Pennsylvania to Michigan: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Michigan'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 (all states; Michigan has no reciprocity)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Michigan does not reciprocate with any state, so a master plumber licensed elsewhere must take and pass the Michigan Master Plumber exam regardless of origin. Out-of-state credentials are used only to establish eligibility to sit: under LARA's Out-of-State License Verification instructions all applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved by the board before scheduling, and they 'may receive credit for experience earned from other states' under the equivalence clause of MCL 339.6109. The applicant submits the plumbing examination application with the master license fee, a copy of the current out-of-state license and the issuing state's requirements, the Out-of-State License Verification form completed by the issuing board, and notarized letters from employers documenting 4,000 hours of work as a journey plumber over at least the two years immediately preceding the application. MCL 339.6113(1)(d) also requires that the applicant 'holds a journey plumber license issued under this article or former 2002 PA 733'; because Michigan issues only one plumbing license at a time, an out-of-state master with no Michigan journey license should expect to be evaluated under this clause by the State Plumbing Board, which meets quarterly. Once approved the applicant schedules the PSI exam ($100, 130 questions, 75% to pass, available online with remote proctoring since February 2026) and the license issues on passing. The only exam waiver is for service members, veterans and their dependents holding an active plumbing license in another state.
Unresolved: MCL 339.6113(1)(d) literally requires a Michigan-issued journey plumber license (under Article 11 or former 2002 PA 733) held while gaining the 4,000 hours; no official page states whether an out-of-state journey or master license satisfies this, so a non-Michigan master may be routed to the journey exam first. The 90-day timeline is an estimate based on quarterly board review. No official Michigan page names any partner state, so no agreements are authored.
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
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Work as a journey plumber over a period of not less than two years immediately preceding the application, with no lapse in licensure during those two years (MCL 339.6113(1)(d); LARA plumbing page); out-of-state journey-level experience is credited only if the board accepts it as equivalent under MCL 339.6109.
- Holds a journey plumber license issued under Article 11 or former 2002 PA 733 (MCL 339.6113(1)(d)); acceptance of an out-of-state journey or master license in lieu of a Michigan journey license is at the board's discretion and not confirmed by any official page
- At least 18 years old
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Michigan
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Master Plumber initial license fee for a term of up to three years, paid at application (MCL 339.6121(7)); prorated by year if issued outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window; not charged if the applicant also holds the plumbing contractor license (MCL 339.6113(4)).
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI after LARA approves the application; non-refundable, valid one year, paid again for each attempt (MCL 339.6121(5)).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Michigan Master Plumber examination administered by PSI: 130 questions including a material take-off portion from a drawing, 180 minutes, 75% to pass, open book on the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code; available at PSI test centers or online with a remote proctor.
- 4Other. Out-of-State License Verification form completed by the issuing state board(s), plus a copy of the current license and that state's licensing requirements.
- 5Other. Notarized letter(s) from employers and master plumbers documenting 4,000 hours of journey-level work over the preceding two years (MCL 339.6109).
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Renewal condition: board-approved course on any update or change to the state construction code, completed within 12 months after the change (MCL 339.6113(2)); three-year renewal fee $300.
- 7Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Plumbing Contractor license (Form BCC-329, $300 non-refundable fee, 50-question PSI exam at 75%) is required only to contract for and permit plumbing work; it must be represented by a master plumber and a master may qualify only one contractor.
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.
- Exam fee · $100
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Michigan licenses master plumbers
Michigan master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Michigan issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under MCL 339.6113; the Plumbing Contractor license (Form BCC-329, $300, MCL 339.6111) is the separate business credential that must be represented by a master plumber, and a master may represent only one contractor at a time. Local plumber licensing is preempted by MCL 339.6125(1). A new master applicant must be at least 18, hold a journey plumber license and have gained 4,000 hours of experience as a journey plumber over at least two years immediately preceding the application with no lapse in licensure, document that experience with notarized employer letters, pay the license fee at application ($300 for a licence term of up to three years, prorated outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window), be approved by LARA, and pass the PSI Master Plumber exam (130 questions, 180 minutes, 75% to pass, open book on the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code, available in person or online; $100 fee). The license renews every three years for $300, and renewal requires a board-approved code-update course within 12 months after each state construction code change. Michigan has no reciprocity with any state; an out-of-state master must pass the Michigan exam, with out-of-state experience credited only after State Plumbing Board review.
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 Michigan master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Michigan requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Michigan 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 Michigan?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Michigan'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 Michigan to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Michigan to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-329 - Application for Plumbing Contractor Examination & License (Rev. 7/2026) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Licensing Division · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - Out-of-State License Verification Form and Instructions for Examination and Licensure Applicants with Out-of-State Experience/License (Rev. 3/22) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Skilled Trades Licensing Section · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Plumbing Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - Obtaining a Plumbing Master License in the State of Michigan (licensure pathway map); companion Plumbing Journeyperson map at Licensing-Requirements/Plumbing-JP.pdf · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 11 - Plumbers (MCL 339.6101 to 339.6133) · MCL 339.6107, 339.6109, 339.6111, 339.6113, 339.6115, 339.6117, 339.6119, 339.6121, 339.6125 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI - Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Plumbing Candidate Information Bulletin (Journey Plumber, Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor), effective 4/29/2026 · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · Other · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.