LicensebyState

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

Maine has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Maine master plumber · “Master Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation)

Maine issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the same Plumbers' Examining Board. By examination the applicant pays the §3501-B fee and shows either one year / 2,000 hours as a journeyman plumber or four years / 8,000 hours as a trainee plumber under a master (or the equivalent), then obtains a passing grade on the board-approved master's examination (32 M.R.S. §3501(2-A)). A Maine master may supervise trainee plumbers; the trainee license itself is issued without examination to a person employed by a licensed master. Out-of-state masters use the same statutory endorsement process as journeymen (32 M.R.S. §3501-C / 10 M.R.S. §8003-H) when the origin master requirements are substantially equivalent; otherwise they sit the Maine master exam with comparable hours credited. The master license costs $200 for a two-year term, plus a $21 criminal background check fee with the first application.

Every origin state

Endorsement 38No credit 12
Every state's path into Maine
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-23
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-23
CaliforniaEndorsement2026-09-23
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-23
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-23
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-23
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-23
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-23
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-23
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-23
IllinoisEndorsement2026-09-23
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-23
IowaEndorsement2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-23
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-23
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-23
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-23
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-23
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-23
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-23
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-23
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
OhioEndorsement2026-09-23
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-23
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-23
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasEndorsement2026-09-23
UtahEndorsement2026-09-23
VermontEndorsement2026-09-23
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-23
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Maine from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 12 sources

Master Plumber license by examination

A Maine journeyman plumber becomes a master by working at least one year and 2,000 hours in plumbing installations as a licensed journeyman and then passing the master exam. Maine also lets a licensed trainee plumber qualify for the master exam directly after at least four years and 8,000 hours under a master plumber. The board must approve your application before you schedule the closed-book exam with Prov, Inc.; the passing score is 75%. The master license is issued to an individual who engages in the business of installing plumbing, and only a master plumber may obtain a plumbing permit in Maine. There is no separate law or business exam and no separate plumbing contractor license.

Apply online or on the Journeyman & Master Plumber Examination Application, with affidavits from your supervising master plumber showing your dates and hours. Scores from an exam taken before board approval are not recognized. Approval is valid for two years, failed exams may be retaken as often as needed within that window, and you must apply for the license within two years of passing; you can apply 24 hours after you pass. The exam has 100 questions in 3 hours and is taken at a Prov test center or remotely on your own computer. Prov's May 2025 bulletin lists the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code and the Maine plumbing tables as references, while the board adopted the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code in 2022, so check the current bulletin before you study. A master plumber signs the hour affidavits for the trainees, journeymen-in-training and journeymen they supervise.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Prov
Exam format
Closed book
Passing score
75%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
None required

Who can apply

  • Hold a Maine Journeyman Plumber license first.
  • You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over at least one year, documented on an affidavit from the supervising master plumber (32 M.R.S. §3501(2-A)).

Other ways to qualify

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

Four years and 8,000 hours as a licensed trainee plumber

An applicant without a journeyman license may qualify for the master exam with at least four years and 8,000 hours of plumbing installation work as a licensed trainee plumber under the supervision of a master plumber, documented on affidavits.

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over at least four years.

Out-of-state master plumber

An applicant licensed as a master plumber in another jurisdiction may qualify for the master exam with a copy of that license, affidavits showing at least four years and 8,000 hours of plumbing installation work, and evidence of the installation, repair, alteration and maintenance work they have done.

  • Master plumber license issued by another jurisdiction, with evidence of plumbing installation, repair, alteration and maintenance work
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over at least four years.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maine Master Plumber exam administered by Prov: 100 questions in 3 hours, closed book, 75% to pass. Board approval is required before scheduling..
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($65). Prov examination fee, paid when scheduling.
  3. 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Master Plumber license fee for a two-year term, paid with the license application after you pass.
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check ($21). Criminal history records check, paid with the license application.

Published fees on this path total $265, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with no continuing education required and a $200 renewal fee.

Maine's plumbing law and the board's rules require only the renewal application and fee; the board has not adopted continuing education for plumbers.

The license expires two years after it is issued, and online renewal opens 60 days before expiration. Renewal within 90 days after expiration adds a $50 late fee. From 90 days to two years after expiration the board lists the $200 license fee plus a $100 penalty, and after two years you must qualify and pass the exam again as a new applicant.

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 · $65

Sources for this section

  1. 02-041 CMR Chapter 10 - OPOR Establishment of License Fees, section 5(29) Plumbers' Examining Board · 02-041 CMR ch. 10 §5(29) · Maine Secretary of State / Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Plumbers' Examining Board - Examinations (Prov, Inc.) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Plumbers' Examining Board - FAQ - Master Plumbers · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Plumbers' Examining Board - Licensing - Individual Licenses (master, journeyman, trainee, journeyman-in-training) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Plumbers' Examining Board - Journeyman & Master Plumber Examination Application (rev. 02/2020) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Plumbers' Examining Board - Journeyman-in-Training, Journeyman & Master Plumber License Application (rev. 02/2020) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Plumbers' Examining Board - Trainee, Journeyman & Master Plumber License Renewal Application (rev. 02/2020) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. State of Maine OPOR Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, MOPOR-2025.05.14) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation / Prov, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  9. 02-395 CMR - Plumbers' Examining Board rules, all chapters (ch. 3 Licensing Requirements, ch. 4 Installation Standards, ch. 6 Reciprocity) · 02-395 CMR chs. 1-8 · Maine Secretary of State / Plumbers' Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  10. 32 M.R.S. §3501 - Issuance of licenses (journeyman, master, journeyman-in-training, trainee) · 32 M.R.S. §3501 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  11. 32 M.R.S. §3501-A - Examinations (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3501-A · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  12. 32 M.R.S. §3504 - Renewals (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3504 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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