Moving to Michigan as a master plumber: every state's rule
Michigan has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Michigan master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Michigan issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under MCL 339.6113; the Plumbing Contractor license (Form BCC-329, $300, MCL 339.6111) is the separate business credential that must be represented by a master plumber, and a master may represent only one contractor at a time. Local plumber licensing is preempted by MCL 339.6125(1). A new master applicant must be at least 18, hold a journey plumber license and have gained 4,000 hours of experience as a journey plumber over at least two years immediately preceding the application with no lapse in licensure, document that experience with notarized employer letters, pay the license fee at application ($300 for a license term of up to three years, prorated outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window), be approved by LARA, and pass the PSI Master Plumber exam (130 questions, 180 minutes, 75% to pass, open book on the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code, available in person or online; $100 fee). The license renews every three years for $300, and renewal requires a board-approved code-update course within 12 months after each state construction code change. Michigan has no reciprocity with any state; an out-of-state master must pass the Michigan exam, with out-of-state experience credited only after State Plumbing Board review.
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 | |
| Hawaii | 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 | |
| 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 |
Getting licensed in Michigan from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Michigan issues a master plumber license to a first-time applicant.
Master Plumber license by examination
A Michigan journey plumber becomes a master plumber by working at least 4,000 hours as a licensed journey plumber over at least the two years immediately before applying, with no lapse in the journey license during those two years, and then passing the PSI Master Plumber exam. You file LARA's plumbing examination application with notarized experience affidavits and the license fee; once LARA approves it, you schedule the open-book exam, which can be taken at a PSI test center or online with a remote proctor. The master license is held by the individual; to contract for plumbing work a business also needs a separate Plumbing Contractor license, which a master plumber must qualify.
The exam has 130 questions in 180 minutes and covers the science and practice of plumbing, the Michigan plumbing code and the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, including a material take-off from a drawing of back-to-back restrooms. You may bring the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code (chapter tabs only); the State Construction Code Act and the Skilled Trades Regulation Act are shown on screen. You must be current on any required code-update course for your journey license to apply. A person may not hold active master and journey licenses at the same time, and a master may qualify only one plumbing contractor at a time. The Plumbing Contractor license has its own application (Form BCC-329), a $300 fee and a 50-question PSI exam; a master who also holds the contractor license pays only the contractor fee. Questions: LARA Licensing Section, 517-241-9316.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 75%
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
Who can apply
- Hold a Michigan Journey Plumber license (or one issued under the former 2002 Michigan Plumbing Act) for at least 2 years first.Held without a lapse for the two years immediately preceding the application (MCL 339.6113(1)(d)).
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Work as a journey plumber over at least the two years immediately preceding the application, documented on notarized Plumbing Experience Affidavits (BCC-3926).
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Master Plumber license fee for a term of up to three years, paid when you apply; prorated by year if the license is issued outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window, and not charged if you also hold the Plumbing Contractor license.
- 2Other. Notarized Plumbing Experience Affidavit (Form BCC-3926) from each employer, showing the supervising master of record, exact dates and hours worked as a journey plumber.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Michigan Master Plumber exam administered by PSI: 130 questions including a material take-off, 180 minutes, open book, 75% to pass; at a PSI test center or online with a remote proctor.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI exam fee, paid to PSI when scheduling after LARA approves the application; non-refundable, valid for one year, and paid again for each attempt.
Published fees on this path total $400, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 3 years and a $300 renewal fee.
No continuing education is due in most years. In the year after Michigan adopts a new plumbing code, you must complete a board-approved code-update course within 12 months of the change; keep proof in case of audit. The course length is not stated on LARA's renewal page.
Renews every three years by April 30; not all master licenses renew in the same year. A master who also holds the Plumbing Contractor license renews both under the contractor license number.
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 · $100
Sources for this section
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-329 - Application for Plumbing Contractor Examination & License (Rev. 7/2026) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Licensing Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-3926 - Work Experience Report / Plumbing Experience Affidavit (1/2025) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes, Licensing Section · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Plumbing Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - Obtaining a Plumbing Master License in the State of Michigan (licensure pathway map); companion Plumbing Journeyperson map at Licensing-Requirements/Plumbing-JP.pdf · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - License/Registration Renewals (Residential Builders section) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 11 - Plumbers (MCL 339.6101 to 339.6133) · MCL 339.6107, 339.6109, 339.6111, 339.6113, 339.6115, 339.6117, 339.6119, 339.6121, 339.6125 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Plumbing Candidate Information Bulletin (Journey Plumber, Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor), effective 4/29/2026 · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · Other · verified September 23, 2026