Moving to Hawaii as a master plumber: every state's rule
Hawaii has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Hawaii master plumber · “Master Plumber (PM)”
Statewide license
Issued by Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)
Hawaii issues a statewide Master Plumber (PM) license through the Board of Electricians and Plumbers; it is the higher personal plumbing credential and, with the Journey Worker Plumber license, is what HAR §16-80-4 requires of anyone who directs, supervises, or performs plumbing work in or within five feet of buildings. Under HRS §448E-5(b)(6) a PM applicant must have been registered with the Board as a journey worker plumber for at least two years or have equivalent experience in the trade, and must pass the PSI-administered Hawaii master plumber exam. HAR §16-80-3 and the Board's application form define equivalent experience as having been licensed as a journey worker or master-level plumber for at least two years in another county, state, or country whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent to Hawaii's, so an out-of-state journeyman or master license can satisfy the two-year prerequisite, but Hawaii does not reciprocate with any jurisdiction and the Hawaii exam is never waived. A contractor's license under HRS ch. 444 is separately required to contract for plumbing work. Licenses renew every three years by June 30 (2027, 2030, 2033) with a 2021 UPC update course for Active status.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| California | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Illinois | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Indiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Louisiana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-16 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-16 |