South Carolina to Massachusetts: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Journeyman by examination with documented education and experience (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state journeyman plumber applies online through ePLACE for Board approval to sit the Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber examination. There is no published reciprocal agreement and M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 directs the examiners to examine each applicant, so the Massachusetts trade exam is not waived. The applicant uploads an Education Verification Form signed by a school official, a Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber, a 2x2 passport-style photo and a notarized CORI Acknowledgement Form, and pays the $31 non-refundable application fee. If the Board finds the minimum education and work experience shown, PSI notifies the candidate to schedule; scores are available immediately after the test, a failing candidate may retake within 12 months of Board approval, and a passing candidate pays the $52 license fee at the test center.
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
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Education Verification Form signed by an official at the applicant's plumbing school (applicants who began schooling before September 2008 must contact the Board first)
- Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber; the Employer's Statement section cannot be modified after signatureFee, 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.
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($31). Non-refundable Journeyman Plumber application fee collected by the Board of Examiners (Valor Act reductions may apply); filed through ePLACE.
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Acknowledgement Form; second page must be notarized.
- 3Other. 2x2 passport-style photo uploaded with the online application.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber examination administered by PSI after Board approval; retake allowed within 12 months of approval..
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($52). Journeyman license fee paid at the PSI test center after passing (credit card, money order, cashier's or company check payable to PSI Exams).
Published fees on this path total $83, 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
How Massachusetts licenses journeyman plumbers
Massachusetts journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Massachusetts issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters under M.G.L. c. 142. No one may work as a journeyman plumber unless licensed by the examiners; a licensed journeyman plumber may also do gas-fitting work throughout the commonwealth, subject to local permits and bonding. Applicants file online through ePLACE with an Education Verification Form, a Statement of Experience Form signed by the supervising master plumber, a 2x2 photo and a notarized CORI form. The Board must approve eligibility before PSI administers the exam; the published non-refundable application fee is $31 and the license fee after passing is $52, paid at the test center. M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 requires the examiners to examine each master and journeyman applicant and contains no reciprocity or exam-waiver clause. The Board's journeyman how-to does not list partner states.
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 Massachusetts journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts journeyman plumber license from South Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $83, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to South Carolina, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 248 CMR - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters regulations · 248 CMR · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Journeyman Plumber license · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 3 - Master plumbers or gas fitters, journeymen and apprentices; licensing; advertising; display of license or certificate · M.G.L. c. 142, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 4 - Rules of examiners; qualifications of applicants; applications; examinations; issuance of license; probationary license; credit for veterans · M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 5 - Fees for licenses and examinations · M.G.L. c. 142, § 5 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI Exams - Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters exam catalog · PSI Services LLC (for the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters) · 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.