Missouri to West Virginia: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is West Virginia'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: licensure without examination under the reciprocity rule and RECAP (no named partners)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
West Virginia publishes no list of master-plumber reciprocity partners. Under 42CSR32 section 14, where another state licenses master plumbers with equivalent requirements, the Commissioner may grant a master license without examination to a plumber from that state who proves compliance with every condition of W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) (a comparable license held at least one year, that state's education and exam requirements met, good standing, no disqualifying criminal record, established West Virginia residency) and pays the $75 license fee. A plumber who worked for at least two years in a state that does not license plumbers may instead qualify on that work experience under W. Va. Code 21-17-4. An applicant who does not qualify must pass the West Virginia master plumber exam, which may not be taken until 12 months after passing the West Virginia journeyman plumber exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c); 42CSR32 section 10.4). A master who wants to contract in West Virginia also needs the separate Contractor Licensing Board plumbing classification when project value meets W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds.
The 12-month wait after the journeyman exam belongs to the West Virginia examination route; it does not affect a master plumber licensed in another state who is granted a license without examination under 42CSR32 section 14. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board lists a West Virginia Master Plumber among credentials it accepts toward an Ohio plumbing contractor license; that is Ohio's rule for inbound contractors, not a West Virginia agreement. Whether a West Virginia contractor license is needed in addition to the master plumber license depends on the Contractor Licensing Act (W. Va. Code 30-42), not on this personal license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- 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 1 year.RECAP holding period (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), not the 21-14-2(c) one-year wait after the WV journeyman exam.
- Your Missouri license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Established West Virginia residency (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(5), applied through 42CSR32 section 14.1)
- Examination route only (not RECAP): the master plumber written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c))
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Annual master plumber license fee (42CSR32 section 9.1), paid to the West Virginia Division of Labor.
- 2Other. Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (R.E.C.A.P.) forms, which the Division provides on request by email at [email protected] or by phone at (304) 356-3928 rather than as a download.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia master plumber exam through Prov, required only if the Commissioner does not grant the license without examination: 100 questions in 3 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass, and not until 12 months after passing the journeyman plumber exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c); 42CSR32 section 10).
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee per attempt when the exam is required, paid to Prov rather than the Division.
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Separate West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board plumbing-contractor classification if contracting (not working as an employee) at or above W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds; not a substitute for the Division of Labor master plumber license.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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 · if applicable
How West Virginia licenses master plumbers
West Virginia master plumber · “Master plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Master plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code 21-14. The statute defines a master plumber as a person who has passed a written master examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to design plumbing systems and to instruct and supervise journeyman plumbers and plumbers in training; the master written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination. This is a personal license, distinct from a Plumbing contractor license issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board under W. Va. Code 30-42 (the Licensing Section administers that board as well). Since January 1, 2009 plumbing work for others requires a Commissioner of Labor plumber license. Out-of-state master plumbers can apply under the reciprocity section of the Division's plumbing rule (42CSR32 section 14), which ties licensure without examination to the conditions of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), including holding a comparable origin license for at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber partners. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board lists a West Virginia Master Plumber (exam-issued) among credentials that can reciprocate into an Ohio plumbing contractor license; that is Ohio's inbound contractor rule, not a West Virginia master-plumber agreement.
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'. Kansas City does not publish online whether a separately titled master plumber license, plumbing-specific experience hours or named reciprocity with Kansas jurisdictions exist; contact the city's permits office.
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 West Virginia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Missouri license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a West Virginia master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-4 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: work experience · W. Va. Code 21-17-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Fees · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Forms (application, candidate bulletin, R.E.C.A.P. forms) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 42CSR32 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (Division of Labor legislative rule, effective May 1, 2023) · W. Va. Code R. 42-32-4, 42-32-6, 42-32-8, 42-32-9, 42-32-10, 42-32-14 · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.