Moving to California as a master plumber: every state's rule
California has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
California master plumber · “C-36 Plumbing Contractor (qualifying individual)”
Statewide license
Issued by Contractors State License Board
California does not issue a license titled 'master plumber'. The statewide credential that sits above municipal journeyman cards is the C-36 Plumbing Contractor license from the Contractors State License Board. The license is issued to a business entity (sole owner, partnership, corporation or LLC) but is qualified by a named individual who personally meets the experience and exam requirements and is responsible for the classification, so an out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor who intends to contract in California applies as that qualifying individual. A master plumber who only wants to work as an employee needs no C-36 license (B&P §7053) and should instead check city journeyman-card rules. To qualify C-36, the individual documents at least four years of journeyman-level or higher plumbing experience within the past 10 years, pays the $450 original application fee, passes both the CSLB Law and Business exam and the C-36 trade exam through PSI within 18 months of application acceptance, is fingerprinted (DOJ $32 plus FBI $17 plus Live Scan rolling fees), posts a $25,000 contractor's bond (and a $25,000 bond of qualifying individual where applicable), carries workers' compensation or files an exemption, and pays the initial license fee of $200 (sole owner) or $350 (non-sole owner) for a two-year license. CSLB reciprocity can waive the C-36 trade exam for a contractor who has held an active license in good standing for the previous five years in an Arizona classification mapped to C-36 (C-37, C-37R Plumbing, K-37, K-77, L-37, L-77). Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina reciprocity entries are general building only; Nevada's published list has no class mapped to C-36. Even when reciprocity is granted CSLB retains the right to require the trade exam, and the Law and Business exam, bond, fingerprinting and all other licensure requirements still apply.
States California reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Arizona | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Hawaii | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Illinois | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Indiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Louisiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
Getting licensed in California from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how California issues a master plumber license to a first-time applicant.
C-36 Plumbing Contractor license by examination
California has no state journeyman or master plumber license, so there is no lower state tier to hold first: the C-36 Plumbing Contractor license is earned directly by examination. The license is issued to a business (sole owner, partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture), and its qualifying individual must be at least 18 and show at least four full years of plumbing experience within the last 10 years as a journeyman, foreman, supervisor, contractor or owner-builder, certified by people with firsthand knowledge of the work. After CSLB accepts the $450 application, the qualifier schedules and pays PSI directly for two closed-book, multiple-choice exams, the Law and Business exam and the C-36 Plumbing trade exam, and must pass both within 18 months. CSLB then issues the license once the fingerprint background check clears and the business files a $25,000 contractor's bond, workers' compensation coverage or an exemption, the completed asbestos open-book exam, and the initial license fee of $200 (sole owner) or $350 (other business types).
Each exam is taken on a computer at a PSI test center with 3 1/2 hours allowed. The C-36 trade exam is given only at PSI sites in California and in Wilsonville, Oregon; the Law and Business exam is also offered in a number of other states. Both exams are available in Spanish. CSLB does not publish the passing score, and a passing score report does not show your score. The C-36 exam covers planning and estimating (22%), underground and rough systems (22%), finish plumbing installations (20%), service, repair and remodel plumbing (19%) and safety (17%); CSLB's study guide lists the 2025 California Plumbing Code among its references. After a failed attempt you must wait 21 days and pay PSI again, and a passed exam stays valid for five years. CSLB picks a random share of applications for extra review of experience claims, and the license is not issued until those claims are verified. If the qualifier is a Responsible Managing Employee, or a corporate officer owning less than 10% of the voting stock, the license also needs a $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual. An LLC license also needs a $100,000 employee/worker bond and liability insurance of at least $1 million. C-36 contractors may separately obtain CSLB's Hazardous Substance Removal certification, which is needed to install or remove underground storage tanks.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Closed book
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
Who can apply
- Be at least 18 years old.
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.A journeyman is a fully qualified worker who can do the trade without supervision, or someone who has completed an apprenticeship; time as a trainee, helper or apprentice is not journey-level. Each claim must be certified on the Certification of Work Experience form by someone who saw the work, such as an employer, fellow journeyman, union representative, building inspector or homeowner. Experience gained in another state counts.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Completed plumbing apprenticeship plus one year of practical experience
CSLB may credit up to three of the four years for a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship from an accredited plumbing apprenticeship program, or a union's certified statement that you completed apprenticeship training in plumbing. At least one year must still be practical experience, and a copy of the certificate goes in with the application.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Complete a registered apprenticeship: Completion of an accredited plumbing apprenticeship program, documented by a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship or a union's certified statement.
