Mississippi to Texas: master plumber license reciprocity
Mississippi does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Texas'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.
Out-of-state journeyman or master plumber: direct eligibility for the Texas master exam
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
TSBPE admits an out-of-state plumber to the Master Plumber Examination on the strength of the origin license without first requiring a Texas journeyman license: the applicant must currently hold a Journeyman Plumber license from another state held at least two years (or one year plus a DOL apprenticeship program), or a Master Plumber license from another state and show that he or she previously held a journeyman license for two years (or one year plus a DOL program). The application is filed online or by mail with supporting documentation and a $25 processing fee; the $128.50 exam fee is paid to Pearson VUE on exam day; fingerprints are required once; and the $75 license fee is paid after passing. TSBPE's page describes no exam waiver, although Occupations Code §1301.3581 permits the Board to waive prerequisites for a substantially equivalent license and bars requiring an exam of such an applicant who has held the equivalent license for two years; no implementing rule or equivalency list is published. A new master who wants to run a plumbing business must additionally qualify as a Responsible Master Plumber and file a $300,000 liability insurance certificate.
TSBPE's master page routes every out-of-state applicant to the Texas exam. Occupations Code §1301.3581 may let the Board skip the exam if you have held a substantially equivalent license for at least two years, but TSBPE has not published a reciprocity agreement or a form for that. Plan to take the exam unless the Board tells you otherwise. See https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/master-plumber.
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.
- You must have held your Mississippi license for at least 2 years.Journeyman Plumber license held at least two years (Texas or another state), or - for an out-of-state master - proof of having previously held a journeyman license for at least two years. Reduced to one year if the applicant has completed a US DOL Office of Apprenticeship training program.
- US citizen or national, or an alien or non-immigrant eligible for licensure by the State of Texas
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Master Plumber Examination processing fee payable to TSBPE.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($128.50). Master Plumber Examination fee payable to Pearson VUE on the day of the exam.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Texas Master Plumber Examination administered through Pearson VUE (required unless TSBPE grants a waiver under Occ. Code §1301.3581); passing score set by the Board.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Initial license fee for the certificate of licensure and pocket card after passing; renewal $75 per year (late: $37.50 within 90 days, $75 after 90 days).
- 5Background check. Complete a background check. One-time fingerprint submission for a DPS/FBI criminal history check (Occ. Code §1301.3515); Supplemental Criminal History Information Form if convicted of a felony.
- 6Other. Verification of the out-of-state Journeyman and/or Master Plumber license and the dates it was held, plus documentation of any DOL apprenticeship program used for the one-year route.
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Only to act as a Responsible Master Plumber (contracting, permits, supervising a company): certificate of commercial general liability insurance of at least $300,000 for all claims in a one-year period (Occ. Code §§1301.3576, 1301.552).
- 8Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of TSBPE-approved continuing professional education each year to renew, three hours in health protection, energy conservation and water conservation (Occ. Code §1301.404).
Published fees on this path total $228.50, 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.
- Exam fee · $128.50
- Trade exam
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Texas licenses master plumbers
Texas master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Texas licenses Master Plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). An applicant may sit the Master Plumber Examination after holding a Journeyman Plumber license in Texas or another state for at least two years, or for one year plus completion of a US DOL Office of Apprenticeship program (Occ. Code §1301.002(5)); a master licensed in another state qualifies by showing the same prior journeyman history. The applicant pays a $25 exam processing fee to TSBPE and a $128.50 exam fee to Pearson VUE, submits fingerprints, passes the exam and pays a $75 initial license fee; the license renews annually for $75 with six hours of continuing professional education. A master plumber works under a Responsible Master Plumber unless he or she registers as an RMP, which requires a $300,000 commercial general liability certificate and allows contracting, permitting and supervising a plumbing company's work. TSBPE publishes no reciprocity agreements, but out-of-state journeyman experience counts directly toward master exam eligibility.
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 Texas master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Mississippi license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Texas master plumber license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $228.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in Texas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Texas to Mississippi?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Mississippi, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Texas Occupations Code ch. 1301 (Plumbing License Law) - definitions, apprentice/exam prerequisites, fingerprints, renewal and CE · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.002, 1301.354, 1301.3515, 1301.352, 1301.401, 1301.403, 1301.404 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Texas Occupations Code § 1301.3581 Reciprocity; § 1301.3585 military applicants; § 1301.403(e) former Texas licensees; § 1301.360 temporary license · Tex. Occ. Code §§ 1301.3581, 1301.3585, 1301.403(e), 1301.360 · Texas Legislature (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), current through the 89th Legislature 2nd Called Session 2025 · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 22 TAC § 365.1 - License, Endorsement and Registration Categories; Scope of Work Permitted · 22 TAC § 365.1 (eff. 11/23/2022) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - License Types (licenses, endorsements, registrations; renewal and CE overview) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- TSBPE - Master Plumber (eligibility, how to apply, fees) · Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners · 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.