Illinois to Rhode Island: master plumber license reciprocity
Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreement with Illinois. Your Illinois experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Rhode Island exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master plumber: Rhode Island master examination (all states; no published exam waiver)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An out-of-state master plumber applies to DLT Professional Regulation for the Rhode Island master plumber examination. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 is the qualifications and application-fee statute; § 5-20-21 issues the license on examination; chapter 20 contains no reciprocity, endorsement, or compact section and DLT publishes no list of states whose master exam is waived. Until § 5-20-16 is read, treat the inbound path like other DLT trades and like plumber journeyperson § 5-20-17: out-of-state credentials may be used to qualify to sit the Rhode Island exam, but the exam itself is required. A contractor master (§ 5-20-12.1) is a separate firm credential and is not a substitute for the individual master plumber license. File through the Plumbing and Irrigators applications on the DLT Professional Regulation hub.
No named agreements. Mechanism is ExperienceCredit, not Reciprocity, because no official source waives the trade exam.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
- Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more.
What you'll do to get licensed in Rhode Island
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 2Other. Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Rhode Island Master Plumber examination administered by DLT Professional Regulation; no published waiver for out-of-state masters.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Contractor master license under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-12.1 if the master will operate as a firm — separate from the individual Master Plumber license.
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Plumbing continuing education / CLE through a DLT-approved provider (Plumber CLE Agreement Rev..
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Rhode Island licenses master plumbers
Rhode Island master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Rhode Island issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the same DLT Board of Examiners of Plumbers (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-20-3, 5-20-8, 5-20-16). A master’s license is required to engage in the plumbing business; journeypersons work under a master (§§ 5-20-8, 5-20-9). Firms need a contractor master under § 5-20-12.1 in addition to the individual master — that contractor-master credential is not this file’s master level. Licenses are issued on examination (§ 5-20-21). Chapter 20 has no reciprocity or endorsement section, and DLT’s plumber pages list no partner states and no exam waiver. DLT administers the plumber exams itself. Irrigator and water-filtration master licenses are separate.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Rhode Island master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Rhode Island?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Rhode Island's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Rhode Island to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island to Illinois, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Rhode Island DLT - Board of Examiners of Plumbers · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Plumber CLE Agreement (Rev. 08/2025) · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 - Qualifications of master plumber, master irrigator or master water-filtration/treatment-system installer — Application fee · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-23 - Expiration and renewal of licenses — Penalties for violation of section · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-23 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws Title 5, Chapter 20 - Plumbers, Irrigators, and Water System Installers (index) · R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 5-20 · Rhode Island 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.