Missouri to Utah: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah'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 applicants without an equivalent master license (standard route with out-of-state experience credit)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Applicants whose origin jurisdiction is gray on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber map (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York and Alaska on the 7/27/2020 map) meet Utah's standard master qualifications: 4,000 hours of licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor, or 2,000 supervisory hours plus an associate of applied science or similar degree from a CHEA-recognized institution (transcripts may verify 2,000 hours). Journeyman hours earned in another state count when documented on the Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience for Master Level Applicants form by the employer, with official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where the hours were obtained. The applicant then passes the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination (75% or greater) through Prov and submits the DOPL application with the $116 fee. Jurisdictions shown in light blue (Idaho, South Dakota, California C-36, Nevada C-1D, Arizona CR-37, New Mexico MM-1, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee CMC-A, North Carolina Plumbing Class 1 and Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor) issue contractor licenses with similar scope; an applicant who was the responsible individual who met the licensing requirements on behalf of that contractor may instead qualify for endorsement.
Exam requirement conflict: the 2020 endorsement map's qualifications box says master applicants 'Pass the Utah Plumbers Theory and Practical Examination', and the v20260420 application's general INITIAL APPLICATION line says to pass 'both the Utah Plumbers Written and Practical Examination for the level of licensure you are applying', but the master-specific checklist item and the current Apply for a Master Plumber License page require only the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination at 75%. The Law-and-Rule-only reading is used here; whether an applicant who never passed Utah's journeyman written/practical exams must also take them was not confirmed. Experience wording also differs: the apply page says '4,000 hours ... as a supervisor', the 2020 map says 'licensed journeyman plumber for at least 2 years, with a minimum 2 years of supervisory experience'. Whether the supervisory hours must be earned under a Utah journeyman license or may all be out-of-state was not confirmed.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor; reduced to 2,000 hours with an associate of applied science or similar degree from a CHEA-recognized institution. At least 2,000 and no more than 3,000 hours may be credited per 12-month period.
- Hours obtained outside Utah must be supported by official verification of the applicant's license from the jurisdiction where they were obtained, in addition to the employer-completed Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience form.
What you'll do to get licensed in Utah
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($116). Non-refundable DOPL application-processing fee (application v20260420).
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination, 75% or greater, administered by Prov; exam fee paid to Prov; pass before submitting the DOPL application.
- 3Other. Verification of Supervisory Plumbing Experience for Master Level Applicants form(s), degree transcripts if using the 2,000-hour route, and official out-of-state license verification.
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle (8 core, 4 core or professional) to renew.
Published fees on this path total $116, 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.
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Utah licenses master plumbers
Utah master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Utah issues a statewide Master Plumber license through DOPL under Utah Code 58-55 and Rule R156-55c, alongside a Residential Master Plumber license limited to residential work. A new master needs 4,000 hours of licensed journeyman plumber experience as a supervisor (or an associate of applied science or similar CHEA-recognized degree plus 2,000 supervisory hours) and must pass the Prov-administered Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule Examination with at least 75%; the DOPL application fee is $116. Utah has no master-level reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state masters whose license is green on DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber map apply by endorsement under Utah Code 58-1-302 after holding the license at least one year, active and in good standing, but 'All applicants will be required to pass the Utah Master Plumber Law and Rule exam.' Several states issue only a plumbing contractor license (light blue on the map); DOPL may endorse the individual who qualified as that contractor's responsible person. Applicants without an equivalent license use verified out-of-state journeyman supervisory hours toward the standard route. Renewal requires 12 hours of approved CE per licensing cycle.
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 Utah master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- The trade exam is waived, but Utah requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Utah master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $116, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Utah?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Utah to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act) · Utah Code 58-55-302; 58-1-302 (license by endorsement) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Apply for a Master Plumber License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Plumbing Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Endorsement to Utah: Master Plumber (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Plumber Application (JP / RJP / MP / RMP) with Verification of Plumbing Experience forms, checklist and instructions · Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301 (cited on the form) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55c - Plumber Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55c · Utah Office of 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.