LicensebyState

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

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

New Mexico master plumber · “MM-1 Plumbing contractor qualifying party (certificate of qualification); MM-98 Mechanical covers MM-1 through MM-4”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID), Mechanical Bureau; applications and exams processed by PSI

New Mexico has no 'master plumber' title. The credential above journeyman is the MM-1 Plumbing contractor classification (install, alter, repair, service and maintain plumbing, fixtures and piping, hot-water heating up to 30 psi or 400,000 BTU/hour, fuel and solar piping, pools, septic and sewer lines, controls at 24 volts or less; natural gas piping requires MM-2), or the MM-98 Mechanical classification that bundles MM-1 through MM-4 and four mechanical specialties. CID issues the contractor's license to the business and a personal, non-transferable certificate of qualification to the qualifying party, the individual who documented four years of experience in the classification within the past ten years and passed the MM-1 trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam, so this site maps the MM-1 qualifying party to the master level. Even with an MM-1 license, hands-on plumbing must be done by or under a certified JP journeyman. CID publishes reciprocity only for EE-98J electrical journeymen; no reciprocity, endorsement or exam waiver is published for plumbing qualifying parties or contractors, although NMSA 60-13-14(C) allows the division to enter into reciprocal agreements with states having equivalent requirements.

Every origin state

Experience credit 38No credit 12
Every state's path into New Mexico
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
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-16
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 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 New Mexico from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 11 sources

MM-1 Plumbing qualifying party certificate by examination

New Mexico has no master plumber license; its top plumbing credential is the MM-1 Plumbing qualifying party (QP) certificate, held by the individual who qualifies a contractor's license, and it is earned by examination without first holding the JP journeyman certificate. An applicant at least 18 years old documents four years (8,000 hours) of MM-1 plumbing experience within the ten years before applying, on a notarized QP application with notarized work experience affidavits, and pays $36 to PSI. Once approved, the applicant passes the MM-1 Plumbing exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam, both open book with 75% required (an approved Business and Law course may replace that exam). The certificate is used to qualify a contractor's license, which the business, or the QP as a sole proprietor, obtains with a $10,000 code bond, New Mexico tax registration, workers' compensation coverage and the license fees.

The MM-1 exam has 100 questions in 250 minutes covering drainage, waste and vents, water supply, backflow prevention, storm drainage, fixtures and water heaters, general regulations, interceptors and traps, isometric analysis, and septic and sewer; allowed references include the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, the 2015 New Mexico Plumbing Code (14.8.2 NMAC), the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code and the New Mexico Liquid Waste Disposal Regulations. Business and Law has 50 questions in 130 minutes. The trade exam and Business and Law must both be passed within one year, and all requirements must be met within six months of approval. Experience counts only if it was gained with a contractor licensed in the trade or was legal work where it was performed. MM-1 does not cover natural gas piping or gas appliances, which need the MM-2 Natural Gas Fitting classification (also four years and its own exam); the MM-98 Mechanical license covers MM-1 through MM-4 and costs $300 per three-year term. The NASCLA exam waiver is limited to general building and electrical classifications, so it does not apply to MM-1. Even under an MM-1 license, hands-on plumbing must be done by or under a certified JP journeyman. A QP certificate is cancelled if it goes two consecutive years without qualifying a license.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
75%
Renewal
Every 3 years

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Four years of practical or related trade experience in MM-1 plumbing work within the ten years immediately before application (NMSA 60-13-14(B)(8); 14.6.3.8(G) and 14.6.6.11(B)(1) NMAC). Holding a JP journeyman certificate is not required.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Other ways to qualify

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

Accredited technical training plus experience

Technical training from an accredited college, university, technical-vocational institute, manufacturer's program or apprenticeship program counts at half a year of experience per year of training, up to half of the four-year requirement, so at least 4,000 hours must be work experience.

  • Accredited technical training or apprenticeship in the plumbing trade, credited at half a year of experience per year of training, up to half of the four-year requirement
  • You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.MM-1 plumbing work within the ten years before application.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Qualifying party application fee paid to PSI with the notarized application and work experience affidavits.
  2. 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($6). Qualifying party certificate fee for the MM-1 classification.
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. MM-1 Plumbing exam by PSI: 100 questions, 250 minutes, open book, 75% to pass.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the MM-1 exam, first attempt or retake.
  5. 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Contractor's Business and Law exam (50 questions, open book, 75% to pass), or a commission-approved Business and Law course instead.
  6. 6Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
  7. 7Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license ($30). MM-1 contractor's license application fee, non-refundable, plus a $6 certificate fee.
  8. 8License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). MM-1 contractor's license fee for the three-year license term; MM-98 is $300 (PSI fee schedule).
  9. 9Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($10,000). $10,000 contractor license code bond from a corporate surety authorized in New Mexico, covering the full license term.
  10. 10Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required of all licensees; a sole proprietor with no employees may be exempt.
  11. 11Business license. Obtain a business license. New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department registration certificate issued within the last 12 months, and Secretary of State registration for a corporation, LLC or partnership, in the exact name on the license application.

Published fees on this path total $323.76, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years and a $150 renewal fee.

CID's continuing education rule applies to journeyman certificates, and the contractor license renewal instructions list no continuing education. A qualifying party who also holds a JP or JPG certificate owes 16 hours per cycle to renew that certificate.

The qualifying party certificate has no renewal of its own: it stays valid while it qualifies an active license and is cancelled if it goes two consecutive years without qualifying one. The MM-1 contractor's license is renewed every three years with the renewal fee and a new bond or continuation certificate; late fees are $1 per day for the first 30 days and one year's fee for 30 to 90 days, and the license is cancelled after 90 days.

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 · $68.88
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $68.88

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $10,000

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license

Sources for this section

  1. Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 (RLD compilation as of July 1, 2021) · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-3, 60-13-14, 60-13-14.1, 60-13-23, 60-13-49 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  2. 14.6.3 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Contractor's License Requirements · 14.6.3.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 14.6.4 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Journeyman Certification · 14.6.4.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 14.6.6 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Classifications and Scopes of Work · 14.6.6.8 and 14.6.6.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. NM CID - How to Obtain a Contractor License and Contractor License Application (updated October 2023) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. State of New Mexico Contractor (Qualifying Party) Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  7. NM CID / PSI - How to Renew a Contractor License (June 2025) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. New Mexico Licensing Fees (CID contractor, qualifying party and journeyman fee schedule) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  9. NM CID Qualifying Party Certificate Application and Instructions (instructions updated May 2025, form updated August 2025) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  10. NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  11. NM Regulation and Licensing Department - CID Continuing Education · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026

Related