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
College degree credit plus practical experience
Official sealed transcripts can be credited toward the four years: up to three years for a four-year degree in construction technology or management, or in a field of engineering directly related to plumbing; up to two years for a four-year degree in accounting, business, economics, mathematics, physics or a plumbing-related field, a law degree, or substantial related college coursework; and up to one and a half years for an associate degree in building or construction management. At least one year must always be practical experience, and CSLB decides how much credit to give.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Four-year degree in construction technology or management, or in engineering directly related to plumbing, shown by official sealed transcripts (up to three years of credit)
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($450). Application for Original Contractor's License for one classification, non-refundable, mailed to CSLB with the Certification of Work Experience form; it does not cover the exams.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. The Law and Business and C-36 exams are each paid for separately, directly to PSI when you schedule them (online or at 877-392-6422). CSLB does not publish the amount. Retakes and missed appointments require paying PSI again..
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. CSLB Law and Business exam (PSI): closed book, multiple choice, 3 1/2 hours; covers business organization and licensing, business finances, employment requirements, insurance and liens, contracts, public works and safety.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. CSLB C-36 Plumbing exam (PSI): closed book, multiple choice, 3 1/2 hours, taken at a PSI center in California or Oregon.
- 5Background check. Complete a background check ($49). Fingerprints for a Department of Justice and FBI criminal background check, required of every applicant and each officer, partner, owner and Responsible Managing Employee: $49 ($32 DOJ plus $17 FBI) plus the Live Scan site's own rolling fee. Applicants outside California use hard-copy fingerprint cards, which take three to six months or longer..
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Initial license fee for a sole owner, covering the first two years; $350 for any other business type. Paid after the exams are passed, not with the application..
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000). Contractor's bond of $25,000 (or a $25,000 cashier's check) from a surety licensed by the California Department of Insurance, required before an active license is issued.
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of workers' compensation insurance (or self-insurance), or a workers' compensation exemption if the business has no employees; an exemption is not available when the qualifier is a Responsible Managing Employee.
- 9Other. Asbestos open-book exam and verification form, completed and sent to CSLB before the license can be issued (B&P §7058.5); it does not certify you to do asbestos work.
- 10Business license. Obtain a business license. The license is issued to a sole owner, partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture, and every application needs a business name; a corporation's or LLC's name must match its registration with the California Secretary of State.
Published fees on this path total $650, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years and a $450 renewal fee.
The active renewal fee is $450 for a sole owner and $700 for other business types; a renewal that arrives after the expiration date costs $675 or $1,050. An inactive license renews for four years at $300 or $500 but cannot be used to contract. To renew on active status you must keep the contractor's bond, any qualifying-individual bond and workers' compensation coverage or exemption on file.
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
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam
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 · $25,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
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.
- Business license
Sources for this section
- CSLB - Bond Requirements · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7071.6, 7071.8, 7071.9 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification · 16 CCR Div. 8, Art. 3 (§832.36); B&P Code §§7058, 7059 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - License Examination Study Guide: Plumbing (C-36) · Contractors State License Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Step 5: My Original Exam Application was Accepted · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Step 1: Before Applying for the Examination · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Step 3: Qualifying Experience for the Examination · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Examinations Frequently Asked Questions · Contractors State License Board · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - List of All CSLB Fees · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Step 6: Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan · B&P Code §§144, 7069, 7153.1 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Step 8: Issuing My License · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - The Road to Becoming a Licensed Contractor (journeymen) · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - License Examination Study Guide: Law and Business · Contractors State License Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Licenses for Limited Liability Companies (LLC) · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7065, 7071.6.5, 7071.19, 7076.2 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - California Licensed Contractor Newsletter, Winter 2025 · Contractors State License Board · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Public Information Center Frequently Asked Questions · Contractors State License Board · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- CSLB - Renew Your License, Step 1: General Renewal Information · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026