Florida to Vermont: master plumber license reciprocity
Vermont has no reciprocity agreement with Florida. A Florida master plumber applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Uniform endorsement (all other states; license held 3 years)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
Under 26 V.S.A. s. 2194(a)(2), the Board shall issue a master plumber license without examination to an applicant whose master (or equivalent) license has been held in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years, whether or not that jurisdiction reciprocates under s. 2194(a)(1). The applicant files the all-classes plumbing application with proof of bona fide licensure, pays the $120 two-year master license fee, and completes the Vermont Energy Goals module; the Board meets in odd-numbered months and requires complete documents two weeks before the meeting. The Commissioner may waive the three-year practice requirement. An applicant licensed as a master for less than three years uses s. 2191: equivalent out-of-state training and experience may replace the 12-month Vermont journeyman holding period, but the Vermont master exam is required. Statutory reciprocity without examination (s. 2194(a)(1)) also exists when the origin state or municipality maintained equivalent standards and grants Vermont masters a like exemption; no named plumbing partners appear on DFS pages, so that path is not listed as Reciprocity agreements.
The 12-month Vermont journeyman prerequisite in s. 2191 is an examination-route fact; the three-year origin-license holding period in s. 2194(a)(2) is the endorsement fact. Work-notice fixture fees in s. 2175 ($10/$15 per fixture, $50 minimum, or flat $50 for non-priority work) are inspection fees, not license fees. Municipal inspectors under s. 2174 do not replace the statewide master license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 60 days
What you must already have
- You must have held your Florida license for at least 3 years.Master or equivalent license held in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years (26 V.S.A. s. 2194(a)(2)(A)). Commissioner waiver possible under s. 2194(a)(2)(C).
- Your Florida license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Vermont
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Master plumber two-year license fee (26 V.S.A. s. 2193(c)(1)); renewal is the same amount (s. 2193(c)(4)).
- 2Other. All-classes plumbing license application with documentation of the origin master (or equivalent) license..
- 3Other. Vermont Energy Goals education module (not more than two hours) and completion certificate, required for initial licensure after 2021-07-01 (26 V.S.A. s. 2193(f)).
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Vermont master plumber written exam — only if the origin license does not meet the three-year uniform-endorsement or statutory-reciprocity tests..
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Renewal: eight hours of Board-approved continued training or instruction within the previous 24 months (26 V.S.A. s. 2195(d)), plus the energy-goals renewal module.
Published fees on this path total $120, 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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Vermont licenses master plumbers
Vermont master plumber · “Master Plumber (PM)”
Statewide license
Issued by Vermont Plumber's Examining Board, Division of Fire Safety (Department of Public Safety)
Vermont issues a statewide Master Plumber license (ledger code PM) through the Plumber's Examining Board in the Division of Fire Safety. A master, as a business, installs plumbing systems, hires people to do plumbing work, or supervises journey and apprentice plumbers. A new applicant must document having held a valid Vermont journeyman plumber's license for at least 12 months, or equivalent training and experience in or outside Vermont acceptable to the Board, then pass the master examination; the two-year license fee is $120 (26 V.S.A. ss. 2191, 2193(c)). Out-of-state masters use the same no-exam statutes as journeymen: uniform endorsement after three years licensed in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction (s. 2194(a)(2)), or reciprocity without examination if the origin state or municipality had equivalent standards and grants Vermont licensees a like exemption (s. 2194(a)(1)). DFS plumbing pages name no partner states. Masters and journeymen are exempt from specialist license fees. Licenses last two years with eight hours of Board-approved CE per cycle plus the Energy Goals module. Work on installations subject to Board rules also requires a validated work notice and inspection fees, which are separate from the license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Vermont master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Florida?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Florida license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Vermont master plumber license from Florida?
- Published fees on this path total $120, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Florida work hours count in Vermont?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Vermont's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 60 days.
Sources
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Trade Licensing and Certifications · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Plumbing (licensing home page) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Division of Fire Safety - Plumbing License Applications, All Classes · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Plumbers Examining Board (meetings and document deadline) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Vermont Plumbing Rules, 2025 Edition (current; linked from the DFS plumbing page) · Vermont Plumbing Rules 2025 · Vermont Plumber's Examining Board / Division of Fire Safety · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - 2026 PROV Bulletin (testing instructions linked from the trade-licensing page) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety / Prov · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- 26 V.S.A. Chapter 39 - Plumbers and Plumbing (definitions, qualifications, fees, examinations not required, renewal) · 26 V.S.A. ss. 2172, 2181, 2191, 2192, 2192a, 2193, 2194, 2195, 2198 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.