Ohio to Georgia: master plumber license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Ohio. Your Ohio experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Georgia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (no named reciprocity partners)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An out-of-state master plumber applies for a Georgia Class I or Class II Master Plumber license by examination under Rule 121-3-.02 unless the Division has a formal written reciprocity or endorsement agreement with that origin board under Rule 121-2-.03. No origin state is named on the rules pages retrieved, so the trade exam is required. The applicant documents five years of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, of which at least two years were as a licensed Journeyman Plumber; Class II also needs commercial or industrial plumbing experience. Out-of-state journeyman licensure and installation work are expected to count toward those totals; the rule does not say the two licensed years must have been a Georgia journeyman license. After two failures a Board-approved review course is required before a third sitting. Grandfathered origin licenses without an exam never qualify under Rule 121-2-.03 and give no advantage beyond experience credit. A current Georgia master (or journeyman) may separately apply for Statewide Medical Gas Piping Systems Certification under Rule 121-2-.11.
Rule 121-2-.03 allows Endorsement or Reciprocity only via a formal written agreement with a state licensing board; without a published partner list, defaultPath is ExperienceCredit (exam required), not Reciprocity. Class I vs Class II is chosen by the applicant and, under 121-2-.03(3), by the Division when an agreement exists. Municipal origin licenses are not treated as 'state licensing Board' credentials. Typical timeline omitted. O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 text was not fetched.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Minimum of five (5) years of plumbing experience covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, with at least two (2) of the five years licensed as a Journeyman Plumber (Rule 121-3-.02(4))
- Class II only: documented experience in commercial or industrial plumbing (Rule 121-3-.02(4))
- Three licensed-plumber references; Class I at least one licensed Master Plumber; Class II at least two licensed Master Plumbers (Rule 121-3-.02(3))
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. 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..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Master Plumber Class I or Class II examination; minimum score 70 (Rule 121-3-.02(2)). Vendor and candidate-handbook details were not published on the rules pages. After two failures, a Board-approved review course is required before a third sitting..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid to the testing vendor at registration (amount and vendor not published on the rules pages retrieved).
- 4Other. Three licensed-plumber references (Class I: at least one Master Plumber; Class II: at least two Master Plumbers).
- 5Other. Experience record documenting five years of plumbing work including two years as a licensed journeyman; Class II also commercial or industrial plumbing.
- 6Other. Optional Statewide Medical Gas Piping Systems Certification (Rule 121-2-.11): current Georgia master or journeyman license plus 32-hour Division-approved ASSE 6000 / NFPA 99 program with written exam and braze test (if applicable).
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
- Exam fee
- Other · if applicable
How Georgia licenses master plumbers
Georgia master plumber · “Master Plumber Class II (Unrestricted)”
Statewide license
Georgia issues statewide Master Plumber licenses in two classes through the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. Class I is limited to single-family dwellings, one-level dwellings designed for not more than two families, and commercial structures not exceeding 10,000 square feet; Class II is unrestricted and is the master-level equivalent used here. A master applicant must document five years of plumbing work covered by the Georgia State Plumbing Code, including at least two years licensed as a Journeyman Plumber; Class II also requires commercial or industrial plumbing experience. The applicant scores at least 70 on the appropriate master examination, names three licensed-plumber references (Class I: at least one master; Class II: at least two masters), and pays the Board's published fee. Rule 121-2-.03 authorizes the Division to issue a master license by reciprocity or endorsement under a formal written agreement with another state board whose exam is substantially equal and who offer a similar privilege to Georgia licensees; the rules pages name no partner states (unlike the Electrical Division's published AL/LA/NC/SC/TN list, and unlike conditioned-air's 2022 form that listed LA and suspended SC/TX). Everyone else applies by examination, with out-of-state journeyman time counting toward the two licensed years and other plumbing work counting toward the five-year total.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
- Yes. Georgia requires the trade exam on this path.
- Do my Ohio work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 - Electrical Contractors, Plumbers, Conditioned Air Contractors, Low Voltage Contractors, and Utility Contractors · O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-5, 43-14-6, 43-14-8 · Georgia General Assembly / Georgia Code · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Qualifications for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.01, 121-2-.03, 121-2-.06, 121-2-.11 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Application for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02, 121-3-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02 - Statewide Master and Journeyman Plumber License · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02; O.C.G.A. §§ 43-14-5, 43-14-6 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- How to Guide: Master and Journeyman Plumbers · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Georgia State Board of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers) · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Board of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.