Oregon to New Hampshire: master plumber license reciprocity
Oregon does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Hampshire'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.
Traditional application and New Hampshire master plumbing examination (non-qualifying jurisdictions)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber whose origin is not on OPLC's Plc 313.34 qualifying-jurisdiction list applies through the traditional Mechanical Licensing Board process. Mec 302.12 makes proof of origin-state licensure enough to sit the New Hampshire plumbing licensing examination; it does not waive that exam. Mec 305.01(a) also requires master applicants to have held a New Hampshire journeyman plumber license for at least 6 months and to pass the master exam with at least 75 percent. After passing, the applicant pays the $330 two-year master plumber fee (Plc 1002.25). A plumbing business needs its own $275 mechanical business entity license, which is separate from the personal master license and is qualified by an officer or responsible managing employee who holds a New Hampshire master plumber license (RSA 153:29-a; Mec 307).
OPLC lists Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont as qualifying jurisdictions for master plumber endorsement under Plc 313.34; masters with an active, unencumbered license from one of them may apply by endorsement instead, without the New Hampshire exam.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Oregon license must be active and in good standing.
- A New Hampshire journeyman plumber license held for at least 6 months, with no consumer complaints resulting in board disciplinary sanctions within the past year (Mec 305.01(a)).
What you'll do to get licensed in New Hampshire
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. New Hampshire master plumber licensing examination (Mechanical Licensing Board; Prov candidate bulletin linked from the board home page)..
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($330). Master plumber application / two-year license fee (Plc 1002.25 and OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board fee table)..
- 3Business license. Obtain a business license ($275) (if applicable). Mechanical business entity application/renewal/reinstatement fee ($275, Plc 1002.25 / OPLC fee table)..
- 4Other. Demonstrate proof of origin-state plumber licensure with the application (Mec 302.12)..
Published fees on this path total $330, 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
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 · $275 · if applicable
How New Hampshire licenses master plumbers
New Hampshire master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC)
New Hampshire issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the same OPLC Mechanical Licensing Board that licenses journeyman and trainee plumbers. The published two-year master plumber fee is $330 (OPLC fee table; Plc 1002.25). RSA 153:28, V lets the board enter mutual reciprocity agreements for plumbers, but the board publishes none. Since 3 May 2024, masters licensed in the jurisdictions OPLC lists under Plc 313.34 (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont) may be licensed by endorsement instead. Out-of-state masters who are not in a qualifying jurisdiction remain eligible for the New Hampshire plumbing examination upon proof of licensure (Mec 302.12).
Why Oregon has nothing to transfer
Oregon master plumber
No individual license at this level
Issued by Oregon Building Codes Division (Department of Consumer and Business Services) / State Plumbing Board
Oregon has no master plumber license and no other person-held plumbing credential above journeyman. ORS 693.095 permits the State Plumbing Board to adopt rules for a 'supervising plumber' license, but no such rule exists in OAR chapter 918, division 695, and the Building Codes Division's license table lists only the Journeyman Plumber (JP) and three limited specialty licenses (residential water-heater, water-treatment and solar heating and cooling installer) as individual plumbing licenses; the Journeyman Plumber is therefore the highest license an individual can hold. The business-side credential is the Plumbing Business (PB) license under ORS 447.040, issued by the Building Codes Division to a firm that already holds a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license: the owner or corporate officer files the Contractor/Business License Application (form 440-2888) with a $150 non-refundable fee and the CCB number, no signing supervisor or qualifying-person experience is designated for a plumbing business, no exam is taken, and the license renews on a three-year cycle (all PB licenses next expire July 1, 2029). A plumbing business license 'does not authorize the contractor to work as a journeyman plumber,' and the business may not let anyone perform journeyman work without an individual JP license. An out-of-state master plumber therefore has nothing to transfer to at this level: to work with the tools they obtain the Journeyman Plumber license through the journeyman path (Idaho or Montana reciprocity, or experience credit plus the Oregon exam), and to contract they register a business with the Secretary of State, license it with the CCB, and add the $150 BCD Plumbing Business license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Hampshire master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Oregon?
- Yes. New Hampshire requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Hampshire master plumber license from Oregon?
- Published fees on this path total $330, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Oregon work hours count in New Hampshire?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Hampshire's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Hampshire to Oregon?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Hampshire to Oregon, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Mec 300 - Initial fuel gas fitting, plumbing, trainee, apprentice and business entity licensing · Mec 302.02; Mec 302.12; Mec 304.01; Mec 304.04; Mec 305.01; Mec 306.01; Mec 307 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- NH OPLC - Mechanical Licensing Board (who we regulate; plumber licenses) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NH OPLC - License Fees for the Mechanical Licensing Board · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- OPLC - Reciprocity Licensing (HB 594 overview) · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (endorsement qualifying jurisdictions by board) · RSA 310:17; Plc 313.34 · New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 1002.25 and Plc 1004.11 - Mechanical Licensing Board licensing and examination fees · Plc 1002.25; Plc 1004.11 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Plc 313.34 - Substantially similar requirements for Mechanical Licensing Board professions · Plc 313.34 (eff. 5-3-24, #13954); Plc 313.01; Plc 313.11 · New Hampshire General Court (Administrative Rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- RSA Chapter 153 - Fire Safety; Mechanical Licensing Board (plumber and fuel gas licensing) · RSA 153:27-a; RSA 153:28; RSA 153:29-a; RSA 153:36, VII · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- RSA 310:17 License Reciprocity · N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 310:17 · New Hampshire General Court · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.