Missouri to Oklahoma: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Oklahoma'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 master plumber or plumbing contractor (all states; no contractor reciprocity agreements)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
No state has a written plumbing contractor reciprocity agreement with Oklahoma, so every out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor uses the same route. Under OAC 158:30-9-1.4 a contractor-level applicant from a state without an agreement (or with only local licensing) may request exam equivalency; if the Board has previously approved that jurisdiction's exam, the technical trade section of the Oklahoma contractor exam is waived on a certified letter showing current good standing, the license category, a 70%+ exam score and no pending discipline, but 'the applicant for the contractor exam will still be required to take and pass the Oklahoma business and law section'. CIB does not publish the approved jurisdictions. Otherwise the applicant files the Application for Plumbing Examination with notarized experience affidavits and a copy of the out-of-state license, documents four years of verifiable plumbing experience (out-of-state hours count if lawfully obtained; a current out-of-state license may expedite processing), pays $330, and must pass both portions of the contractor exam through PSI with 75% each, completing the second portion within three years of approval. To activate the license the contractor files a $5,000 bond and $50,000 general liability insurance with CIB, or the Affidavit for Plumbing waiver if employed by a single entity.
Even where a written contractor agreement exists, OAC 158:30-5-4(e) grants only a journeyman license by reciprocity and requires the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion before the contractor license issues; since CIB publishes no plumbing contractor agreement with any state, no contractor reciprocity rows are recorded. Vendor claims of Oklahoma plumbing reciprocity with Texas, Colorado or Louisiana could not be confirmed from any CIB page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Journeyman requirement of three years plus one additional year of experience in the plumbing trade, at approximately 2,000 hours per year (OAC 158:30-5-1(c)); approved education substitutes for up to two years.
- Your Missouri license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Missouri that the destination considers comparable.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Oklahoma
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Contractor application processing fee, forfeited if the applicant does not meet minimum qualifications (OAC 158:30-9-2(b)).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Initial contractor license fee, submitted with the application; annual renewal $200, late fee $100.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Technical trade portion of the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor exam administered by PSI, 75% to pass; waived only under approved exam equivalency.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion (PSI), 75% to pass; open book on the CIB rules study aid, Plumbing License Law of 1955, Oklahoma Liens Law and the NASCLA Contractor's Guide; never waived.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($184). PSI fee of $92 per examination portion (two portions), non-refundable; retakes charged again.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000). Continuous $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board in the individual license holder's name with 30-day cancellation notice, or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit held for bonding (OAC 158:30-5-2).
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($50,000). Commercial general liability insurance of at least $50,000 with the CIB named as certificate holder; required to activate and keep the license active.
- 8Other. Notarized experience affidavits signed by each verifying plumbing contractor, copy of the out-of-state license or original certificate, and notarized affidavit of lawful presence (56 O.S. § 71).
- 9Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of Committee-approved continuing education within the 36 months preceding each license expiration (OAC 158:30-9-4).
Published fees on this path total $514, 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
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $184
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $5,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $50,000
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Oklahoma licenses master plumbers
Oklahoma master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor (Unlimited)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), Plumbing Division
Oklahoma has no 'master plumber' title; its highest person-held plumbing credential is the Plumbing Contractor license, which CIB describes as 'the highest ranking plumbing license' and issues to an individual who passes the two-part contractor exam (technical trade and Plumbing Business and Law, 75% on each part, PSI, $92 per portion). This site maps the Unlimited Plumbing Contractor license to the master level. An applicant needs the journeyman qualifications plus one additional year, so four years (about 8,000 hours) of verifiable plumbing experience, and pays $330 ($30 application plus $300 initial license). After passing, the license is inactive until the contractor files a $5,000 corporate surety bond (or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit) and a $50,000 commercial general liability certificate with CIB; only a licensed contractor may contract for plumbing work, and the licensee may operate as an individual, firm, LLC or corporation. CIB's Arkansas agreement covers journeymen only, so no state has contractor reciprocity with Oklahoma; out-of-state masters and contractors use exam equivalency where available or sit the full exam. Licenses renew annually ($200) with six hours of continuing education every 36 months.
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 Oklahoma master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Oklahoma requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Oklahoma master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $514, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Oklahoma?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Oklahoma's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Oklahoma to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oklahoma to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Industry · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Application Information and Application for Plumbing Examination (Contractor and Journeyman, 9/2023) · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Contractor · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Forms · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OAC Title 158, Chapter 30 - Plumbing Industry Regulations (permanent rules effective 10/1/2024) · OAC 158:30-1-2, 158:30-5-1, 158:30-5-2, 158:30-5-4, 158:30-9-1, 158:30-9-1.4, 158:30-9-2, 158:30-9-4 · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma Plumbing License Law of 1955, 59 O.S. §§ 1000.1 et seq. · 59 O.S. § 1000.5A · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- State of Oklahoma Electrical, Mechanical, Roofing and Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · 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.