Mississippi to Alaska: master plumber license reciprocity
Mississippi does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Alaska's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Mechanical Administrator licence by credentials (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Alaska publishes no state-by-state reciprocity list for mechanical administrators; every out-of-state applicant uses licensure by credentials under AS 08.40.270(b) and 12 AAC 39.022 (form 08-4904, also filed online through MY LICENSE). The department must waive the examination when the applicant holds a current, active mechanical administrator or equivalent licence in another state (verification sent directly by every jurisdiction where the applicant is or was licensed), has that state verify on form 08-4904a, with the exam content outline, that the applicant passed an examination equivalent to Alaska's, and meets the experience qualifications for the plumbing category applied for (12 AAC 39.202 for Unlimited Commercial and Industrial Plumbing or 12 AAC 39.302 for Residential Plumbing and Hydronic Heating). CBPL warns that passing an exam in another state does not guarantee qualification, and transcripts must come directly from the school if education is used to qualify. The fee is $150 (nonrefundable application) plus $200 (licence), $350 in total, and paper applications take several weeks. An applicant who cannot document an equivalent exam applies by examination instead (form 08-4903) and must score at least 70% on the PSI mechanical administrator exam within the 12 months before licensure (no more than three attempts in 12 months); a licensee may later add a category under 12 AAC 39.025 by passing that category's exam. A master plumber licence from another state counts as journeyman experience under 12 AAC 39.992(4) but is only an 'equivalent' administrator licence if it carries a comparable supervisory role and exam, which the division judges case by case.
The division does not publish which states' master plumber, plumbing contractor or mechanical administrator exams it accepts as equivalent; each is reviewed against the exam content outline, and a business-issued plumbing contractor licence (rather than a personal one) is not addressed on any official page. The PSI examination fee for the by-examination route is not published on the application form or the program page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Mississippi license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Mississippi that the destination considers comparable.
- Meets the category qualifications: UCIP (12 AAC 39.202) - journeyman plumber and/or plumbing field-superintendent experience for four of the last six years, or an ME degree or Alaska PE registration plus one of the last three years; RPHH (12 AAC 39.302) - journeyman experience in residential plumbing and hydronic heating for two of the last four years; a year of experience is at least 1,500 hours in 12 consecutive months (12 AAC 39.950)
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Alaska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Nonrefundable application fee (12 AAC 02.245).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Biennial licence fee; licences expire December 31 of odd-numbered years regardless of issue date (12 AAC 02.245).
- 3Other. Verification of licensure from every jurisdiction where the applicant holds or has held a mechanical administrator licence, sent directly to the division; verification of the equivalent examination on form 08-4904a; official transcripts sent by the school if education is used to qualify; detailed experience narrative for the category.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). PSI mechanical administrator examination for the plumbing category (70% within 12 months before application; results valid one year; maximum three attempts in 12 months) - required only if no equivalent out-of-state exam can be verified (form 08-4903); PSI fee not published.
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). The administrator must be assigned to one registered mechanical contractor (AS 08.18) or held unassigned; the contractor registration is a separate CBPL business licence and is required to contract for plumbing work.
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. For renewal: one eight-hour Uniform Plumbing Code workshop (UCIP) or UPC/Uniform Mechanical Code workshop (RPHH) per category each biennium, or a code-based licensing exam passed in the period (12 AAC 39.410); renewal fee $200 ($100 for licences first issued on or after January 1, 2025).
Published fees on this path total $350, 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
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Contractor license · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Alaska licenses master plumbers
Alaska master plumber · “Mechanical Administrator (Unlimited Commercial and Industrial Plumbing or Residential Plumbing and Hydronic Heating category)”
Statewide license
Alaska has no master plumber licence; Mechanical Inspection's FAQ answers 'Does Alaska issue a Master license for the plumbing or electrical trades? No.' The highest person-held plumbing credential is the Mechanical Administrator licence issued under AS 08.40.210-08.40.490 by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL), which is treated here as the master level. It is a supervisory licence: a person may not act as a mechanical administrator without it, every registered mechanical contractor doing plumbing must hold or employ one, the administrator is responsible for all mechanical work done under the contractor's licence and may qualify only one contractor (AS 08.40.260, 08.40.280; 12 AAC 39.902), and it does not by itself authorise hands-on code work, which still requires a DOLWD certificate of fitness (a person may hold both, which the FAQ says 'allows the holder to function like how a master trades license works in many other states'). The plumbing categories are Unlimited Commercial and Industrial Plumbing (UCIP: journeyman plumber or plumbing field-superintendent experience for four of the last six years, or an ME degree or PE registration plus one of the last three years, where a year is at least 1,500 hours) and Residential Plumbing and Hydronic Heating (RPHH: two of the last four years as a journeyman in residential plumbing and hydronic heating; single-family and duplex dwellings only). Qualification is by a PSI-administered examination passed at 70% within the prior 12 months, or by credentials for administrators licensed in another state. Fees are $150 to apply plus $200 for the licence ($350); the licence is biennial, expires December 31 of odd-numbered years, and renews for $200 with an eight-hour Uniform Plumbing Code workshop per category. The mechanical contractor registration itself is a separate business licence under AS 08.18 from the same division.
