LicensebyState

Moving to District of Columbia as a master plumber: every state's rule

District of Columbia has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

District of Columbia master plumber · “Master Plumber/Gasfitter”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)

The District's highest person-held plumbing credential is the Master Plumber/Gasfitter license issued by the Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP); a Master Gasfitter specialty also exists. A Plumbing Contractor license is a separate business credential that must name a designated DC-licensed master and post a plumbing and gasfitting bond. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c) a master applicant must hold a valid journeyman plumber or gasfitter license, or have met the journeyman subsection (b) requirements, and have worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years, then pass the PSI-administered master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $120 master license fee for a term of up to 2 years ($155 on renewal); licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes a Maryland plumbing-professionals reciprocity bulletin; no Virginia plumber reciprocity is named on the board page.

States District of Columbia reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 1Endorsement 37No credit 12
Every state's path into District of Columbia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-16
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-16
CaliforniaEndorsement2026-09-16
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-16
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-16
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-16
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-16
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-16
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-16
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-16
IllinoisEndorsement2026-09-16
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-16
IowaEndorsement2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-16
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-16
MaineEndorsement2026-09-16
MarylandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-16
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-16
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-16
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-16
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-16
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-16
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
OhioEndorsement2026-09-16
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-16
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-16
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-16
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
TexasEndorsement2026-09-16
UtahEndorsement2026-09-16
VermontEndorsement2026-09-16
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-16
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in District of Columbia from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how District of Columbia issues a master plumber license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Master Plumber/Gasfitter by examination

The Master Plumber/Gasfitter license is issued on passing the PSI master exam. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c) an applicant must hold a valid journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter license, or meet the journeyman qualifications, and must have worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years; DLCP's application instructions state the total as 8 years and 16,000 hours of experience. Experience is documented with tax records and employment verification letters signed by a master. The exam is open book, there is no separate law or business exam, and the national-certification exam waiver applies to the journeyman license only.

PSI's candidate bulletin describes the Master Plumber exam as 100 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour time limit and the 2012 International Plumbing Code as the approved reference; the Master Plumber with Gas exam for the combined license (100 questions, 4 hours) adds the 2012 International Fuel Gas Code. No passing percentage is published. Under the Board's test-first process the exam may be scheduled directly with PSI before applying. A Plumbing Contractor license is a separate business license that must name a designated DC-licensed master; the company and the designated master each file a $5,000 plumbing and gas fitting bond. A separate Master Gasfitter license covers gas work only.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Renewal
Every 2 years

Who can apply

  • Hold a Valid Journeyman Plumber or Journeyman Gasfitter license first.D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c).
  • You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.DLCP's application instructions state the master requirement as 8 years and 16,000 hours of total experience, documented with tax records and employment verification letters.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Journeyman qualifications without a journeyman license

The statute also admits an applicant who does not hold a journeyman license but has met the journeyman qualifications (8,000 apprentice hours over 4 years, a mechanical engineering degree plus 2 years, or experience the Board deems equivalent) and has worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years.

  • Meets the journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter qualifications of D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(b)
  • You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee, paid with the online application (non-refundable).
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington DC Master Plumber exam administered by PSI: 100 multiple-choice questions, 4 hours, open book.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($52). Per attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling, as listed in PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Master plumber license fee, for a term of up to 2 years.

Published fees on this path total $237, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years and a $155 renewal fee.

All plumber and gasfitter licenses expire on March 31 of even-numbered years regardless of when they were issued, so a first license can run less than 2 years. Renew online through the DLCP portal before the expiration date; a late renewal adds a $50 fee. A master designated to a plumbing contractor must submit a $5,000 bond with the renewal. The Board's renewal notice does not list a continuing education requirement.

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
  • Exam fee · $52

Sources for this section

  1. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 - Plumbers or gasfitters: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  4. DC Board of Industrial Trades - 2026 Plumber License Renewal Notice · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. DC Board of Industrial Trades - Plumbing and Gas Fitting Bond (for Contractors or Designated Masters) · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. DLCP Board of Industrial Trades - Plumbing/Gasfitting Application Instructions · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. DC Board of Industrial Trades - Test First Examination Process Notice · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Washington D.C. Contractor/Trades Examinations · PSI Services LLC for the District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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