Mississippi to Indiana: master plumber license reciprocity
Mississippi does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Indiana'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.
Commission review of out-of-state master/contractor credentials (IC 25-28.5-1-19; no named partner states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor applies to the Indiana Plumbing Commission for a Plumbing Contractor license through MyLicense One. Indiana names no reciprocal partner states, and the Commission's FAQ states that reciprocity is not available for contractor plumbers: the application goes before the Commission, and an approved applicant must pass the Indiana Plumbing Contractor exam given by Prov. IC 25-28.5-1-19 allows a license without examination where the origin state's requirements were substantially equal and that state grants Indiana licensees the same privilege, but the Commission's published process routes out-of-state licensees to the exam. You document your out-of-state license and four years of experience in the plumbing trade with an employer affidavit. The application fee is $50 and the initial license fee is $100 if issued in an even-numbered year or $50 in an odd-numbered year; a corporation must also hold its own corporate license naming you.
Indiana's statute provides for licensing without examination for holders from states with a reciprocity agreement or substantially equal requirements (IC 25-28.5-1-12(e) and -19), but the Commission names no such states and its FAQ says reciprocity is not available. Under IC 25-28.5-1-12(d), a license from a state without a reciprocity agreement makes the holder eligible to take the Indiana exam. The 90-question contractor exam includes 14 questions on Indiana business; there is no separate law exam. Indiana does not require a prior Indiana journeyman license for the contractor license. Nonresident licensees must also appoint the Commission's secretary as agent for service of process (IC 25-28.5-1-20).
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- 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.
- Applicant is at least 18 years of age (IC 25-28.5-1-19)
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.
What you'll do to get licensed in Indiana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Plumbing Contractor application fee, paid by card in MyLicense One; nonrefundable.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Initial license issuance fee when the license is issued in an even-numbered year; $50 when it is issued in an odd-numbered year.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Indiana Plumbing Contractor exam administered by Prov after the Commission approves the application: 90 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, including 14 on Indiana business, approved code references allowed.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Prov examination fee, paid to Prov for each attempt.
- 5Other. Certification of licensure from the other state's licensing authority (860 IAC 1-1-11) and a notarized employer affidavit of experience in the plumbing trade, uploaded in MyLicense One.
- 6Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Corporate plumbing contractor license if you will contract through a corporation ($50 application), naming at least one officer or employee who holds a Plumbing Contractor license; a business that files an assumed business name must register its name, address and phone number with the Commission (IC 25-28.5-1-13).
- 7Other. Answer the application's background questions; for any "yes" answer, attach a full statement (violation, location, date, cause number and disposition) and copies of the court documents.
Published fees on this path total $250, 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
- Exam fee · $100
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.
- Business license · if applicable
How Indiana licenses master plumbers
Indiana master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)
Indiana has no 'master plumber' license. The top individual credential is the Plumbing Contractor license issued by the Indiana Plumbing Commission (PLA) under IC 25-28.5-1, which is held by a person who has qualified by experience and passed the Indiana plumbing contractor examination administered by PROV; this file maps it to the master level because it is the credential that authorizes a plumber to contract for and supervise plumbing work. The license is held by the individual: every member of a firm or partnership who contracts for plumbing work must hold one personally, and a corporation doing plumbing contracting must hold its own corporate license naming at least one officer or employee who is a licensed Plumbing Contractor (IC 25-28.5-1-13). The Commission also issues a Temporary Plumbing Contractor license when a contractor running a business dies or becomes unable to operate it (IC 25-28.5-1-18.5). Applications and renewals are processed in MyLicense One, and initial license issuance fees depend on whether the license is issued in an odd or even year. The reciprocity section of the statute (IC 25-28.5-1-19) applies to out-of-state master or contractor licensees in the same way as to journeymen.
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. The city's checklist confirms this for mechanical and electrical cards; confirm the plumbing card terms with the Building Department.
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. These cities do not publish their master plumber programs online; contact each building department.
- Southaven (Building Department)
- Gulfport (Building Code Services)
- Jackson
- Hattiesburg
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Indiana master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- Yes. Indiana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Indiana master plumber license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $250, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in Indiana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Indiana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Indiana to Mississippi?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to Mississippi, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 860 IAC 1 - Indiana Plumbing Commission, General Provisions (fees, admission to examination, examinations) · 860 IAC 1-1-2.1, 1-1-7, 1-1-8, 1-1-9, 1-1-10, 1-1-11, 1-3-1, 1-3-1.1, 1-3-2, 1-5-7 · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Indiana Code Title 25, Article 28.5 (Plumbers), Chapter 1 - Regulation of Plumbers; Creation of Commission; Licensing · IC 25-28.5-1-12, -13, -15, -16, -17, -18.1, -18.3, -18.5, -19, -20, -22, -23, -32, -33 · Indiana General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Section 4 - Experience in a Plumbing Business, and Employer Affidavit of Experience in Plumbing Trade (part of State Form 27522) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Home (Indiana Plumbing Commission) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Licensing Information (application instructions, renewal, fee schedule) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Wayback Machine snapshot (2025-09-02) of PLA Plumbing Licensing Information · Internet Archive (capture of in.gov) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Indiana - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, IN CIB 2026.10.12) · Prov, Inc. (for the Indiana Plumbing Commission) · Form · verified October 12, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.