Nevada to Indiana: master plumber license reciprocity
Nevada does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Indiana'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.
Commission review of out-of-state master/contractor credentials (IC 25-28.5-1-19; no named partner states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor applies to the Indiana Plumbing Commission for a Plumbing Contractor licence through MyLicense One. Indiana names no reciprocal partner states, so the path is Endorsement under IC 25-28.5-1-19: a plumbing contractor licensed in another state shall without examination be granted an Indiana Plumbing Contractor licence of the same category if the applicant is at least 18, the origin requirements were substantially equal at last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees. If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may require the Indiana Plumbing Contractor examination administered by PROV. A licensee who will operate through a corporation, partnership or association must additionally register the entity as a Corporate Plumbing Business. Initial fees are prorated by odd or even issuance year.
Same as journeyman: mechanism Endorsement (no named partners); examTradeRequired false because IC 25-28.5-1-19 waives the exam when substantial equality and mutual privilege are shown. IC 25-28.5-1-12 still unread, so the four-years-as-journeyman contractor prerequisite is not asserted as a numeric condition on this inbound path.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Nevada license must be active and in good standing.
- Applicant is at least 18 years of age (IC 25-28.5-1-19)
- Origin state's licensing requirements were substantially equal to Indiana's at the time of the applicant's last licensing, and the same privilege is accorded to Indiana licensees (IC 25-28.5-1-19). If mutual privilege is not shown, the Commission may require the PROV exam.
What you'll do to get licensed in Indiana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Plumbing Contractor application/licence issuance fee paid in MyLicense One; amount not captured (PLA fee schedule accordion was collapsed). Initial fee is prorated by whether the licence is issued in an odd or even year..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Indiana Plumbing Contractor examination administered by PROV. Waived under IC 25-28.5-1-19 when origin requirements were substantially equal and Indiana licensees receive the same privilege; otherwise required after Commission review. Fee and passing score not captured..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PROV examination fee, paid to the vendor; amount not captured.
- 4Other. Verification of the out-of-state licence from the issuing state authority and documentation of journeyman experience, uploaded in MyLicense One.
- 5Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Corporate Plumbing Business registration with the Commission if plumbing work will be performed through a corporation, partnership or association (IC 25-28.5-1-13).
- 6Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). PLA FAQs describe a criminal background check step for applications; whether it applies to plumbing applicants was not confirmed.
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
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license · if applicable
How Indiana licenses master plumbers
Indiana master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)
Indiana has no 'master plumber' licence. The top individual credential is the Plumbing Contractor licence issued by the Indiana Plumbing Commission (PLA) under IC 25-28.5-1, which is held by a person who has qualified by experience and passed the Indiana plumbing contractor examination administered by PROV; this file maps it to the master level because it is the credential that authorises a plumber to contract for and supervise plumbing work. A corporation, partnership or association that performs plumbing work registers separately as a Corporate Plumbing Business, and the Commission also issues a Temporary Plumbing Contractor licence (IC 25-28.5-1-18.5). Applications and renewals are processed in MyLicense One, and initial licence issuance fees are prorated by odd or even issuance year. The reciprocity section of the statute (IC 25-28.5-1-19) applies to out-of-state master or contractor licensees in the same way as to journeymen.
Why Nevada has nothing to transfer
Nevada master plumber · “C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contractor (business license with qualified individual)”
No individual license at this level
Issued by Nevada State Contractors Board (contractor licensing only)
Nevada does not issue a master plumber license to individuals, and no county or city was found to issue a master-level plumbing card; Clark County recognizes a 'plumbing qualified individual', which is simply the person who qualifies a contractor's C-1 license with the State Board. The state-level credential is a classification C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contracting license from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), issued to a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation or LLC and qualified by a named individual rather than held by the plumber personally. An out-of-state master plumber who only wants to work for an employer needs no Nevada license at all (apart from the local journeyman card in Clark County and Reno). To contract, the qualifying individual must show four years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor within the past 15 years (NRS 624.260), pass the PSI-administered Nevada Business and Law exam and the C-1 trade exam within six months of filing (three attempts each), and the business must pay the $300 application fee and $600 biennial license fee, submit a financial statement, fingerprints and background check, and post a bond of $1,000 to $500,000 set by the Board, plus the Residential Recovery Fund assessment ($200 to $1,000) if it does residential work. Under licensure by endorsement (NAC 624.600 and 624.615) the C-1 trade exam and the experience certification are waived for a qualified individual who has held an active license, as the same qualified individual, with no discipline or pending action for the past four years in Arizona (CR-77 Plumbing Including Solar), California (C-36 Plumbing together with C-4 Boiler, Hot Water Heating and Steam Fitting) or Tennessee (CMC Full Mechanical Contractor); a Florida CF Plumbing Contractor gets experience credit but must pass the Nevada C-1 trade exam; the Business and Law exam is never waived. The NSCB equivalency charts contain no Utah chart and no C-1 row for Connecticut, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Mexico, Hawaii, Alabama or West Virginia.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Indiana master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Nevada?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- Do my Nevada work hours count in Indiana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Indiana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Indiana to Nevada?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Indiana to Nevada, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Indiana Code Title 25, Article 28.5 (Plumbers), Chapter 1 - Regulation of Plumbers; Creation of Commission; Licensing · IC 25-28.5-1-12, -15, -17, -18.1, -18.3, -18.5, -19, -20, -22, -23, -33 · Indiana General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Home (Indiana Plumbing Commission) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - Plumbing Licensing Information (application instructions, renewal, fee schedule) · Indiana Professional Licensing Agency · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Wayback Machine snapshot (2025-09-02) of PLA Plumbing Licensing Information · Internet Archive (capture of in.gov) · 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.