Maryland to District of Columbia: master plumber license reciprocity
District of Columbia has a reciprocity agreement with Maryland: a Maryland master plumber can get a District of Columbia license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity with Maryland (master plumber)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Since October 2025 the Board of Industrial Trades has licensed Maryland master plumbers and gasfitters through reciprocity, without the DC exam. You must have received your Maryland license by examination and hold a current active license in good standing. Get a letter of good standing or license verification from the Maryland plumbing board, upload it with the DLCP online application along with a passport-style photo and government ID, and pay $185 in total (the $65 application fee plus the $120 master license fee). The Reciprocity section of the Board page still describes only electricians, so follow the Board's plumbing reciprocity bulletin.
Announced in the Board's bulletin of October 8, 2025, which covers both journeymen and masters. A master who will be designated to a DC plumbing contractor must also file a $5,000 plumbing and gas fitting bond.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Maryland license must be active and in good standing.
- Your Maryland license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Master license fee, up to 2 years (expires March 31 of even-numbered years; renewal $155).
- 3Other. Letter of good standing or verification of the Maryland license by examination, obtained from the Maryland plumbing board and uploaded with the online application.
Published fees on this path total $185, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How District of Columbia licenses master plumbers
District of Columbia master plumber · “Master Plumber/Gasfitter”
Statewide license
Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)
The District's highest person-held plumbing credential is the Master Plumber/Gasfitter license issued by the Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP); a Master Gasfitter specialty also exists. A Plumbing Contractor license is a separate business credential that must name a designated DC-licensed master and post a plumbing and gasfitting bond. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c) a master applicant must hold a valid journeyman plumber or gasfitter license, or have met the journeyman subsection (b) requirements, and have worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years, then pass the PSI-administered master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $120 master license fee for a term of up to 2 years ($155 on renewal); licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes a Maryland plumbing-professionals reciprocity bulletin; no Virginia plumber reciprocity is named on the board page.
Compare: getting a District of Columbia license from scratch
Common questions
- Do I have to take the District of Columbia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Maryland?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Maryland.
- What does it cost to get a District of Columbia master plumber license from Maryland?
- Published fees on this path total $185, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.121 - Scope of practice for plumbers or gasfitters · D.C. Code § 47-2853.121 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 - Plumbers or gasfitters: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DLCP bulletin - New Licensure Reciprocity for Maryland Plumbing Professionals in DC · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Board of Industrial Trades · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DLCP Board of Industrial Trades - Plumbing/Gasfitting Application Instructions · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.