Colorado to Georgia: master plumber license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Colorado. Your Colorado experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Georgia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (no named reciprocity partners)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An out-of-state master plumber applies for a Georgia Class I or Class II Master Plumber license by examination. O.C.G.A. § 43-14-23, re-enacted by Senate Bill 553 (2026) effective July 1, 2026, lets the Division license without examination someone who has practiced for two years under a license from a state with substantially equal requirements that extends equivalent privileges to Georgia, and Rule 121-2-.03 still frames such recognition as a formal written agreement, but the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for plumbers, so the trade exam is required. For Class II the applicant documents five years of full-time plumbing experience (2,000 documented hours per year) under a licensed master plumber, at least four of them licensed as a Journeyman Plumber and at least two in unrestricted-scope work; the statute does not say those licensed years must be Georgia years, so out-of-state journeyman licensure is expected to count. Class I needs four years, at least three of them while licensed as a Journeyman Plumber under the Georgia chapter, so an out-of-state plumber cannot qualify for Class I without first holding a Georgia journeyman license. Each supervising master signs an affidavit attesting to the experience, and the application authorizes a criminal background check. After two failures a Board-approved review course is required before a third sitting. A current Georgia master (or journeyman) may separately apply for Statewide Medical Gas Piping Systems Certification under Rule 121-2-.11.
O.C.G.A. § 43-14-23 (effective July 1, 2026) makes recognition discretionary for licensees of substantially equal states that extend equivalent privileges to Georgia, after two years of practice, and does not mention a written agreement; Rule 121-2-.03 still requires one, and the Division's FAQ states that none exists for plumbers, so the exam is required. Class I vs Class II is chosen by the applicant. Municipal origin licenses are not state licenses.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Class II: five years of full-time plumbing experience (2,000 documented hours per year) under a licensed master plumber, at least four of them licensed as a Journeyman Plumber (two if licensed as a Georgia journeyman before March 1, 2025) and at least two in unrestricted-scope work (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-13(l))
- Class I: four years of full-time plumbing experience within the restricted scope, at least three of them while licensed as a Georgia Journeyman Plumber (one if licensed before March 1, 2025) (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-13(k))
- Three licensed-plumber references on the Division's application checklist; Class I at least one licensed Master Plumber, Class II at least two (Rule 121-3-.02(3))
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Application and processing fee, paid in the GOALS portal (goals.sos.ga.gov) and non-refundable. The Board publishes the current amount only on its GOALS fee schedule..
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal background check: the application authorizes the Secretary of State to run one, including fingerprints, at the applicant's expense (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-13(h)).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Master Plumber Class I or Class II examination given by PSI after Board approval; closed book; scaled score of 70 to pass (Rule 121-3-.02(2)). After two failures, a Board-approved review course is required before a third sitting..
- 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 licensed-plumber references (Class I: at least one Master Plumber; Class II: at least two Master Plumbers).
- 6Other. Signed affidavit from each master plumber who supervised the claimed experience, with the Division's work-experience record (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-13(k)(3), (l)(3)).
- 7Other. Optional Statewide Medical Gas Piping Systems Certification (Rule 121-2-.11): current Georgia master or journeyman license plus 32-hour Division-approved ASSE 6000 / NFPA 99 program with written exam and braze test (if applicable).
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
- Exam fee
- Other · if applicable
How Georgia licenses master plumbers
Georgia master plumber · “Master Plumber Class II (Unrestricted)”
Statewide license
Georgia issues statewide Master Plumber licenses in two classes through the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. Under the licensing statute as re-enacted by Senate Bill 553 (2026), effective July 1, 2026, Class I covers single-family dwellings, townhomes and multifamily buildings (including duplexes, hotels, motels and apartments) up to three stories and commercial buildings up to 20,000 square feet; Class II is unrestricted and is the master-level equivalent used here. Class II needs five years of full-time experience (2,000 documented hours each) under a licensed master plumber, at least four of them licensed as a Journeyman Plumber and at least two in unrestricted-scope work; Class I needs four years within the restricted scope, at least three of them licensed as a Georgia Journeyman Plumber. Anyone already licensed as a Georgia journeyman before March 1, 2025 needs only two licensed years for Class II and one for Class I. The applicant scores at least 70 on the appropriate master examination, files a signed affidavit from each supervising master, consents to a criminal background check and pays the Board's published fee; the Division's checklist still also asks for three licensed-plumber references (Class I: at least one master; Class II: at least two). O.C.G.A. § 43-14-23 lets the Division, in its discretion, license without examination someone who has practiced for at least two years under a license from a state with substantially equal requirements that gives Georgia licensees equivalent privileges; Rule 121-2-.03 still frames this as a formal written agreement, and the Division's FAQ states that Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for master or journeyman plumbers. In practice everyone therefore applies by examination. The statute's Class II wording does not require the licensed journeyman years to be Georgia years, so out-of-state journeyman licensure is expected to count there, but Class I's licensed years must be under a Georgia Journeyman Plumber license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Colorado?
- Yes. Georgia requires the trade exam on this path.
- Do my Colorado work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Georgia to Colorado?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Georgia to Colorado, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Senate Bill 553 (2026), as passed and signed - repeals and re-enacts O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 (Electrical Contractors, Plumbers, Conditioned Air Contractors, Low Voltage Contractors, and Utility Contractors) · O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-2(13), (24), (25); 43-14-5; 43-14-6; 43-14-13; 43-14-20; 43-14-23 (as enacted by SB 553, 2026) · Office of the Governor of Georgia (signed legislation) · Statute · verified October 12, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Applications and Examinations (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.03 · 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 - Licensing (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.01, 121-3-.02 · 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
- 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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.