LicensebyState

Missouri to Rhode Island: master plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 7 sources

Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Rhode Island'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: Rhode Island master examination (all states; no published exam waiver)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An out-of-state master plumber applies to DLT Professional Regulation for the Rhode Island master plumber examination. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 is the qualifications and application-fee statute; § 5-20-21 issues the license on examination; chapter 20 contains no reciprocity, endorsement, or compact section and DLT publishes no list of states whose master exam is waived. Until § 5-20-16 is read, treat the inbound path like other DLT trades and like plumber journeyperson § 5-20-17: out-of-state credentials may be used to qualify to sit the Rhode Island exam, but the exam itself is required. A contractor master (§ 5-20-12.1) is a separate firm credential and is not a substitute for the individual master plumber license. File through the Plumbing and Irrigators applications on the DLT Professional Regulation hub.

No named agreements. Mechanism is ExperienceCredit, not Reciprocity, because no official source waives the trade exam.

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

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 Rhode Island

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. 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..
  2. 2Other. 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..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Rhode Island Master Plumber examination administered by DLT Professional Regulation; no published waiver for out-of-state masters.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. 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..
  5. 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Contractor master license under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-12.1 if the master will operate as a firm — separate from the individual Master Plumber license.
  6. 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Plumbing continuing education / CLE through a DLT-approved provider (Plumber CLE Agreement Rev..

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

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

How Rhode Island licenses master plumbers

Rhode Island master plumber · “Master Plumber

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Workforce Regulation and Safety, Professional Regulation (Board of Examiners of Plumbers)

Rhode Island issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the same DLT Board of Examiners of Plumbers (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-20-3, 5-20-8, 5-20-16). A master’s license is required to engage in the plumbing business; journeypersons work under a master (§§ 5-20-8, 5-20-9). Firms need a contractor master under § 5-20-12.1 in addition to the individual master — that contractor-master credential is not this file’s master level. Licenses are issued on examination (§ 5-20-21). Chapter 20 has no reciprocity or endorsement section, and DLT’s plumber pages list no partner states and no exam waiver. DLT administers the plumber exams itself. Irrigator and water-filtration master licenses are separate.

Moving to Rhode IslandLeaving Rhode Island

Why Missouri has nothing to transfer

Missouri master plumber

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

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.

Moving to MissouriLeaving Missouri

Common questions

Do I have to take the Rhode Island master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
Do my Missouri work hours count in Rhode Island?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Rhode Island's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Rhode Island to Missouri?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. Rhode Island DLT - Board of Examiners of Plumbers · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  2. Rhode Island DLT - Plumber CLE Agreement (Rev. 08/2025) · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 16, 2026
  3. Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  4. Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  5. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 - Qualifications of master plumber, master irrigator or master water-filtration/treatment-system installer — Application fee · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-16 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  6. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-23 - Expiration and renewal of licenses — Penalties for violation of section · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-20-23 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  7. R.I. Gen. Laws Title 5, Chapter 20 - Plumbers, Irrigators, and Water System Installers (index) · R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 5-20 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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