Pennsylvania to Colorado: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Colorado'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.
Licensure by endorsement (all other states; no reciprocal agreements)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Every out-of-state master plumber applies by endorsement under Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a); Colorado has no reciprocity partners for plumbing at any level. The applicant must currently hold an active master-level license issued and regulated by a state (not a city or county), held for at least six months per the DPO Licensure Requirements, obtained by passing a comparable state plumbing exam based on the current or previous edition of the plumbing code adopted by the Board (2021 IPC), and must show either completion of a state or federally approved apprenticeship or the five years (8,500 hours) of practical experience Colorado requires for a master, documented on Affidavit of Experience forms signed by employers or plumbing contractors. The issuing state board completes DPO's Verification of State Licensure form. Qualifying applicants are licensed without the Colorado master exam. An applicant whose licence does not meet the criteria applies by examination instead, with out-of-state hours credited toward the 8,500-hour requirement; a disapproved endorsement applicant may request Board reconsideration or a personal interview within 45 days. To run a plumbing business the new master must also register a Plumbing Contractor with the Board.
Same source conflicts as the journeyman path: 'currently adopted Colorado Code' (DPO Applications page) versus 'current or previous edition' (Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a)(2) and Licensing Guide); the six-month holding period is on the DPO page only; Rule 1.4(A)(1) requires passing the exam before applying while the DPO page describes approval before PSI scheduling. The $140 application fee is 'currently' per the DPO Licensing Guide; the PSI exam fee comes from PSI's candidate handbook and was not published on DPO pages. Colorado's master requirement of 8,500 hours is lower than some states' master thresholds, so a master licence from a state with a longer requirement will normally satisfy the experience condition, but the Board evaluates substantial equivalence case by case. C.R.S.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Pennsylvania license for at least 6 months.DPO Applications page: state-issued licence held for a minimum of six months.
- Your Pennsylvania license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Completion of a state or federally approved or registered apprenticeship program, or the required years and type of experience for the comparable Colorado license
- You must document at least 8,500 hours of qualifying work experience.Five full-time years of practical experience (one month = 163 hours), documented on Board Affidavit of Experience forms; applicants cannot verify their own experience. Accredited two-year plumbing programs and military plumbing training may each replace up to one year of field experience under Rule 1.4(A)(3)(d)-(e).
What you'll do to get licensed in Colorado
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($140). Master Plumber initial application fee (DPO Licensing Guide: 'currently $140'), paid in DPO Online Services; non-refundable, application expires after one year if incomplete.
- 2Other. Plumbing - Verification of State Licensure form completed by the issuing state board.
- 3Other. Plumbing - Affidavit of Experience form(s) from current and former plumbing contractor employers, or apprenticeship completion documentation.
- 4Other. Proof of citizenship or lawful presence, general and criminal-history screening questions, and Felony Conviction Form if applicable.
- 5Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Colorado Master Plumber exam (PSI; 120 questions, 270 minutes, 75% to pass) - only if the origin licence does not meet the endorsement criteria.
- 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Plumbing Contractor registration with the Board (master plumber as responsible individual, Acknowledgment of Responsibility, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance) - only to contract for plumbing work as a business.
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). For Plumbing Contractor registrants: property damage insurance of at least $100,000 and general liability of at least $300,000 (DPO Licensing Guide).
- 8Continuing education. Complete continuing education. After the first renewal: 8 hours of CE per licence year (16 per two-year cycle), at least 4 hours code-related, no more than 2 hours safety.
Published fees on this path total $140, 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 · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Colorado licenses master plumbers
Colorado master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Colorado State Plumbing Board (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations)
Colorado issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the State Plumbing Board in DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. By examination an applicant must document five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical plumbing experience on Affidavit of Experience forms, pay a $140 application fee, and score 75% on the PSI-administered Colorado master exam (120 multiple-choice questions, 270 minutes) based on the 2021 IPC/IRC adopted in 3 CCR 720-1. A master plumber may perform and supervise all plumbing work and is the responsible individual for a registered Plumbing Contractor, which is the separate business registration (with $100,000 property damage and $300,000 general liability insurance and workers' compensation compliance) needed to contract for plumbing work; a master may be responsible for only one company. Out-of-state master plumbers may be licensed by endorsement under Board Rule 1.4(B)(1)(a) without the Colorado exam; the Board has no reciprocal agreements. Licenses expire on the last day of February of odd-numbered years with eight CE hours per licence year.
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania master plumber · “Master Plumber (city-issued; no state licence)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania issues no statewide master plumber or plumbing-contractor licence; none of the Department of State's 29 boards covers the trade, so the master-level credential exists only in cities that have chosen to license it. Allentown posts a 2026 Master Plumber Exam Application and requires a separate business licence to contract. Harrisburg posts a plumbing licence application whose master-versus-journeyman split was not verified. Pittsburgh's plumbing trade-licence page 404'd. There is no state-level recognition of an out-of-state master plumber licence and no municipal programme verified here that waives the plumbing trade exam. An arriving master should expect to apply city by city, document local experience thresholds, and sit each city's exam (ICC or city-written) unless that city later publishes an exam-waiver rule.
How local licensing works in Pennsylvania
How local licensing works. With no state plumbing board, each Pennsylvania city that licenses master plumbers does so under its own ordinance. The journeyman card, where it exists, does not authorise pulling permits or running a shop; the master (or master-contractor) licence does. A master licence is valid only in the issuing city. The journeyman page states that a journeyman works 'under a licensed master plumber' and may not operate a business, which implies the master licence is the contracting credential. Other PLI trade licences are issued to individuals, expire 365 days from issue, and (for electrical and mechanical) accept ICC master exams for any code year plus a stated experience total; whether plumbing follows that pattern is unverified. 2025 plumbing licence fee unknown.
Allentown. 2026 Master Plumber Exam Application is posted under Professional Trades Licensing. Contracting requires the trades licence and a city business licence. Reciprocity not mentioned on the landing page. Electrical Option B on that same form (eight years in lieu of exam) must not be assumed to apply to plumbing.
Inbound master. No Pennsylvania state licence and no verified exam-waiver reciprocity. Plan on a new application in each city where permits will be pulled. Philadelphia is the most fully documented shop: obtain the Master Plumber's License after (typically) holding or qualifying beyond the journeyman ICC path; confirm current master fees and exam on the master service page before applying. Allentown requires its master plumber exam application plus a business licence. Scranton uses the 2021 master contractor packet. Statewide reciprocity: none.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Colorado master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?
- At least 6 months before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Colorado master plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $140, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Colorado?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Colorado's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Colorado to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Colorado to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 3 CCR 720-1 - Plumbing Rules and Regulations (State Plumbing Board) · 3 CCR 720-1, Rule 1.4 (Applications and Licensing); Rule 1.2 (Standards) · Colorado Secretary of State (Code of Colorado Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado SOS eDocket - Tracking Number 2025-00532 (3 CCR 720-1 permanent rule adopted 2025-12-17) · Colorado Secretary of State (Code of Colorado Regulations eDocket) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Revised Statutes Title 12, Article 155 - Plumbers · C.R.S. §§ 12-155-112, 12-155-116, 12-155-118 · Colorado General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Applications and Forms - Plumbing Licensure Requirements (Examination and Endorsement) · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Continuing Education · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Homepage - State Plumbing Board · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Colorado Plumbing Laws - Plumbing Practice Act and Laws · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DPO Plumbing Licensing Guide (PDF linked from the Plumbing Applications page) · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Form · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.