LicensebyState

Moving to District of Columbia as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule

District of Columbia has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

District of Columbia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)

The District of Columbia issues a person-held Journeyman Plumber license (the Board also licenses journeyman gasfitters as a related specialty) through the Board of Industrial Trades in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), the same board that licenses electricians and refrigeration mechanics. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 a journeyman plumber must have worked as an apprentice plumber or gasfitter at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years (a mechanical-engineering degree plus 2 years of practical experience verified by a licensed master, or comparable experience the Board accepts, also qualifies) and then pass the PSI-administered exam, unless the applicant presents a national certifying organization's journeyman plumber certificate that waives both the exam and the subsection (b) experience path. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 license fee for a term of up to 2 years; plumber and gasfitter licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes a Maryland plumbing reciprocity bulletin; the Reciprocity section of the board page still describes only Maryland and Virginia electricians. No District-law exam applies to journeyman plumbers (§ 47-2853.12(c)(3)).

States District of Columbia reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 1Endorsement 31No credit 18
Every state's path into District of Columbia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-16
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-16
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-16
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-16
DelawareNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-16
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-16
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-16
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-16
IowaEndorsement2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-16
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-16
MaineEndorsement2026-09-16
MarylandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-16
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-16
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-16
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-16
New JerseyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-16
OregonEndorsement2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-16
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
TexasEndorsement2026-09-16
UtahEndorsement2026-09-16
VermontEndorsement2026-09-16
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-16
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in District of Columbia from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how District of Columbia issues a journeyman plumber license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 7 sources

Journeyman Plumber by examination

The Board of Industrial Trades issues the Journeyman Plumber license to an applicant who has worked at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years as an apprentice plumber or gasfitter and passes the journeyman exam. Experience is documented with tax records and employment verification letters signed by the supervising master, stating how long you were employed and what work you did. The exam is given by PSI and is open book; there is no District-law or business exam for journeyman plumbers. Under the Board's test-first process you may schedule the exam directly with PSI, but passing it does not license you: you must still apply online through DLCP with your documents and fees. Completing a nationally certified apprenticeship lets you skip the exam.

The Board licenses plumbing, gasfitting, and combined plumbing and gasfitting. PSI's candidate bulletin describes the Journeyman Plumber exam as 70 multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour time limit and the 2012 International Plumbing Code as the approved reference, the same code DLCP's application instructions name as the study guide; the combined license uses the Journeyman Plumber with Gas exam (70 questions, 4 hours), which adds the 2012 International Fuel Gas Code. PSI reports only PASS to passing candidates, with no numerical score, and no passing percentage is published. D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(b) also lets the Board accept comparable experience, or a combination of education and experience, that it deems equivalent. Before qualifying, apprentices register with the Board without an exam ($110 for up to 2 years) and work under the direct supervision of a licensed master plumber/gasfitter or master gasfitter. For questions, contact DLCP Occupational and Professional Licensing at (202) 671-4500.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Renewal
Every 2 years

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Worked as an apprentice plumber or gasfitter for at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years (D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(b)(1)), documented with tax records and employment verification letters signed by the master.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Mechanical engineering degree plus 2 years of practical experience

A graduate of an accredited college or university with a degree in mechanical engineering qualifies for the journeyman exam with at least 2 years of practical experience as a plumber or gasfitter, verified by a licensed master plumber or licensed master gasfitter.

  • Degree in mechanical engineering from an accredited college or university
  • You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.

Nationally certified apprenticeship or national journeyman certificate (exam waived)

DLCP waives the journeyman exam for an applicant who completed a nationally certified apprenticeship program, documented with a certificate of completion, formal designation certificate or official transcripts. By statute the Board must also accept, in place of the exam and the experience requirement, a certificate from a national certifying organization (a nationally recognized trade organization, non-union sponsor or labor union registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or the DC Apprenticeship Council) showing that you completed its apprenticeship, passed its exam, are designated a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter, and have not been disciplined. The application and license fees still apply.

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship: Completion of a nationally certified plumbing or gasfitting apprenticeship program, or a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter certificate from a national certifying organization.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee, paid with the online application (non-refundable).
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington DC Journeyman Plumber exam administered by PSI: 70 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours, open book.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($52). Per attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling, as listed in PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($110). Journeyman license fee, for a term of up to 2 years.

Published fees on this path total $227, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years and a $110 renewal fee.

All plumber and gasfitter licenses expire on March 31 of even-numbered years regardless of when they were issued, so a first license can run less than 2 years. Renew online through the DLCP portal before the expiration date; a late renewal adds a $50 fee. The Board's renewal notice does not list a continuing education requirement.

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
  • Exam fee · $52

Sources for this section

  1. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 - Plumbers or gasfitters: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  4. DC Board of Industrial Trades - 2026 Plumber License Renewal Notice · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. DLCP Board of Industrial Trades - Plumbing/Gasfitting Application Instructions · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. DC Board of Industrial Trades - Test First Examination Process Notice · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Washington D.C. Contractor/Trades Examinations · PSI Services LLC for the District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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