LicensebyState

Moving to Kentucky as a master plumber: every state's rule

Kentucky has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Kentucky master plumber · “Master Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Division of Plumbing

Kentucky issues a statewide Master Plumber license through DHBC's Division of Plumbing under KRS Chapter 318 and 815 KAR 20:030. In-state applicants typically hold a Kentucky journeyman plumber license for at least two of the past five years and work under a licensed master for at least two years; Kentucky professional engineers with sufficient mechanical-engineering experience may also qualify. An applicant who holds a valid plumbing license issued by another state for at least two of the past five years, or who practiced as the equivalent of a master for four consecutive years in a state that does not license plumbers, may sit for Kentucky's exams but must still pass both the Kentucky journeyman examination (75% each portion) and the Kentucky master examination (80% each portion). The master exam is written plus drawing (more complex than the journeyman exam); the exam fee is $150 (Form PLB-3) and the license fee is $250 (Form PLB-1), prorated 7–18 months to the birth month. Masters renew annually at $250 with six CE hours and proof of insurance required by KRS 318.030. 815 KAR 20:030 names no partner states and does not waive the Kentucky exams.

Every origin state

Experience credit 38No credit 12
Every state's path into Kentucky
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-16
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-16
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-16
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-16
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-16
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-16
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-16
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-16
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-16
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-16
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-16
IllinoisExperience credit2026-09-16
IndianaExperience credit2026-09-16
IowaExperience credit2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-16
MaineExperience credit2026-09-16
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-16
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-16
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-16
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-16
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-16
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-16
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
OhioExperience credit2026-09-16
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-16
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-16
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-16
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
TexasExperience credit2026-09-16
UtahExperience credit2026-09-16
VermontExperience credit2026-09-16
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in Kentucky from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 11 sources

Master Plumber license by examination

A Kentucky journeyman plumber becomes a master by holding the journeyman license for at least two of the past five years, working at least two years in plumbing under the supervision of a licensed master plumber, and passing the Kentucky master plumber examination with at least 80 percent on each portion. The Division of Plumbing gives the master exam at the same quarterly sittings as the journeyman exam; it has a written section and a pipe-sizing drawing, no practical section, and is more complex than the journeyman exam. Register on Form PLB-3 with the $150 exam fee, then file Form PLB-1 with the license fee after you pass. Before an active master license is issued, proof of general liability insurance of at least $250,000 and of compliance with Kentucky's workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws must be on file.

The master license is issued to a person, not a business. Under KRS 318.110 a company may do plumbing work anywhere in Kentucky if a licensed master plumber is in responsible charge of its plumbing work, and that master must notify the department on joining or leaving the company. The written section covers plumbing principles, KRS Chapter 318 and 815 KAR Chapters 2 and 20; you have up to 2½ hours, with check-in at 7:30 a.m. The insurance duty falls on the person or business doing the plumbing, and an employee of a plumbing business is exempt from carrying it personally; ask the Division of Plumbing (502-573-0397) what proof to file if the policy is your employer's. The application asks about felony and misdemeanor convictions, and a conviction may prevent licensure.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Kentucky Division of Plumbing (DHBC)
Passing score
80%
Renewal
Every year
Continuing education
6 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Kentucky Journeyman Plumber license for at least 2 years first.Held for at least two years within the five years immediately before you apply (815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(1)(a)).
  • You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Other ways to qualify

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

Kentucky-licensed engineer with mechanical engineering experience

A person who holds an engineer license in Kentucky may qualify without the journeyman license if the department finds enough mechanical engineering experience, based on the number and complexity of past mechanical engineering projects. List that experience on a separate sheet with Form PLB-1. The master exam and fees still apply.

  • Holds an engineer license in Kentucky and has enough mechanical engineering experience, as judged by the department from the number and complexity of past projects
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Plumbing license from another state

An applicant who has held a valid plumbing license issued by another state for at least two of the past five years may qualify for the master exam. This route also requires passing the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination, including its practical section, in addition to the master exam.

  • Holds a valid plumbing license issued by another state, held at least two years within the five years before applying
  • Has passed the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination with at least 75 percent on each portion (815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(2)(b))
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Master-level practice in a state that does not license plumbers

An applicant who practiced plumbing in a capacity equivalent to a master plumber for at least four consecutive years, immediately before applying, in a state that does not issue a plumbing license may qualify for the master exam. This route also requires passing the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination in addition to the master exam.

  • You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Has passed the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination with at least 75 percent on each portion (815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(2)(b))
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). Non-refundable master examination fee paid with Form PLB-3 to the Kentucky State Treasurer; the full fee is due again for a retake.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Kentucky master plumber examination given by the Division of Plumbing: written and pipe-sizing drawing portions, with at least 80 percent required on each.
  3. 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($250). Master Plumber license fee paid with Form PLB-1. The first license runs 7 to 18 months and expires at the end of your birth month, so the prorated amount on the form's chart ranges from $146 to $376.
  4. 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. General liability insurance of at least $250,000 plus proof of compliance with Kentucky workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws, filed before the active master license is issued (KRS 318.030).
  5. 5Other. Passport-sized color photograph taken within the last six months, attached to Form PLB-3.

Published fees on this path total $400, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every year with 6 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $250 renewal fee.

Six hours of approved continuing education in the 12 months before each renewal, on business, job safety, the Kentucky State Plumbing Code or other plumbing subjects; no more than two hours of safety count per year. Not required at the first renewal if the license was issued within 12 months of it. A plumber holding both a master and a journeyman license completes one set of hours.

Licenses expire on the last day of your birth month each year; renew on Form DHBC L-1 with insurance certificates naming the department as certificate holder. A late renewal adds a $5 revival fee, and a license not renewed within 180 days of expiring is canceled.

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 · $150
  • Trade exam

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. Licensing Renewal Application, Form DHBC L-1 (April 2023) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Application for License as a Master Plumber, Form PLB-1 (April 2023) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Plumbing Examination Registration Form, Form PLB-3 (October 2019) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  4. DHBC Division of Plumbing - Plumbing Licensing Examination · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Division of Plumbing - Master & Journeyman Examination Schedule · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. 815 KAR 2:010 - Continuing education requirements (master and journeyman plumbers) · 815 KAR 2:010 Sections 1-2; KRS 318.054 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. 815 KAR 20:030 - Plumbing licenses (application, examination, and renewal) · 815 KAR 20:030 Sections 1-6 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. KRS Chapter 318 - Plumbers and Plumbing · KRS 318.010, 318.020, 318.030, 318.040, 318.050, 318.054, 318.080, 318.130 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. KRS 318.030 - License and general liability insurance required · KRS 318.030 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  10. KRS 318.040 - Qualifications, examinations, reciprocity (plumbers) · KRS 318.040 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  11. KRS 318.054 - License expiration, renewal and revival fees, continuing education · KRS 318.054 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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