Pennsylvania to Kentucky: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Kentucky'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 (Kentucky journeyman and master examinations; other-state license credited toward eligibility)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Kentucky does not publish plumbing reciprocity or endorsement that waives the master exam. Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(1)(c), a valid plumbing license issued by another state and held at least two years within the past five years qualifies the applicant to apply as a master; Section 2(1)(d) is the alternative for a state that issues no plumbing license (four consecutive years practicing in a capacity equivalent to a master). Section 2(2)(b) then requires those (c) and (d) applicants to submit proof of successfully completing the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (75% on each portion) in addition to the Kentucky master plumber examination (80% on each portion). The master exam is written questions (plumbing principles, KRS Chapter 318, 815 KAR Chapters 2 and 20) plus a pipe-sizing drawing and is more complex than the journeyman exam; there is no separate business-and-law exam. File Form PLB-3 ($150 exam fee, passport photo) and Form PLB-1 ($250 license fee, prorated 7–18 months to the birth month). Passing scores last three years. At renewal the master pays $250, completes six CE hours, and files proof of insurance as required by KRS 318.030.
Section 2(1)(c) says 'plumbing license issued by another state,' so city/county origin licenses do not satisfy the two-year other-state-license path; the four-year path is only for states that do not issue a plumbing license. DHBC does not publish a plumbing partner list in 815 KAR 20:030; HVAC and electrical KY files record Ohio (and for electrical also WV/VA) reciprocity on those trades' checklists — those lists were not confirmed for plumbing and are not entered as agreements. Whether DHBC will accept a previously passed out-of-state journeyman exam in place of Kentucky's journeyman exam under Section 2(2)(b) is not stated; the regulation requires 'the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination.'
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 90 days
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 2 years.Other-state plumbing license must have been held at least two years within the past five years (Section 2(1)(c)). The unlicensed-state path is four consecutive years immediately preceding application (Section 2(1)(d)).
What you'll do to get licensed in Kentucky
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($250). Master plumber license fee (Form PLB-1), $250; initial license prorated for not less than seven nor more than eighteen months and expires on the last day of the applicant's birth month; payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Kentucky master plumber examination (department-administered; written and drawing portions, more complex than journeyman; 80% required on each portion; regular sittings February, May, August, November). Out-of-state applicants under Section 2(1)(c) or (d) must also pass the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (75% each portion, including practical)..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). Non-refundable master examination fee with Form PLB-3; the Kentucky journeyman exam, if still required under Section 2(2)(b), is a separate $50 PLB-3 fee.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. 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..
- 5Other. Passport-sized color photograph taken within six months (Form PLB-3).
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of approved plumbing CE in the twelve months before each renewal (815 KAR 2:010); waived for the first renewal if the initial license issued within twelve months of renewal; no more than two hours safety.
Published fees on this path total $400, 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 · $150
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Kentucky licenses master plumbers
Kentucky master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Division of Plumbing
Kentucky issues a statewide Master Plumber license through DHBC's Division of Plumbing under KRS Chapter 318 and 815 KAR 20:030. In-state applicants typically hold a Kentucky journeyman plumber license for at least two of the past five years and work under a licensed master for at least two years; Kentucky professional engineers with sufficient mechanical-engineering experience may also qualify. An applicant who holds a valid plumbing license issued by another state for at least two of the past five years, or who practiced as the equivalent of a master for four consecutive years in a state that does not license plumbers, may sit for Kentucky's exams but must still pass both the Kentucky journeyman examination (75% each portion) and the Kentucky master examination (80% each portion). The master exam is written plus drawing (more complex than the journeyman exam); the exam fee is $150 (Form PLB-3) and the license fee is $250 (Form PLB-1), prorated 7–18 months to the birth month. Masters renew annually at $250 with six CE hours and proof of insurance required by KRS 318.030. 815 KAR 20:030 names no partner states and does not waive the Kentucky exams.
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 Kentucky master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Kentucky requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Kentucky master plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $400, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Kentucky?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Kentucky's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 90 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Kentucky to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Kentucky to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) - home · Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DHBC Division of Plumbing forms incorporated in 815 KAR 20:030 (PLB-1, PLB-2, PLB-3, DHBC L-1) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR 2:010 - Continuing education requirements (master and journeyman plumbers) · 815 KAR 2:010 Sections 1-2; KRS 318.054 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR 20:030 - Plumbing licenses (application, examination, and renewal) · 815 KAR 20:030 Sections 1-6 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR Chapter 20 - Plumbing (Kentucky State Plumbing Code chapter index) · 815 KAR Chapter 20 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- KRS Chapter 318 - Plumbers and Plumbing · KRS 318.010, 318.020, 318.030, 318.040, 318.050, 318.054, 318.080, 318.130 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- KRS 318.030 - Insurance required of master plumbers (cited by 815 KAR 20:030) · KRS 318.030 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.