicant who holds a substantially equivalent journeyman-level license in another U.S. jurisdiction, is in good standing everywhere licensed, and pays the fee may be licensed without sitting Maine's journeyman examination, unless a jurisprudence exam is required by law or rule (none is identified in chapter 49). An applicant whose origin license is not substantially equivalent applies under §3501(1-A) and (2): sworn application, §3501-B fee, documented 4,000 hours (or 2,000 journeyman-in-training hours) or the equivalent, and a passing grade on the board-approved journeyman exam. Out-of-state hours can count as 'the equivalent' of licensed trainee time. No municipal plumber license is a Maine credential.
Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more.
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.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Origin jurisdiction's journeyman requirements must be substantially equivalent to Maine's (10 M.R.S. §8003-H). Maine's own exam pathway is 4,000 hours as a licensed trainee under a master, or the equivalent, plus a passing grade on the journeyman examination (32 M.R.S. §3501(2)).
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Statutory exam-route minimum: at least 2 years / 4,000 hours as a licensed trainee plumber under a master, or the equivalent; alternatively 2,000 hours as a journeyman-in-training under a master within 4 years of the JIT license. Endorsement applicants meet this only insofar as the origin pathway is substantially equivalent.
What you'll do to get licensed in Maine
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Fee set under 32 M.R.S. §3501-B (and OPOR 02-041 CMR ch. 10). Statute opened: fees by rule, not to exceed $350 biennially..
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Journeyman Plumber license fee under 32 M.R.S. §3501-B..
- 3Other. Sworn application on a form prescribed by the board, with proof of the valid, active out-of-state license (license verification from the issuing board).
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Board-approved journeyman plumber examination with a passing grade determined by the board (32 M.R.S. §3501(1-A), (2)) — required only if endorsement under §3501-C is not available..
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 Maine licenses journeyman plumbers
Maine journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Maine issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Plumbers' Examining Board in OPOR (32 M.R.S. ch. 49). By examination an applicant files a sworn application, pays the fee set under §3501-B, documents at least two years / 4,000 hours as a licensed trainee plumber under a master (or the equivalent), or 2,000 hours as a journeyman-in-training under a master within four years of the JIT license, and obtains a passing grade on the board-approved journeyman examination. The board also issues a one-time, four-year nonrenewable journeyman-in-training license after one academic year of approved plumbing instruction plus the same exam, a limited plumber license, and a trainee plumber license without examination. Out-of-state journeymen are directed to licensure by endorsement under 32 M.R.S. §3501-C and 10 M.R.S. §8003-H when the origin jurisdiction's requirements are substantially equivalent; otherwise they apply by examination with comparable hours credited as 'the equivalent' of Maine trainee time.
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 Maine 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 Maine?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maine's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Maine to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maine to South Carolina, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) - expected board home · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR), Department of Professional and Financial Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation - Professions and Boards · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 10 M.R.S. §8003-H - Licensure by endorsement (OPOR general provision) · 10 M.R.S. §8003-H · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. §3501 - Issuance of licenses (journeyman, master, journeyman-in-training, trainee) · 32 M.R.S. §3501 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. §3501-B - Fees (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3501-B · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. §3501-C - Licensure by endorsement (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3501-C; PL 2021, c. 642, §16 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. Chapter 49 - Plumbers (table of contents) · 32 M.R.S. ch. 49 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.