Why Mississippi has nothing to transfer
Mississippi master plumber
Licensed by cities and counties
Mississippi does not issue a personal master plumber license. The state-level plumbing credential is the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) contractor license: the commercial Mechanical major classification or its 'Plumbing (Test Required)' specialty (required on commercial jobs over $50,000; application and renewal $400, $300,000/$600,000 liability insurance, CPA-reviewed financial statement showing $50,000 net worth for Mechanical or $20,000 for the Plumbing specialty) or Residential Plumbing / Residential Mechanical (required for residential plumbing subcontracting over $10,000 in remodeling or $50,000 new construction; application $50, renewal $100). The license is issued to the business through a Certificate of Responsibility with a named qualifying party who passes the open-book PSI Plumbing (or Residential Plumbing) trade exam and the mandatory Mississippi Law and Business Management exam, so a master plumber who only wants to work for an employer has nothing to transfer to at the state level; the personal master credential exists only in cities such as Southaven (Master trade license, $100, which itself requires an active MSBOC license, a $10,000 bond and liability insurance) and Gulfport (contractor license issued to the qualifying party, $100). MSBOC waives its plumbing trade exam, for $50 per exam, for qualifying parties who hold a current license obtained by examination from the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (commercial Plumbing exam only), the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Plumbing), the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (Residential Plumbing, no discipline in three years) or the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (all exams, no discipline in the last year); the Alabama General Contractors Board, Arkansas and Louisiana agreements expressly exclude plumbing, and the Business and Law exam is never waived.
How local licensing works in Mississippi
State contractor license (business). MSBOC issues commercial and residential contractor licenses to companies through a Certificate of Responsibility. The commercial Mechanical major classification 'involves all aspects of heating, cooling, refrigeration and associated equipment piping and ductwork as well as plumbing work' and carries 15 specialties including Plumbing, Process Piping, Underground Utilities, Fueling Systems and Irrigation Systems (all test required); an applicant may instead take only the Plumbing specialty. The qualifying party (owner, officer or responsible managing employee) passes the PSI open-book trade exam and the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam; fees are $400 application ($400 annual renewal, $100 per additional classification), general liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence / $600,000 aggregate, and a CPA-reviewed financial statement showing net worth of $50,000 for a major classification or $20,000 for a specialty. Residential Plumbing (Residential Plumbing exam) and Residential Mechanical (Residential HVAC and Residential Plumbing exams) require the Law and Business exam, a $50 application fee ($100 per additional classification, $100 renewal) and proof of liability insurance with no minimum.
MSBOC exam waivers for out-of-state qualifying parties. Reciprocity 'applies to waiver of a trade exam requirement only' ($50 per exam waived, plus a $25 verification fee) after the origin board completes MSBOC's Reciprocity Verification Form; the applicant must have held the origin license for one year and passed that board's exam. Plumbing waivers are available for the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (commercial Plumbing exam only; current license, Alabama exam taken), Ohio CILB (Plumbing; no discipline in the last year), the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (Residential Plumbing; no discipline in three years) and Tennessee ('the only state that waives Mechanical and Plumbing'; no discipline in the last year). The Alabama General Contractors Board entry waives 'all exams but Mechanical & Plumbing', Arkansas excludes 'any type of Mechanical (i.e. Plumbing, Boilers, Process Piping, HVAC)', and Louisiana 'CAN WAIVE HVAC BUT NOT MECHANICAL OR PLUMBING'; Georgia, North Carolina, the South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board, Florida and California agreements do not reach plumbing. Separately, Form UROL under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act (Miss. Code 73-50-2) waives the trade exam for an individual who has established Mississippi residency and held a similar license in any state for at least one year, and the Military Family Freedom Act (73-50-1) applies to military members and families. Every path still requires the Business and Law exam and full application review.
Southaven. Master trade license $100: application, photo ID of the license qualifier, certificate of liability insurance, a $10,000 general surety bond in favor of the city, an active MSBOC contractor's license certificate and the company EIN. An out-of-state applicant without an MSBOC license must provide a letter of good standing from a municipality where their license is active and may not take residential projects or commercial projects over $50,000; reciprocity questions are referred to MSBOC. Confirmed for mechanical and electrical on 2026-09-15; the plumbing card was not separately confirmed because the form could not be reopened on 2026-09-16.
Gulfport. Contractor license issued to the qualifying party ($100, waived with an MSBOC Certificate of Responsibility): notarized application, current MSBOC license if any, five reference letters (waived with an MSBOC license), $100,000/$300,000 liability insurance naming the city, home-jurisdiction privilege license and photo ID. No reciprocity provision.
Jackson, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Tupelo. Master plumber programs in these cities could not be verified from an official page in this pass (Jackson redirected, Hattiesburg plumbing ordinance 404); contact each building department.
- Southaven (Building Department)
- Gulfport (Building Code Services)
- Jackson
- Hattiesburg
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alaska master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Alaska master plumber license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $350, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in Alaska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Alaska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Alaska to Mississippi?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Alaska to Mississippi, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Form 08-4904 - Mechanical Administrator License by Credentials Application (new 08/30/2024) · 12 AAC 39.022; 12 AAC 02.245 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Form 08-4903 - Mechanical Administrator License by Examination Application (new 08/30/2024) · 12 AAC 39.012; 12 AAC 02.245 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Alaska CBPL - Mechanical Administrators program page · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Form 08-4296 - Mechanical Administrator License Renewal, January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2027 (rev. 10/23/2025) · 12 AAC 39.027; 12 AAC 39.410 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Statutes and Regulations - Mechanical Administrators (AS 08.40.210-08.40.490 and 12 AAC 39), April 2023 · AS 08.40.260, AS 08.40.270, AS 08.40.280, AS 08.40.290; 12 AAC 39.012, 12 AAC 39.022, 12 AAC 39.025, 12 AAC 39.027, 12 AAC 39.033, 12 AAC 39.202, 12 AAC 39.212, 12 AAC 39.302, 12 AAC 39.312, 12 AAC 39.410, 12 AAC 39.950, 12 AAC 39.992 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection - Frequently Asked Questions · Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection - Home (jurisdiction, adopted codes, August 8, 2025 regulation change) · 8 AAC 63.101; AS 18.60.705 · Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.