South Carolina to Texas: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Texas'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 journeyman or master plumber: exam eligibility without Texas apprenticeship or 48-hour training
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A plumber who currently holds a Journeyman or Master Plumber license issued by another state may apply directly for the Texas Journeyman Plumber Examination; the out-of-state license takes the place of the Texas apprentice registration or Tradesman license that in-state applicants need, and TSBPE's journeyman and exam-training pages state that such licensees 'do not have to complete the 48-hour training program.' The applicant must still document at least 8,000 hours of plumbing-trade experience on Employer Certification Forms (out-of-state hours count), submit fingerprints, pay the $40 exam fee, pass the Texas exam and then pay the $40 license fee. TSBPE's pages describe no exam waiver, but Occupations Code §1301.3581 (2021) lets the Board waive any prerequisite for a holder of a substantially equivalent license and says such an applicant 'may not be required to undergo an examination' if the equivalent license has been held at least two years; the Board has not published rules, equivalency findings or a separate form implementing this, so applicants should expect to test unless TSBPE grants a waiver on request. There is no separate Texas law or business exam at this level.
TSBPE's journeyman page treats an out-of-state license as exam eligibility and waives only the 48-hour training. Occupations Code §1301.3581 may let the Board skip the exam if you have held a substantially equivalent license for at least two years, but TSBPE has not published a form or partner-state list for that. Plan to take the Texas exam unless the Board tells you otherwise. See https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/journeyman.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- 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 document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 8,000 hours of experience working in the plumbing trade, documented on TSBPE Employer Certification Form(s) signed by the employer; Occ. Code §1301.354(c)/(c-1) allows up to 1,000 hours of credit for the classroom portion of a DOL apprenticeship and up to 250 hours for an approved CTE course sequence.
- US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas
- You must have held your South Carolina license for at least 2 years.Only relevant to a statutory exam waiver: Occ. Code §1301.3581(d) applies to an applicant who has held an equivalent license in another jurisdiction for at least two years. Not a condition for sitting the exam.
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($40). Journeyman Plumber Examination application fee payable to TSBPE (listed as 'Exam Fee: $40'); the page does not state whether a separate Pearson VUE seat fee applies.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Texas Journeyman Plumber Examination (required unless TSBPE grants a waiver under Occ. Code §1301.3581 for a substantially equivalent license held at least two years); passing score set by the Board.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($40). Initial license fee for the certificate of licensure and pocket card after passing; renewal $40 per year (late: $20 within 90 days, $40 after 90 days).
- 4Background check. Complete a background check. One-time fingerprint submission for a DPS/FBI criminal history check (Occ. Code §1301.3515); Supplemental Criminal History Information Form if convicted of a felony.
- 5Other. Employer Certification Form(s) documenting the 8,000 hours, plus a copy of the current out-of-state Journeyman or Master Plumber license.
- 6Other. 48-hour TSBPE training program - waived for holders of a current out-of-state Journeyman or Master Plumber license (if applicable).
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of TSBPE-approved continuing professional education each year to renew, three hours in health protection, energy conservation and water conservation (Occ. Code §1301.404).
Published fees on this path total $80, 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 · $40
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other · if applicable
- Continuing education
How Texas licenses journeyman plumbers
Texas journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Texas licenses Journeyman Plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), which also issues Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Master Plumber and Plumbing Inspector licenses and registers Plumber's Apprentices. A new applicant must be a registered Texas apprentice (or Tradesman Plumber-Limited), document at least 8,000 hours of plumbing experience on Employer Certification Forms, complete a TSBPE-approved 48-hour training program (waived for DOL apprenticeship enrollees/graduates, AAS plumbing-technology graduates and out-of-state journeyman or master licensees), submit fingerprints for a DPS/FBI criminal history check, pay a $40 exam fee, pass the Journeyman Plumber Examination and pay a $40 initial license fee. Licenses renew annually for $40 and require six hours of continuing professional education a year. A journeyman works under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber and may supervise apprentices. TSBPE publishes no reciprocity agreements; a plumber licensed in another state applies for the same exam, with the training requirement waived and the out-of-state license accepted in place of Texas apprentice registration.
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 Texas journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my South Carolina license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Texas journeyman plumber license from South Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $80, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in Texas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Texas to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to South Carolina, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Texas Occupations Code ch. 1301 (Plumbing License Law) - definitions, apprentice/exam prerequisites, fingerprints, renewal and CE · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.002, 1301.354, 1301.3515, 1301.352, 1301.401, 1301.403, 1301.404 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code § 1301.3581 Reciprocity; § 1301.3585 military applicants; § 1301.403(e) former Texas licensees; § 1301.360 temporary license · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.3581, 1301.3585, 1301.403(e), 1301.360 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 22 TAC § 365.1 - License, Endorsement and Registration Categories; Scope of Work Permitted · 22 TAC § 365.1 (eff. 11/23/2022) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - Exam Training (48-hour journeyman training program and exemptions) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - Journeyman Plumber (eligibility, how to apply, fees) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - License Types (licenses, endorsements, registrations; renewal and CE overview) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.