Moving to Michigan as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule

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.