Missouri to Massachusetts: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Master by examination (all states; exam not waived)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber cannot have the Massachusetts master examination waived. M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 requires the examiners to examine each person desiring to engage in the business of a master plumber, and no Board page lists a written reciprocal agreement. Local permits and bonding still apply after licensure (M.G.L. c. 142, § 3).
No Reciprocity row: unlike electricians (M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B and 237 CMR 15.00, NH only), Chapter 142 has no 'license without examination' statute.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Massachusetts journeyman plumber license number is required on the Master Statement of Experience Form (Board master how-to). An out-of-state master should expect to obtain the Massachusetts journeyman license first.
- 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 Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($31). Non-refundable Master Plumber application fee collected by the Board of Examiners (Valor Act reductions may apply); filed through ePLACE.
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Acknowledgement Form; second page must be notarized.
- 3Other. 2x2 passport-style photo uploaded with the online application.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Master Plumber examination (PSI after Board approval). Statute requires a practical test of plumbing, house drainage, ventilation and gas fitting..
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($78). 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..
Published fees on this path total $109, 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
How Massachusetts licenses master plumbers
Massachusetts master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Massachusetts issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. M.G.L. c. 142, § 3 requires a master plumber's license to engage in the business as a master plumber; the master license must be displayed in the place of business, and advertising must show the designation and license number. A licensed master plumber may carry on gas-fitting work throughout the commonwealth, subject to local permits and bonding. Under § 4 the examiners must examine each applicant for a master plumber's license; the statute has no reciprocity or exam-waiver provision.
Why Missouri has nothing to transfer
Missouri master plumber
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri issues no statewide master plumber or plumbing contractor license. RSMo chapter 341 leaves plumber licensing to cities over 15,000 and first-classification counties, whose boards examine master plumbers, set fees and license terms and (in counties) require master plumber and master drainlayer surety bonds; no state agency licenses the trade and the voluntary statewide contractor license that exists for electrical work has no plumbing counterpart. The master credential therefore exists only locally: Springfield's Master Plumber certification (4 years as a certified journeyman or 10 years' experience, ICC exam, $50), Kansas City's plumbing contractor license qualified by a supervisor holding a certificate of qualification (Prometric or ICC exam, $60 application, $181 four-year renewal; contractor license $55 application, $181 issuance), St. Louis County's Master Plumber license and certified contractor list, and the City of St. Louis Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners' master plumber and drainlayer licenses. An out-of-state master plumber license carries no state-level recognition; Springfield accepts an identical ICC, Prometric, Experior or Block exam score of 75% or better in place of retesting and Kansas City may accept a comparable exam it deems equivalent, while the St. Louis County and City of St. A master arriving from another state should expect to qualify in each jurisdiction separately and then obtain that jurisdiction's contractor license and bond to pull permits.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. There is no state plumbing board. Under RSMo chapter 341, city boards of examiners (cities over 15,000) and county boards of plumbing and sewer inspection (first-classification counties) examine master plumbers; § 341.170 sets the county master plumber qualifications, § 341.180 the application fees, license terms and re-examination rules, and § 341.200 requires master plumbers and master drainlayers to post surety bonds. The master license is the credential that lets a plumber pull permits and run a plumbing business, and each jurisdiction issues and enforces its own.
St. Louis County. The Plumbing Licensing office (41 South Central Avenue, Clayton, 314-615-3741) issues Master Plumber licenses and publishes a Certified Contractors list; the Board of Plumbing Examiners meets the first Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m., and renewals carry PEU continuing-education requirements. Louis.** The Building Division's Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners licenses master plumbers and drainlayers and reviews licensing matters and complaints for plumbing and drainlaying work in the city; permits are issued to city-licensed contractors. Every licensed contractor must employ a full-time supervisor who holds a Kansas City certificate of qualification in the plumbing trade, obtained on an application with notarized references and a passing score from a recognized agency such as Prometric or ICC ($60 application, first four-year certificate free, $181 renewal); the city 'may accept comparable examinations from other jurisdictions if deemed equivalent or superior'. Whether a separately titled master plumber license, plumbing-specific experience hours or named reciprocity with Kansas jurisdictions exist could not be confirmed because kcmo.gov and both fallback routes were blocked on 2026-09-16.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Master Plumbers: 4 years as a certified journeyman plumber or 10 years of satisfactory experience in the trade, documented on notarized employer experience forms and approved by the board (first Thursday monthly, 5:00 p.m., Busch Building; approval to test good for one year). The exam is the ICC master plumber exam through Pearson Vue (about $125 paid to Pearson Vue), 75% to pass; the certification card costs $50 with $50 annual renewal, and a master must file a Master Registration form to qualify a contracting business (Master Resignation form on leaving). Out-of-state treatment: 'Reciprocity from another jurisdiction' applicants submit the same experience documentation plus an exam score notification of 75% or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC (Pearson Vue) for the identical exam Springfield requires; otherwise they test. Springfield also certifies Master Gas fitters (4 years as a certified gas journeyman, or 4 years as a master mechanic or plumber plus 2 years as a gas journeyman).
Columbia and others. Columbia, St.
- St. Louis County (Transportation and Public Works, Plumbing Licensing / Board of Plumbing Examiners)
- City of St. Louis (Building Division, Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners)
- Kansas City (City Planning and Development, contractor licensing and certificates of qualification)
- Springfield (Building Development Services, Trade Certifications)
- Columbia (Community Development, Building and Site Development)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $109, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 248 CMR - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters regulations · 248 CMR · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Master Plumber license · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Mass.gov - Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 3 - Master plumbers or gas fitters, journeymen and apprentices; licensing; advertising; display of license or certificate · M.G.L. c. 142, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 4 - Rules of examiners; qualifications of applicants; applications; examinations; issuance of license; probationary license; credit for veterans · M.G.L. c. 142, § 4 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MGL Chapter 142, Section 5 - Fees for licenses and examinations · M.G.L. c. 142, § 5 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI Exams - Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters exam catalog · PSI Services LLC (for the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.