South Carolina to West Virginia: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is West Virginia'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 plumber: licensure without examination under the reciprocity rule and RECAP (no named partners)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
West Virginia publishes no list of plumber reciprocity partner states. Under section 14 of the Division of Labor's plumbing rule (42CSR32), where another state licenses journeyman plumbers with requirements equivalent to West Virginia's, the Commissioner may grant a journeyman license without examination to a plumber from that state who proves compliance with every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)) and pays the $75 license fee. Those conditions are a current license in a similar occupation with comparable education, experience and exam requirements, held at least one year; having met that state's education and exam requirements; good standing everywhere licensed, with no revocation or surrender for negligence or misconduct and no pending complaint; no disqualifying criminal record; and established West Virginia residency. A plumber who worked for at least two years in a state that does not license plumbers may instead qualify on that work experience under W. Va. Code 21-17-4. Applicants who do not qualify take the Division's journeyman plumber exam through Prov ($59.95 per attempt, 70 percent to pass). The 2009 grandfather window in W. Va. Code 21-14-4(2) is closed.
Ohio's OCILB lists West Virginia Master Plumber for Ohio plumbing contractor reciprocity; that is Ohio inbound contractor licensing, not a WV journeyman agreement, so it is not listed under agreements.
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 held your South Carolina license for at least 1 year.Required by W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(2), which 42CSR32 section 14.1 applies to plumbers licensed in other states.
- Your South Carolina license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Established West Virginia residency (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(5), applied through 42CSR32 section 14.1)
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Annual journeyman plumber license fee (42CSR32 section 9.1), paid to the West Virginia Division of Labor.
- 2Other. Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (R.E.C.A.P.) forms, which the Division provides on request by email at [email protected] or by phone at (304) 356-3928 rather than as a download.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia journeyman plumber exam through Prov, required only if the Commissioner does not grant the license without examination: 80 questions in 3 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(b); 42CSR32 section 10), with no waiting period to retake.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee per attempt when the exam is required, paid to Prov rather than the Division.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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 · if applicable
How West Virginia licenses journeyman plumbers
West Virginia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 (Supervision of Plumbing Work). Since January 1, 2009 a person performing or offering to perform plumbing work in the state must hold a Commissioner of Labor license and carry it on the job; the statute defines a journeyman plumber as a person who has passed a written journeyman examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to instruct and supervise a plumber in training. A plumber-in-training registration (fee capped at $25) exists for persons who have not yet passed the journeyman exam. Out-of-state journeymen can apply under the reciprocity section of the Division's plumbing rule (42CSR32 section 14), which lets the Commissioner grant a license of the same classification without examination to a plumber licensed in a state with equivalent requirements who meets every condition of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), including holding the origin license for at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber reciprocity partners. Plumbing contractor work is a separate Contractor Licensing Board license (W. Va. Code 30-42) and is not this credential.
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. 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 stated on the CAGC or MASC program pages. 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.
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)
- City of Columbia (Planning and Development Services)
- City of Greenville (Building & Permit Center)
- Greenville County (Building Safety)
- Horry County (Code Enforcement / Building)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the West Virginia journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my South Carolina license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a West Virginia journeyman plumber license from South Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to South Carolina, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-4 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: work experience · W. Va. Code 21-17-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Fees · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Forms (application, candidate bulletin, R.E.C.A.P. forms) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 42CSR32 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (Division of Labor legislative rule, effective May 1, 2023) · W. Va. Code R. 42-32-4, 42-32-6, 42-32-8, 42-32-9, 42-32-10, 42-32-14 · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.