South Carolina to West Virginia: master plumber license reciprocity
West Virginia has no reciprocity agreement with South Carolina. A South Carolina master plumber applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master plumber — reciprocity rule plus RECAP (no named partners)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
There is no published West Virginia list of master-plumber reciprocity partners. W. Va. W. Va. Code 21-17-3 still requires the Division to issue the license to a person who has held a current, comparable out-of-state master (or equivalent) license for at least one year, met that state's education and examination requirements, is in good standing, has established West Virginia residency, and pays the fees — without adding a West Virginia exam. An applicant who cannot use RECAP or the unread reciprocity rule must hold (or first obtain) the West Virginia journeyman plumber credential and wait one year after passing the journeyman exam before sitting the master exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c)), then score at least 70 percent; the DOL/Prov bulletin prices Division exams at $59.95. No statutory hour minimum is stated for master beyond that one-year wait after the journeyman exam. Master plumber fees were not published on the pages that opened. A master who wants to contract in West Virginia still needs the separate Contractor Licensing Board plumbing classification when project value meets W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds.
Same blocked-rule gaps as journeyman. The one-year wait after the journeyman exam is a West Virginia examination-route condition (21-14-2(c)); it is not confirmed as a condition of RECAP endorsement for a person who already holds an origin master license. Do not treat Ohio OCILB's WV Master Plumber contractor reciprocity as a WV inbound agreement. Whether a WV contractor license is required in addition to the master plumber card to perform contracting is a 30-42 question, not part of this personal license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your South Carolina license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your South Carolina license for at least 1 year.RECAP holding period (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), not the 21-14-2(c) one-year wait after the WV journeyman exam.
- Your South Carolina license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- West Virginia residency is required for the RECAP route (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a))
- Examination route only (not RECAP): the master plumber written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c))
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. 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..
- 2Other. 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. You can also call the board at 304-356-3928..
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia master plumber written exam through Prov if the applicant does not qualify under RECAP or the unread reciprocity rule. Statute: at least 70 percent, and not until one year after passing the journeyman plumber exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c)). DOL/Prov bulletin: $59.95, 70 percent cut..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee when the written exam is required (DOL/Prov Candidate Information Bulletin extract; paid to the testing vendor).
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Separate West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board plumbing-contractor classification if contracting (not working as an employee) at or above W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds; not a substitute for the Division of Labor master plumber license.
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
How West Virginia licenses master plumbers
West Virginia master plumber · “Master plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Master plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code 21-14. The statute defines a master plumber as a person who has passed a written master examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to design plumbing systems and to instruct and supervise journeyman plumbers and plumbers in training; the master written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination. This is a personal license, distinct from a Plumbing contractor license issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board under W. Va. Code 30-42 (the Licensing Section administers that board as well). Since January 1, 2009 plumbing work for others requires a Commissioner of Labor plumber license. Out-of-state master plumbers are expected to use the Commissioner's unread reciprocity rule (21-14-4(3)) and, where they qualify, RECAP (W. Va. Code 21-17-3), which requires issuance of the occupational license when a comparable origin license has been held at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber partners. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board lists a West Virginia Master Plumber (exam-issued) among credentials that can reciprocate into an Ohio plumbing contractor license; that is Ohio's inbound contractor rule, not a West Virginia master-plumber agreement.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the West Virginia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my South Carolina license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to South Carolina, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Supervision of Plumbing Work (legislative-rule PDF linked from the Licensing hub) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 (rule-making authority for Article 14) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.