Moving to Louisiana as a master plumber: every state's rule
Louisiana has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: no credit.
Louisiana master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA)
Louisiana licenses Master Plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA). A Master Plumber may perform plumbing work and employ registered apprentices and licensed journeymen; each plumbing company must designate one Responsible Active Master Plumber who keeps the company's insurance on file with the Board under La. R.S. 37:1361 et seq. To sit the master exam an applicant must hold a current Journeyman Plumber license (or a Louisiana professional engineer license) and file a notarized application with $110 ($100 exam + $10 processing). The exam is a three-part open-book written test scored at 70% per part: 80 questions on the 2021 IPC/IRC, a part on Title 51 Public Health-Sanitary Code Part XIII (sewage disposal), and 40 questions on the NASCLA Louisiana Master Plumbers and Master Natural Gasfitters Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management. The initial license is $190 active (associated with a plumbing company that has insurance on file) or $40 inactive; licenses expire December 31 and active masters complete 5 hours of CPE a year (3.5 hours for an inactive master working as a journeyman). The Board states that it 'does not reciprocate Master licenses'; out-of-state masters enter through the journeyman license. Act 908 of the 2026 session transfers plumbing licensing to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors on January 1, 2027; existing licenses carry over, and the Act requires 1,000 hours of verified work as a licensed journeyman before the master license.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Alaska | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Arkansas | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| California | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Colorado | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Connecticut | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Delaware | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| District of Columbia | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Florida | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Georgia | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Idaho | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Illinois | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Indiana | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Iowa | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Kentucky | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Maine | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Maryland | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Massachusetts | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Michigan | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Minnesota | No 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 | No 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 | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New Jersey | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New Mexico | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| North Carolina | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Ohio | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Oklahoma | No 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 | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| South Dakota | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Texas | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Utah | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Vermont | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Virginia | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| West Virginia | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Wisconsin | No credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
Getting licensed in Louisiana from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Louisiana issues a master plumber license to a first-time applicant.
Master Plumber license by examination
A licensed Louisiana journeyman plumber becomes a master by passing the Board's master plumber exam; the Board's current rules set no minimum time as a journeyman. The notarized application is filed at least 30 days before an exam in Baton Rouge or Shreveport with $110. The exam is an open-book written test in three parts, each scored at 70%: 80 questions on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and International Residential Code, 30 questions on the sewage disposal part of the Louisiana sanitary code (Title 51, Part XIII), and 40 questions on the NASCLA Louisiana business, law and project management guide. After passing you choose an active license ($190), which requires your employing company to have insurance on file with the Board, or an inactive license ($40) for working as a journeyman or not working in the trade.
Part I runs 3 hours, and Parts II and III run 2 hours each. Bound reference books are allowed with highlighting and tabs only: the 2021 IPC and IRC, Title 51 Public Health-Sanitary Code Part XIII (December 2022 edition), and the NASCLA Louisiana Master Plumbers and Master Natural Gasfitters Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management, 2nd Edition. A passed part is kept for one year, and the license fee must be paid within 90 days of the results. An active master designates one employing entity, and each company has one designated Responsible Active Master Plumber who keeps its insurance on file. Act 908 of 2026 moves plumbing licensing to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors on January 1, 2027 and requires 1,000 hours of verified work as a licensed journeyman before the master exam; fees and exam details under the new board had not been published. Bidding or contracting plumbing work also requires a plumbing contractor license from that board, for which a master plumber can serve as qualifying party.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every year
- Continuing education
- 5 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- Hold a Current Louisiana Journeyman Plumber license issued by the Board first.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Louisiana professional engineer with five years of plumbing experience
A person holding a current Louisiana professional engineer license may sit the master exam without a journeyman license if they also have five years of experience in the art of plumbing. A copy of the engineer license is attached to the application.
- Current license from the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board as a professional engineer
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Master Plumber exam fee, paid to the Board by check or money order with the notarized application; forfeited for a no-show or a cancellation less than 30 days before the exam, and 50% retained for an earlier withdrawal.
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($10). Processing charge added to the exam fee ($110 total).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Master Plumber exam Parts I and II: 80 questions in 3 hours on the 2021 International Plumbing Code and International Residential Code, and 30 questions in 2 hours on Title 51 Public Health-Sanitary Code Part XIII (sewage disposal); open book, 70% required on each part.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Master Plumber exam Part III: 40 questions in 2 hours on the NASCLA Louisiana Master Plumbers and Master Natural Gasfitters Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management, 2nd Edition; open book, 70% required.
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($190). First active Master Plumber license ($180 plus $10 processing), paid with the Initial Master Plumber License form after passing; an inactive license costs $40 instead.
- 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance. For an active license, the employing company must file proof of workers' compensation, motor vehicle liability and at least $500,000 of general liability insurance with the Board (an exempt employer files a workers' compensation affidavit); not required for an inactive license.
- 7Other. The application asks whether you have been convicted of a felony associated with plumbing; if so, contact the Board at 225-756-3434 before applying.
Published fees on this path total $300, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year with 5 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $190 renewal fee.
5 hours of Board-approved continuing professional education in the prior calendar year for an active master: 1 hour on health, consumer or environmental protection, half an hour on the plumbing law and rules, 2 hours on industry practices and codes, and 1.5 hours on business topics. An inactive master working as a journeyman needs 3.5 hours; an inactive master not working in the trade may file an exemption affidavit.
Licenses expire December 31 each year. Active renewal is $190 ($250 after December 31, $310 after March 31); inactive renewal is $40.
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 · $100
- Trade exam
- Law / code 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
- Act No. 908 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 953, enrolled) - transfer of plumber licensing to the State Licensing Board for Contractors · Louisiana State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- LAC Title 46, Part LV (Plumbers) - November 2024 compilation published by the State Plumbing Board · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- La. R.S. 37:1361 et seq. (State Plumbing Law) - 2024 compilation published by the State Plumbing Board · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- SPBLA home page - 'Open Discussion: Plumbing Licensing Transition' (Act 908 of the 2026 Legislative Session) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana - Licenses (Apprentice, Residential Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, WSPS, Medical Gas, Natural Gas) · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- SPBLA - Master Plumber Exam Application and Candidate Bulletin · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- SPBLA - 2027 Renewal Form and License Fee Schedule · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- SPBLA - Signage and Insurance · State Plumbing Board of Louisiana · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026