Missouri to New Hampshire: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Hampshire'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.
Traditional application and New Hampshire master plumbing examination (non-qualifying jurisdictions)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber whose origin is not on OPLC's Plc 313.34 qualifying-jurisdiction list applies through the traditional Mechanical Licensing Board process. Saf-Mec 302.14 makes proof of origin-state licensure or certification enough to sit the New Hampshire plumbing licensing examination; it does not waive that exam. Plc 313.34's similarity standard for masters is journeyman experience plus an exam, which is the endorsement bar, not a confirmed hour table for the exam route. After passing, the applicant pays the $330 two-year master plumber fee. A separate $275 mechanical business entity fee is published for firms; treat entity licensure as distinct from the personal master license until the statute and applications page are re-read.
After a browser pass, add Endorsement agreements (exam waived) for listed master origins only; Reciprocity only if a signed exam-waiver agreement is published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 14 days
What you must already have
- Your Missouri license must be active and in good standing.
- 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 New Hampshire
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. New Hampshire master plumber licensing examination (Mechanical Licensing Board; Prov candidate bulletin linked from the board home page)..
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($330). Master plumber application / two-year license fee (Plc 1002.25 and OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board fee table)..
- 3Business license. Obtain a business license ($275) (if applicable). Mechanical business entity application/renewal/reinstatement fee ($275, Plc 1002.25 / OPLC fee table)..
- 4Other. Demonstrate proof of origin-state plumber licensure or certification with the application (Saf-Mec 302.14)..
Published fees on this path total $330, 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
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 · $275 · if applicable
How New Hampshire licenses master plumbers
New Hampshire master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC)
New Hampshire issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the same OPLC Mechanical Licensing Board that licenses journeyman and trainee plumbers. The published two-year master plumber fee is $330 (OPLC fee table; Plc 1002.25). RSA 153 lets the board enter reciprocity agreements for plumbers whose requirements are equivalent or greater; no signed master-plumber partner list was confirmed, so none are recorded. Out-of-state masters who are not in a qualifying jurisdiction remain eligible for the New Hampshire master plumbing examination upon proof of licensure (Saf-Mec 302.14).
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 New Hampshire master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. New Hampshire requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Hampshire master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $330, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in New Hampshire?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Hampshire's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 14 days.
- Does it work the other way, from New Hampshire to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Hampshire to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- NH OPLC - Mechanical Licensing Board (who we regulate; plumber licenses) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- NH OPLC - License Fees for the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OPLC - Reciprocity Licensing (HB 594 overview) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (endorsement qualifying jurisdictions by board) · RSA 310:17; Plc 313.34 · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 1002.25 - Mechanical Licensing Board application and licensing fees · Plc 1002.25 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 313.34 - Substantially similar requirements for Mechanical Licensing Board professions · Plc 313.34 (eff. 5-3-24, #13954); Plc 313.01; Plc 313.11 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- RSA Chapter 153 - Fire Safety; Mechanical Licensing Board (plumber and fuel gas licensing) · RSA 153:16-b; RSA 153:27-a; RSA 153:28; RSA 153:36, VII · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- RSA 310:17 - License Reciprocity (OPLC endorsement of out-of-state licenses) · RSA 310:17 (2023, 111:1, eff. Aug. 27, 2023) · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Saf-Mec 300 - Initial fuel gas fitting and plumbing licensing · Saf-Mec 302.14 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.