Moving to Georgia as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule
Georgia has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Georgia journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Georgia issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. Rule 121-3-.02 is the only CILB licensing rule that creates both master and journeyman credentials (electrical and conditioned-air rules license contractors only). A journeyman applicant must document at least one year of Primary or Secondary plumbing experience covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, score at least 70 on the Division's journeyman examination, name three licensed plumbers as references, and pay the Board's published application fee. Primary experience is direct installation under a licensed Master Plumber; secondary examples include county water/public-works maintenance work and full-time municipal or county plumbing inspection. Medical-gas piping is a separate statewide certificate (Rule 121-2-.11) available only to a current Georgia master or journeyman. Rule 121-2-.03 lets the Division issue a journeyman license by reciprocity or endorsement under a formal written agreement with another state board whose exam is substantially equal and who extend a similar privilege to Georgia licensees; the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for master or journeyman plumbers. Everyone therefore applies by examination, with out-of-state hours counting toward the one-year experience minimum. Exams are given by PSI, and licenses renew every two years by November 30 of even-numbered years with 8 hours of continuing education.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Delaware | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Florida | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Hawaii | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Indiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Louisiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New Jersey | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| North Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Ohio | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Oregon | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Washington | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
Getting licensed in Georgia from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Georgia issues a journeyman plumber license to a first-time applicant.
Journeyman Plumber license by examination
Georgia's Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers issues the statewide Journeyman Plumber license to an applicant who documents at least one year of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code and scores at least 70 on the journeyman exam. Primary experience is hands-on installation under the supervision of a licensed Master Plumber; secondary experience, such as plumbing maintenance for a county water or public works department or full-time work as a municipal or county plumbing inspector, also counts. You apply in the GOALS portal with a notarized application, three licensed-plumber references, a local law-enforcement background check and the application fee. Once the Board approves you to sit for the exam, PSI contacts you to register for the open-book journeyman exam.
The journeyman exam has 100 scored questions plus 20 unscored pretest questions and is given in two parts of 2.5 hours each at PSI test centers in Georgia and in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Five questions cover general laws and fifteen cover regulations; the rest cover planning, pipe cutting and joining, installation, testing, maintenance, safety and calculations. From May 1, 2026 the exam is based only on the 2024 Georgia Plumbing Code (2024 International Plumbing Code with Georgia amendments) and the 2024 Georgia Gas Code. If you fail the exam twice, you must complete a Board-approved review course before a third attempt. Eligible veterans can have 5 or 10 points added to their exam score, and military spouses and transitioning service members can ask for expedited processing. Applications are reviewed in the order received, and one still missing items 60 days after a deficiency notice may be withdrawn; the Board publishes no processing time. Medical gas piping work needs a separate state certification (Rule 121-2-.11), open only to licensed Georgia master and journeyman plumbers.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Continuing education
- 8 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.Primary experience is direct installation of plumbing systems under the supervision of a licensed Master Plumber, including service as a military plumber of at least 3rd class petty officer or E-4. Secondary experience includes plumbing work as a maintenance employee of a county water or public works department and plumbing inspection as a full-time municipal or county inspector (Rule 121-3-.02(5)-(7)).
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Application and processing fee, paid in the GOALS portal (goals.sos.ga.gov) with the notarized application; non-refundable. The Board publishes the current amount only on its GOALS fee schedule..
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal background check obtained through your local law enforcement agency, plus court documents and a letter of explanation for any conviction or disciplinary action.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Journeyman Plumber exam given by PSI after Board approval: 100 scored questions in two 2.5-hour parts, open book with the Board's reference list, scaled score of 70 to pass.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when you register after Board approval. The Board does not publish the amount; PSI quotes it at registration (test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco, 855-898-0711)..
- 5Other. Three references from licensed plumbers who can attest to your plumbing experience (Rule 121-3-.02(3)).
- 6Other. Affidavit of Citizenship with a secure and verifiable identity document, such as a driver's license or passport.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle.
Eight hours within the 24 months before the license expires (4 hours per year), in plumbing installation, design, state codes, products, new techniques, tools and materials, safety or work-related legal issues. Courses must come from a college, a vocational-technical school, or a trade, technical or professional organization. At the first renewal, no hours are due if you have been licensed less than one year, and 4 hours if licensed less than two years. Keep course records for five years; licensees are randomly audited.
Licenses expire in even-numbered years and are renewed online in GOALS by November 30; late renewal with a late fee runs December 1 to 31. The renewal fee is listed on the Board's GOALS fee schedule.
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers: Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Qualifications for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.01, 121-2-.03, 121-2-.06, 121-2-.11 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Application for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02, 121-3-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02 - Statewide Master and Journeyman Plumber License · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02; O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-5, 43-14-6 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-4 - License Issuance, Renewal, Reinstatement, Expiration, and Activation (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-4-.01, 121-4-.02, 121-4-.04 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- How-To Guide: Plumber License · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Georgia State Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Georgia Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 23, 2026