Texas to South Carolina: master plumber license reciprocity
South Carolina has no reciprocity agreement with Texas. Your Texas experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the South Carolina exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (states without a PB waiver exam)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A plumbing contractor whose exam is not listed for Plumbing on the Board's Technical Exam Waiver Agreement list is told: 'If your state is listed but your trade/classification is not listed, you are not eligible to apply by waiver/reciprocity.' The applicant passes the South Carolina Plumber technical exam through PSI and the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, then files the Qualifying Party application (Doc. 168) with proof of at least 2 years of full-time work experience performed within the past 5 years in the plumbing classification, which may have been earned in any state and should primarily reflect commercial work (a PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship certificate covering plumbing is an alternative). The business files the Mechanical Contractor license application with the $350 licensure fee and a financial statement (or surety bond) meeting the group limit it wants. Section 40-11-290 separately allows the Board to exempt the technical exam for an applicant who verifies passing an essentially identical exam in another state even without a reciprocal agreement, but the Board's published waiver list and instructions do not describe a process for invoking it outside the listed exams. The May 2026 waiver list names four plumbing exams that replace the technical exam: North Carolina Plumbing Class 1, Ohio Plumbing, Tennessee CMC/Mechanical and Tennessee CMC-A (plus the South Carolina CAGC/MASC Master Plumber certification); holders of those licenses, obtained by exam and in good standing, still take the Business Management & Law exam.
PSI charges $75 for the Plumber exam and $75 for the Business Management & Law exam, paid directly to PSI. The Board's licensure page shows a $350 licensure fee but no separate qualifying-party application fee. The Mechanical Group financial thresholds on the licensure page (Group 2: $100,000 per job, $10,000 working capital or $15,000 net worth, $15,000 bond) replace the older figures in the Board's 2019 waiver document. For residential-only work, the Residential Builders Commission's Residential Plumber license is a separate credential (one year of residential plumbing experience, $135 application fee, $220 license fee); its technical exam is waived for current North Carolina or Mississippi licensees who obtained their license by exam and have held it for at least one year.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the plumbing classification, performed within the past 5 years, documented on Work Experience Affidavits (Doc. 167); out-of-state experience is accepted. A PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship certificate (Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing) is an alternative listed on Doc. 168.
What you'll do to get licensed in South Carolina
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. South Carolina Plumber technical examination through PSI, unless a listed waiver exam or CAGC/MASC Master Plumber certification applies.
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors examination (PSI), required of all applicants.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI fee for the South Carolina Plumber exam, per attempt.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI fee for the Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, per attempt.
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($350). Mechanical Contractor licensure fee (license issued to the entity the qualifying party certifies).
- 6Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Financial statement with a balance sheet dated within 12 months showing working capital of $10,000 or net worth of $15,000 for Mechanical Group 2 (higher groups require more), or a surety bond in lieu.
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($15,000) (if applicable). Surety bond accepted in lieu of the financial statement for Mechanical Group 2 (larger bonds for higher groups).
- 8Other. Qualifying Party initial application (Doc. 168) with exam score sheets, Work Experience Affidavits, ID, Social Security card and notarized Verification of Lawful Presence.
- 9Other. SC Examination Waiver form completed by the origin board only if claiming a listed plumbing waiver exam; copies of licenses or exam results are not accepted.
Published fees on this path total $500, 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
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $75
- Exam fee · $75
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $15,000 · if applicable
How South Carolina licenses master plumbers
South Carolina master plumber · “Mechanical Contractor, Plumbing (PB) classification - Qualifying Party certification”
Statewide license
South Carolina has no license titled 'master plumber'. The highest person-held plumbing credential is the Contractor's Licensing Board's Qualifying Party certification in the Plumbing (PB) classification of the Mechanical Contractor license. The individual passes the South Carolina Plumber technical exam through PSI (or holds a CAGC/MASC Master Plumber certification earned by exam, or a listed out-of-state waiver exam) and the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, documents two years of full-time experience within the past five years in the classification (or a PHCC Academy of North Carolina plumbing apprenticeship certificate), and is certified as the qualifying party for a licensed entity (which may be a sole proprietorship). The certification stays with the person; Doc. 168 states the certified qualifying party 'is not a licensed contractor' and the entity holds the license. The license fee is $350, with a financial statement or surety bond sized by mechanical group (Group 2, jobs to $100,000: working capital $10,000 or net worth $15,000, or a $15,000 bond). Work over $10,000 requires this license under § 40-11-30. The Board's waiver list accepts North Carolina Plumbing Class 1, Ohio Plumbing and Tennessee CMC or CMC-A exams in place of the plumbing technical exam; other out-of-state licensees take both South Carolina exams.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Carolina master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Texas?
- Yes. South Carolina requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a South Carolina master plumber license from Texas?
- Published fees on this path total $500, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Texas work hours count in South Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from South Carolina to Texas?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from South Carolina to Texas, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 11 - Contractors · S.C. Code Ann. Sections 40-11-30, 40-11-230, 40-11-260, 40-11-262, 40-11-290, 40-11-410 · South Carolina Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- General and Mechanical Contractors - Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) and Qualifying Party (QP) Initial Application (Doc. 168, 12/19/2025 v2.1) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Licensure with the Board (application, qualifying parties, exams, group limits, financial statements, bonds) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board - Technical Exam Waiver Agreements (as of May 2026) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agreement Document · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Residential Builders Commission - Residential Plumber License · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board Commercial Contractors Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the SC Contractor’s Licensing Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.