New York to Oklahoma: master plumber license reciprocity
New York does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Oklahoma'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 or plumbing contractor (all states; no contractor reciprocity agreements)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
No state has a written plumbing contractor reciprocity agreement with Oklahoma, so every out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor uses the same route. Under OAC 158:30-9-1.4 a contractor-level applicant from a state without an agreement (or with only local licensing) may request exam equivalency; if the Board has previously approved that jurisdiction's exam, the technical trade section of the Oklahoma contractor exam is waived on a certified letter showing current good standing, the license category, a 70%+ exam score and no pending discipline, but 'the applicant for the contractor exam will still be required to take and pass the Oklahoma business and law section'. CIB does not publish the approved jurisdictions. Otherwise the applicant files the Application for Plumbing Examination with notarized experience affidavits and a copy of the out-of-state license, documents four years of verifiable plumbing experience (out-of-state hours count if lawfully obtained; a current out-of-state license may expedite processing), pays $330, and must pass both portions of the contractor exam through PSI with 75% each, completing the second portion within three years of approval. To activate the license the contractor files a $5,000 bond and $50,000 general liability insurance with CIB, or the Affidavit for Plumbing waiver if employed by a single entity.
Even where a written contractor agreement exists, OAC 158:30-5-4(e) grants only a journeyman license by reciprocity and requires the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion before the contractor license issues; since CIB publishes no plumbing contractor agreement with any state, no contractor reciprocity rows are recorded. Vendor claims of Oklahoma plumbing reciprocity with Texas, Colorado or Louisiana could not be confirmed from any CIB page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Journeyman requirement of three years plus one additional year of experience in the plumbing trade, at approximately 2,000 hours per year (OAC 158:30-5-1(c)); approved education substitutes for up to two years.
- Your New York license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in New York that the destination considers comparable.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Oklahoma
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Contractor application processing fee, forfeited if the applicant does not meet minimum qualifications (OAC 158:30-9-2(b)).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Initial contractor license fee, submitted with the application; annual renewal $200, late fee $100.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Technical trade portion of the Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor exam administered by PSI, 75% to pass; waived only under approved exam equivalency.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Oklahoma Plumbing Contractor Business and Law portion (PSI), 75% to pass; open book on the CIB rules study aid, Plumbing License Law of 1955, Oklahoma Liens Law and the NASCLA Contractor's Guide; never waived.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($184). PSI fee of $92 per examination portion (two portions), non-refundable; retakes charged again.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000). Continuous $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board in the individual license holder's name with 30-day cancellation notice, or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit held for bonding (OAC 158:30-5-2).
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($50,000). Commercial general liability insurance of at least $50,000 with the CIB named as certificate holder; required to activate and keep the license active.
- 8Other. Notarized experience affidavits signed by each verifying plumbing contractor, copy of the out-of-state license or original certificate, and notarized affidavit of lawful presence (56 O.S. § 71).
- 9Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of Committee-approved continuing education within the 36 months preceding each license expiration (OAC 158:30-9-4).
Published fees on this path total $514, 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
- Exam fee · $184
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $5,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $50,000
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Oklahoma licenses master plumbers
Oklahoma master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor (Unlimited)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), Plumbing Division
Oklahoma has no 'master plumber' title; its highest person-held plumbing credential is the Plumbing Contractor license, which CIB describes as 'the highest ranking plumbing license' and issues to an individual who passes the two-part contractor exam (technical trade and Plumbing Business and Law, 75% on each part, PSI, $92 per portion). This site maps the Unlimited Plumbing Contractor license to the master level. An applicant needs the journeyman qualifications plus one additional year, so four years (about 8,000 hours) of verifiable plumbing experience, and pays $330 ($30 application plus $300 initial license). After passing, the license is inactive until the contractor files a $5,000 corporate surety bond (or $5,000 cash or certificate of deposit) and a $50,000 commercial general liability certificate with CIB; only a licensed contractor may contract for plumbing work, and the licensee may operate as an individual, firm, LLC or corporation. CIB's Arkansas agreement covers journeymen only, so no state has contractor reciprocity with Oklahoma; out-of-state masters and contractors use exam equivalency where available or sit the full exam. Licenses renew annually ($200) with six hours of continuing education every 36 months.
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 Oklahoma master plumber exam if I'm licensed in New York?
- Yes. Oklahoma requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Oklahoma master plumber license from New York?
- Published fees on this path total $514, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New York work hours count in Oklahoma?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Oklahoma's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Oklahoma to New York?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Oklahoma to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Industry · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Application Information and Application for Plumbing Examination (Contractor and Journeyman, 9/2023) · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Contractor · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Plumbing Forms · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- OAC Title 158, Chapter 30 - Plumbing Industry Regulations (permanent rules effective 10/1/2024) · OAC 158:30-1-2, 158:30-5-1, 158:30-5-2, 158:30-5-4, 158:30-9-1, 158:30-9-1.4, 158:30-9-2, 158:30-9-4 · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Oklahoma Plumbing License Law of 1955, 59 O.S. §§ 1000.1 et seq. · 59 O.S. § 1000.5A · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- State of Oklahoma Electrical, Mechanical, Roofing and Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · 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.