Missouri to Texas: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri 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 Missouri license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Missouri 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 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 Texas master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Missouri license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Texas master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $228.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri 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 Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Missouri, 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.