South Carolina to Michigan: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Michigan'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 (all states; Michigan has no reciprocity)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Michigan does not reciprocate with any state, so a plumber licensed elsewhere must take and pass the Michigan Journey Plumber written exam and hands-on practical skills exam regardless of origin. The out-of-state license and experience serve only to establish eligibility to sit: LARA's Out-of-State License Verification instructions state that 'all applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved to sit for examination' and that applicants 'may receive credit for experience earned from other states,' which tracks MCL 339.6109 (experience 'or an equivalent of that experience requirement' shown by notarized employer statements). The applicant files Form BCC-329A with the $40 license fee, a copy of the current out-of-state license and the issuing state's licensing requirements, the Out-of-State License Verification form completed by the issuing board, and notarized letters from each employer documenting at least 6,000 hours over at least three years under licensed supervision. The State Plumbing Board reviews out-of-state applications at its quarterly meetings; once approved the applicant schedules the PSI written exam ($100, 75% to pass) and e-mails LARA to book a practical exam date (held roughly monthly, February through November), and must pass both within the one-year life of the application. There is no separate law or business exam for journey plumbers. The only exam waiver is for service members, veterans and their dependents who hold an active plumbing license in another state.
The 120-day timeline is an estimate reflecting quarterly board review of out-of-state applications plus the need to book a monthly practical exam date at least 30 days ahead. MCL 339.6115(1)(d)(i) and BCC-329A require the 6,000 hours to be gained 'as an apprentice plumber ... under the supervision of a master plumber', and the LARA page adds 'as an actively registered plumbing apprentice'; whether hours worked in another state without Michigan apprentice registration are accepted rests on the board's equivalence finding under MCL 339.6109, and no official page states how often such credit is granted. The Out-of-State License Verification form is generic to all BCC trades and its instructions were confirmed for plumbing; the LARA plumbing page itself contains no out-of-state language. No official Michigan page names any partner state for plumbing, so no agreements are authored. The former Michigan Plumbing Act (2002 PA 733, MCL 338.3511 et seq.) was repealed by 2016 PA 407; any reciprocity language attributed to MCL 338.3531 is no longer in force and was not found in Article 11.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 120 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Gained over at least three years as an apprentice plumber in the practical installation of plumbing under the supervision of a master plumber (MCL 339.6115); out-of-state hours are credited only if the State Plumbing Board accepts them as equivalent under MCL 339.6109.
- At least 18 years old
- Your South Carolina license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Michigan
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($40). Journey Plumber license fee, paid with Form BCC-329A at application (MCL 339.6121(2)); waived for active service members, honorably discharged veterans and their dependents with proof.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI written examination fee, paid to PSI after LARA approves the application; non-refundable, valid one year, paid again for each attempt (MCL 339.6121(5)).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Michigan Journey Plumber written examination administered by PSI: 125 questions, 180 minutes, 75% to pass, open book on the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code, 1972 PA 230 and 2016 PA 407; in-person only.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. LARA hands-on practical skills examination (scheduled by e-mail to [email protected] at least 30 days ahead; offered roughly monthly February-November in Lansing, Mason, Cadillac or St. Ignace); both written and practical must be passed on a single application valid for one year.
- 5Other. Out-of-State License Verification form completed by the issuing state board(s), plus a copy of the current license and that state's licensing requirements.
- 6Other. Notarized letter(s) from current and former employers documenting hours, years and licensed supervision, signed by the master plumber or contractor of record.
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Renewal condition: board-approved course on any update or change to the state construction code, completed within 12 months after the change (MCL 339.6115(3)); annual renewal fee $40.
Published fees on this path total $140, 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.
- Exam fee · $100
- Trade exam
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Michigan licenses journeyman plumbers
Michigan journeyman plumber · “Journey Plumber”
Statewide license
Michigan issues a statewide Journey Plumber license through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under Article 11 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407, MCL 339.6101 et seq.), which replaced the Michigan Plumbing Act of 2002. Local licensing is preempted: MCL 339.6125(1) says a governmental subdivision 'may not engage in or require local licensing,' so there is no separate Detroit or other city plumber license. A new applicant must be at least 18, document at least 6,000 hours over at least three years as a registered apprentice plumber under a master plumber with notarized employer letters, pay the $40 license fee with Form BCC-329A, be approved by LARA, then pass both the PSI written exam (125 questions, 180 minutes, 75% to pass, open book on the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code; $100 fee) and LARA's hands-on practical skills exam, both on a single one-year application. The license renews annually for $40, and renewal requires a board-approved code-update course within 12 months after each state construction code change. Michigan has no reciprocity with any state; out-of-state journeymen must pass the Michigan exams, but their out-of-state experience may be credited toward eligibility after State Plumbing Board review.
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 Michigan journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- Yes. Michigan requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Michigan journeyman plumber license from South Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $140, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in Michigan?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Michigan's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 120 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Michigan to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Michigan to South Carolina, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-329A - Application for Journey Plumber Examination & License (Rev. 11/21) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Licensing Section · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - Out-of-State License Verification Form and Instructions for Examination and Licensure Applicants with Out-of-State Experience/License (Rev. 3/22) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Skilled Trades Licensing Section · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Plumbing Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - Obtaining a Plumbing Master License in the State of Michigan (licensure pathway map); companion Plumbing Journeyperson map at Licensing-Requirements/Plumbing-JP.pdf · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 11 - Plumbers (MCL 339.6101 to 339.6133) · MCL 339.6107, 339.6109, 339.6111, 339.6113, 339.6115, 339.6117, 339.6119, 339.6121, 339.6125 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI - Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Plumbing Candidate Information Bulletin (Journey Plumber, Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor), effective 4/29/2026 · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · 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.