Pennsylvania to Virginia: master plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Virginia'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.
Universal License Recognition or exam eligibility for out-of-state masters (no named origin states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master plumber or individually licensed plumbing contractor from any state without a DPOR-named plumbing reciprocity partner applies on the Tradesman Universal License Recognition form (A501-2710ULR) for a Licensed Master Plumbing (PLB) license, which DPOR issues without the Virginia trade examination when the current out-of-state license has been held for at least three years, was obtained by examination in a jurisdiction that also required education, training or experience, and there are no unresolved complaints or pending investigations; every board that has licensed the applicant must send a Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing dated within 90 days directly to the Tradesmen Program, and DPOR reserves the right to require an exam specific to Virginia law (Va. Code 54.1-205). An applicant whose license is younger than three years, or was not obtained by exam, instead files the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75): a current out-of-state journeyman or master plumber license is one of the listed qualifications to sit the PSI master exam ($125), so no years of experience need be documented. The fee printed on the ULR form is $130; the 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee. A state contractor license issued only to a business may not satisfy ULR's personal-license-by-exam requirement; the qualifying individual should confirm with DPOR.
No agreements[] rows: DPOR does not name an origin state for plumbing reciprocity. WSSC examination-reciprocity, if still in force, is unpublished and is not coded as origin MD. A Tennessee CMC, North Carolina plumbing contractor, or similar business credential may need the exam route rather than ULR.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- You must have held your Pennsylvania license for at least 3 years.ULR route only: current out-of-state master plumber license held at least three years
- Your Pennsylvania license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($130). Tradesman Universal License Recognition application fee as printed on form A501-2710ULR (2023); non-refundable. 18VAC50-30-90 original without examination $150; 2026 Exam & License Application $171.75 including the technology fee..
- 2Other. Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing from each board where licensed, sent directly to the Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program and dated within 90 days.
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam (if applicable). DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Only for applicants who do not meet the ULR criteria: PSI Virginia master plumbing exam (published $125; cap $225 under 18VAC50-30-100) via the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75), for which an out-of-state journeyman or master plumber license is itself the qualification.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($125) (if applicable). PSI master tradesman exam fee published on the Tradesmen program page; paid to the exam vendor when the exam is required..
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Three hours of board-approved continuing education relating to applicable plumbing building-code changes each three-year renewal cycle (18VAC50-30-120(C)).
- 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($160). Tradesman license renewal fee (18VAC50-30-120(G)); licenses expire three years from the last day of the month of issuance; non-refundable.
- 8Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Class A, B or C Virginia contractor license from the Board for Contractors if contracting for work over $1,000; contractor exams are not waived by tradesman ULR.
Published fees on this path total $290, 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.
- Law / code exam · if applicable
- Trade exam · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
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.
- Contractor license · if applicable
How Virginia licenses master plumbers
Virginia master plumber · “Master Plumbing Tradesman (PLB)”
Statewide license
Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)
Virginia issues a statewide Master Plumbing tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39(D) a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam with one year as a licensed journeyman in the trade, three years holding a valid Virginia residential plumber tradesman license, or nine years of verified practical experience; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee, and the PSI master exam fee published on the Tradesmen page is $125 (regulatory cap $225). A current journeyman or master plumber license from another governing body outside Virginia is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a licensee who has held an out-of-state license for at least three years may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the master license without the Virginia trade exam. DPOR does not publish a plumbing reciprocity agreement with any origin state; the only plumbing-related partner on the Board list is WSSC. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license. Licenses expire three years from the last day of the month of issuance; renewal is $160 plus three hours of board-approved plumbing code continuing education per designation.
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 Virginia 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 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Virginia master plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $290, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-120 - Renewal · 18VAC50-30-120; Va. Code § 54.1-1133 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-39 - Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-90 - Fees for licensure and certification · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 16, 2026
- Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Form A501-2710ULR - Tradesman Universal License Recognition Application (v2, 08/14/2023) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DPOR - Universal License Recognition · Va. Code 54.1-204, 54.1-205 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · 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.