New York to Minnesota: master plumber license reciprocity
New York does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Minnesota'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 without a reciprocity agreement (exam required; equivalent license qualifies applicant to sit)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master plumber licensed anywhere other than North Dakota or South Dakota gets no exam waiver and must pass the Minnesota master plumber written exam. The out-of-state license is itself the qualification to sit: DLI accepts 'a current master plumber license from another state where the requirements of the licensing jurisdiction are equivalent to those of Minnesota as determined by DLI' as one of the three master exam eligibility routes, alongside one year of experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber or a Minnesota restricted master license with five years as a contractor. DLI makes the equivalence determination case by case when it reviews the exam application. The applicant applies through iMS with the $50 exam fee, must wait 30 days to reapply after a failed attempt, and pays the license fee after passing; a master who intends to contract also needs the separate Plumbing Contractor license with bond and insurance. Minnesota has no separate law or business exam for individual plumbers.
DLI does not publish the criteria it uses to decide that another state's master requirements are 'equivalent'; a master whose state is found not equivalent would have to qualify through the journeyworker route (Minnesota journeyworker license held one year). Whether one year as a journeyworker licensed by another state satisfies the 'licensed journeyworker plumber' route was not confirmed from an official page. The initial license fee amount is not published on the pages fetched (Minn. Stat.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your New York license must be active and in good standing.
- Alternative routes: at least one year of practical plumbing experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber, or a current Minnesota restricted master plumber license plus five years of verifiable experience in business as a plumbing contractor in Minnesota
What you'll do to get licensed in Minnesota
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($50). Master plumber exam application fee, paid online through iMS (30-day wait before reapplying after a failed exam).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Minnesota master plumber written examination administered by DLI (2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code); pass mark not published on the pages fetched.
- 3Other. Copy of the current out-of-state master plumber license (DLI determines equivalence), or verification of one year as a licensed journeyworker plumber.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Master plumber license fee, billed after the exam is passed; amount not published on DLI's plumbing pages (renewal is $93 for the two-year cycle ending Dec. 31 of odd-numbered years).
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 16 hours of DLI-approved continuing education per two-year renewal cycle, at least eight hours on the State Plumbing Code (required to renew, not to obtain the initial license).
- 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Plumbing Contractor license (Minn. Stat. 326B.46) with code-compliance bond, general liability and workers' compensation insurance is required only to contract for plumbing work as a business.
Published fees on this path total $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 · $50
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Minnesota licenses master plumbers
Minnesota master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Plumbing Board
Minnesota issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through DLI; the license 'authorizes the individual to perform plumbing statewide', and a separate Plumbing Contractor license (a business license that must have a licensed master plumber as its responsible individual and carry a bond, general liability and workers' compensation insurance under Minn. Stat. 326B.46) is not covered here. DLI also issues a Restricted Master Plumber license limited to cities and towns under 5,000. A new master applicant must pass DLI's written master plumber exam ($50 exam fee) and is eligible to sit it after at least one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber, with a current master plumber license from another state whose requirements DLI determines are equivalent to Minnesota's, or with a Minnesota restricted master license plus five years in business as a plumbing contractor. Master plumbers licensed by examination in North Dakota or South Dakota may be licensed without the Minnesota exam. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is $93 and requires 16 hours of continuing education, at least eight on the State Plumbing Code.
Why New York has nothing to transfer
New York master plumber · “Master Plumber (municipal)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by New York cities and counties (no statewide plumber licence)
New York does not issue a statewide master plumber licence. The Department of State Division of Licensing Services' 35 occupations do not include plumber. The person-held contracting credential is municipal. Westchester County requires a Master Plumber trade licence to contract in the county (exam application $50, licence and renewal $600; Restricted Master renewal $50 per municipality up to $600); Yonkers sits inside that county. Rochester lists Plumbing Licensing on its Licensed Trades portal without publishing fees.
How local licensing works in New York
How local licensing works. Master plumber licensing is entirely local. A Master Plumber licence from one New York city or county does not authorise work in another, and New York State has no endorsement or reciprocity programme for plumbers. There is no defaultPath and no agreements array at this level.
New York City. 'Master Plumbers are licensed to perform plumbing work in New York City.' Fees on the DOB master-plumbers page: licence $200.00, renewal $150.00, late $50.00 (1–30 days) or $100.00 (31 days or more), seal $50.00 new / $75.00 renewal, term 3 years. Written exam application LIC41 $585; practical exam application LIC42 $530. A separate Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor licence uses the same fee/term schedule but does not cover plumbing work as defined in NYC Admin. Code §28-401.3. How-to: Obtain a Master Plumber License; renew a licence; DPL-1 form; business-address verification. All new applications online via DOB NOW since 7 September 2021. Nothing on the landing page describes reciprocity.
Westchester County (including Yonkers). County law: plumbers must hold a Westchester trade licence; first step is the licensing examination. Master Plumber exam application $50.00; Master Plumber licence $600.00; Master Plumber renewal $600.00. Restricted Master Plumber renewal $50.00 per municipality, $600.00 maximum. Certificate of Competency (shelving) $50.00 per year. Late Master / Restricted Master renewals: $50 (1 Nov–31 Dec), $100 (1 Jan–30 Apr), $200 (1 May–31 Dec); after 31 December appearance before the Licensing Board. Exam/re-exam paid to the testing company (amount unpublished). The plumbing fee table has no 'reciprocal plumber' line (unlike electrical's 'Master and Reciprocal Electrician' on the same page). Yonkers work requires this county Master (or Restricted Master) plumber licence.
Rochester. Plumbing Licensing is a listed Licensed Trade with online apply/pay/renew. For NYC, budget the $585 written and $530 practical exams plus $200 licence / $50 seal and apply in DOB NOW; confirm experience and insurance on the obtain checklist before sitting. For Westchester, file the $50 exam application and $600 licence. For Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany, contact the local board — published inbound rules were not verified here.
- New York City (Department of Buildings — Master Plumber)
- Westchester County (Department of Consumer Protection — Master Plumber)
- Yonkers (Westchester County Master / Restricted Master plumber licence)
- Rochester (Licensed Trades — Plumbing Licensing)
- Syracuse (Division of Code Enforcement; plumber licence unconfirmed on 2026 notice)
- Buffalo (plumbing landing page HTTP 404; master plumber licence unconfirmed)
- Albany (plumber examining board not verified this session)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Minnesota master plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?
- Yes. Minnesota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Minnesota master plumber license from New York?
- Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New York work hours count in Minnesota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Minnesota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Minnesota to New York?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Minnesota to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Minnesota DLI - Personal plumber license forms and resources · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbers (landing page for workers) · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license experience requirements · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license basics · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license types and credentials · Minn. Stat. 326B.46 · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing reciprocity · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · 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.