Pennsylvania to Connecticut: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Connecticut'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.
Contractor (P-1) by equivalent out-of-state license (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master plumber or plumbing contractor licensed in any other state applies under DCP's 'Plumbing Contractor - Equivalent Out of State License' path. DCP reviews a single out-of-state license for equivalency to the P-1: the hours table requires 576 classroom hours matching Exhibit A and 12,000 on-the-job hours (8,000 plus two years / 4,000 as a licensed journeyperson). The applicant submits a copy of the license, official license verification, the laws and regulations that set the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work, with the non-refundable $150 application fee. If approved, CGS 20-333 and 20-334a(a)(1) still require the Connecticut contractor examination before the $150 initial license is issued—the origin license does not waive the trade exam. An applicant whose license is not found equivalent is not approved on this path and must document comparable journeyman service and training instead (CGS 20-334a(a)(1)(A)). No named reciprocal partners appear on the plumbing contractor out-of-state page.
CLASSROOM-HOUR CONFLICT on the contractor out-of-state page: the example sentence says a P-1 equivalent license 'must have required 720 classroom hours and 12,000 hours of on the job training', while the hours table on the same page lists P-1 classroom hours as 576 (with 12,000 OJT). CE, reinstatement and the annual expiration month live on the unfetched Plumbing-and-Pipefitting-Licensing hub.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- 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.
- The out-of-state license must be equivalent to the P-1: 576 classroom hours matching Exhibit A and 12,000 OJT hours (8,000 plus two years / 4,000 as a licensed journeyperson)Only one out-of-state license is reviewed. The same page's example paragraph says 720 classroom hours; use the table (576) unless DCP confirms otherwise. Limited contractor tables: P-7 8,000/180, J-1 8,000/288, J-3 8,000/144.
- You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.8,000 hours plus 2 years (4,000 hours) working as a licensed journeyperson. CGS 20-334a(a)(1)(A): journeyman service outside Connecticut counts if DCP finds it comparable to similar service in this state.
What you'll do to get licensed in Connecticut
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Contractor application fee, non-refundable (CGS 20-333); DCP out-of-state page restates that application fees are nonrefundable.
- 2Other. Copy of the out-of-state license, official license verification, the laws/regulations listing the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license (one origin license only).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Connecticut P-1 Unlimited Plumbing Contractor licensure examination after DCP determines eligibility (scope of work: two years as an unlimited licensed journeyperson or equivalent, then the license examination; CGS 20-333 / 20-334a)..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination vendor fee per portion, due at exam registration..
- 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam (if applicable). 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..
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Initial license fee for a contractor's license after passing the exam (CGS 20-335); renews annually for $150. Plumbing expiration month not confirmed on pages retrieved..
Published fees on this path total $300, 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
- Exam fee
- Law / code exam · if applicable
How Connecticut licenses master plumbers
Connecticut master plumber · “P-1 Unlimited Plumbing Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing
Connecticut has no license titled 'master plumber'; the top-tier personal credential is the P-1 Unlimited Plumbing Contractor, issued by DCP to an individual and permitting all plumbing and piping work under CGS 20-330 (permits and contracting with the public). Limited contractor classes cover narrower scopes (J-1, J-3, P-7, P-9, PP-1, SP-1). A new P-1 applicant needs two years as an unlimited licensed journeyperson or equivalent experience and training; the out-of-state equivalency table is 12,000 OJT hours (8,000 plus two years / 4,000) and 576 classroom hours matching Exhibit A. CGS 20-334a(a)(1)(A) lets out-of-state journeyman service count if DCP finds it comparable, and still requires the contractor examination. CGS 20-333a would allow an exam waiver only if the origin state reciprocates; the P-1 out-of-state page names no partners. Fees are a $150 application fee and a $150 initial/renewal license fee; licenses expire annually.
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 Connecticut master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Connecticut requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Connecticut master plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $300, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Connecticut?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Connecticut's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Connecticut to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 393 - Occupational Licensing (Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, Heating, Cooling...) · CGS §§ 20-330, 20-333, 20-333a, 20-334a, 20-335 · Connecticut General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing Contractor: Equivalent Out of State License · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP Exhibit A - Required Courses for Plumbing License Types · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing and Pipefitting Licensing (renewal, reinstatement and CE hub linked from the contractor out-of-state page) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Plumbing Licenses and Scope of Work · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.