New York to New Jersey: master plumber license reciprocity
New York does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Jersey'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 plumber: document experience under N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 and sit the New Jersey master plumber examination
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
N.J.A.C. 13:32 Subchapter 2 lists eligibility, experience, examination and licensure for the Master Plumber license and does not contain a reciprocity or endorsement rule that waives the New Jersey exams. An inbound applicant uses the same path as a New Jersey candidate: file the Board application with the non-refundable fee in 13:32-5.1(a)(1) or (2); complete a four-year U.S. DOL plumbing apprenticeship or a qualifying engineering bachelor's degree, then one year / 1,200 hours of practical hands-on work as a New Jersey journeyman inspected by a New Jersey plumbing inspector (13:32-2.2), plus propane education; sit the three-part examination in 13:32-2.3 (NSPC written, practical, and New Jersey laws/regulations, 70 on each part); then complete licensure under 13:32-2.5 including the prorated initial license fee and the $25 pressure seal. An inbound out-of-state journeyman year may not count as the New Jersey-inspected 1,200 hours. 13:32-2.8 Temporary courtesy license ($80) is a separate limited credential, not a general exam-waiver agreement with named states.
Mechanism is ExperienceCredit because Chapter 32 has no reciprocity/endorsement section that waives the exam. The 1,200-hour practical year must be as a New Jersey journeyman performing work inspected by a New Jersey plumbing inspector; do not treat an out-of-state journeyman year as automatically equivalent. Medical-gas certifications in Subchapter 7 are separate from the Master Plumber license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Four-year U.S. DOL-approved plumbing apprenticeship, or a qualifying bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering (N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2)
- You must document at least 1,200 hours of qualifying work experience.One year / 1,200 hours of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey performing work inspected by a New Jersey plumbing inspector (N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2). An inbound out-of-state journeyman year may not satisfy this.
- Propane education required by N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2
What you'll do to get licensed in New Jersey
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable application fee without prior Board registration (N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1(a)(1)). Applicants who already hold Board apprentice or journeyman registration pay $50 under 13:32-5.1(a)(2) instead..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. New Jersey Master Plumber examination, three parts (N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.3): written National Standard Plumbing Code, practical, and New Jersey laws/regulations. Passing score 70 on each part; offered at least four times per year; all parts must be passed within five years..
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. New Jersey laws and regulations part of the master plumber examination (N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.3); passing score 70. This is one of the three required parts, not a separate sitting..
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($160). Initial Master Plumber license fee if paid during the first year of the biennial renewal period; $80 if paid during the second year. Biennial renewal $160; late renewal $50; reinstatement $150 (N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1(a)(3), (4), (8), (9))..
- 5Other. Initial pressure seal (N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1(a)(10)); replacement seal $25. ($25).
- 6Other. Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Continuing education applies to licensed master plumbers (N.J.A.C. 13:32 Subchapter 6; sponsor application fee $100 in 13:32-5.1(a)(15))..
- 8Other. Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
Published fees on this path total $260, 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
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How New Jersey licenses master plumbers
New Jersey master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Division of Consumer Affairs)
New Jersey's person-held plumbing license is the statewide Master Plumber credential issued by the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers in the Division of Consumer Affairs under N.J.S.A. 45:14C-1 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 13:32. A licensed master is the person who may plan, lay out, install and repair plumbing and supervise others; a plumbing contractor must have a licensed master who owns at least 10 percent of the business as bona fide representative. N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 requires a four-year U.S. DOL plumbing apprenticeship or a qualifying engineering bachelor's degree, then one year / 1,200 hours of practical hands-on work as a New Jersey journeyman inspected by a New Jersey plumbing inspector, plus propane education. The examination (13:32-2.3) has three parts — NSPC written, practical, and New Jersey laws/regulations — each requiring a score of 70. Chapter 32 has no reciprocity / endorsement section, so an out-of-state master is not treated as receiving an exam waiver. Current published Board fees (13:32-5.1(a)) are a $100 non-refundable application fee without prior registration ($50 with prior registration), an initial license fee of $160 in the first year of the biennial period or $80 in the second, biennial renewal $160, and a $25 initial pressure seal.
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 New Jersey master plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?
- Yes. New Jersey requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a New Jersey master plumber license from New York?
- Published fees on this path total $260, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New York work hours count in New Jersey?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Jersey's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Jersey to New York?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Jersey to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers - Applications · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers - home page · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3 - Definitions · N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32 Subchapter 2 - Application, Experience Requirements, Examination · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.1 to 13:32-2.8 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 - Experience requirements · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.3 - Examinations · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.3 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1 - Fee schedule · N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- N.J. Admin. Code Tit. 13, ch. 32 - State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (chapter table of contents) · N.J.A.C. 13:32; N.J.S.A. 45:14C-7 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · 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.