Washington to District of Columbia: master plumber license reciprocity
Washington does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is District of Columbia's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master plumber from a state other than Maryland
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
The Board of Industrial Trades publishes a plumber-specific reciprocity bulletin only for Maryland. A master plumber from any other state applies through the DLCP online portal as a new applicant with a passport-style photo, government ID, certificate of completion and/or employment verification letter, and the $65 application fee, must document a valid journeyman plumber or gasfitter license (or the journeyman subsection (b) experience) plus at least 4 years of work as a journeyman plumber or gasfitter, schedules the master exam with PSI, and pays the $120 license fee. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b) directs boards to waive the exam for an applicant licensed in good standing in a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits DC licensees in a like manner, and § 47-2853.08(2) lets the Board find another state's standards substantially equivalent and license by reciprocity or endorsement; an applicant may ask the Board to apply those provisions, but the board page describes no such process beyond the Maryland plumbing bulletin. The national-certificate substitute in § 47-2853.122(b-1) is written for the journeyman designation only. No District-law exam is published for master plumbers. A master who will serve as the designated master for a plumbing contractor must also satisfy the contractor bond requirement, which is a separate license.
PSI exam fee is referred to 17 DCMR § 3500.3 and was not stated on the board page. Whether journeyman years worked under an out-of-state license count toward the 4-year journeyman requirement, the plumbing-and-gasfitting contractor bond amount, and 17 DCMR plumbing chapter text were not confirmed.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Valid license as a journeyman plumber or gasfitter, or has met the journeyman requirements of D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(b)
- Worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years (D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c))
What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable under D.C. Code § 47-2853.10), paid online with the DLCP application.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. DC Master Plumber/Gasfitter examination administered by PSI (schedule at psiexams.com or 855-557-0616 after Board processing).
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, amount set by 17 DCMR § 3500.3 (not stated on the Board page).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Master (all types) license fee, up to 2 years; plumber and gasfitter licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years (renewal $155).
- 5Other. Certificate of completion and/or employment verification letter, 2x2 passport-style photo, and government-issued ID, uploaded with the online application.
- 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Separate Plumbing Contractor license ($120 initial / $180 renewal) naming a designated DC-licensed master, with a Plumbing and Gasfitting Bond; not required to hold the person-held master license.
Published fees on this path total $185, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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
How District of Columbia licenses master plumbers
District of Columbia master plumber · “Master Plumber/Gasfitter”
Statewide license
Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)
The District's highest person-held plumbing credential is the Master Plumber/Gasfitter license issued by the Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP); a Master Gasfitter specialty also exists. A Plumbing Contractor license is a separate business credential that must name a designated DC-licensed master and post a plumbing and gasfitting bond. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.122(c) a master applicant must hold a valid journeyman plumber or gasfitter license, or have met the journeyman subsection (b) requirements, and have worked as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter for at least 4 years, then pass the PSI-administered master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $120 master license fee for a term of up to 2 years ($155 on renewal); licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes a Maryland plumbing-professionals reciprocity bulletin; no Virginia plumber reciprocity is named on the board page.
Why Washington has nothing to transfer
Washington master plumber
No individual license at this level
Issued by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Plumber Certification Program
Washington has no master plumber license. WAC 296-400A-010 lists every certificate the state issues (journey level PL01, residential PL02, residential service PL04, pump and irrigation PL03, domestic well PL03A, backflow PL30, and trainee), and the Journey Level Plumber certificate is the highest credential an individual can hold; the only add-on is the Medical Gas Piping Installer endorsement (MG01), which is a specialty, not a supervisory tier. Since July 1, 2021 a business that advertises, bids or performs plumbing work must hold a Plumbing Contractor license under RCW 18.106.400, but that is a business registration rather than a person-held trade license: the firm registers with the Department of Revenue, files a $6,000 surety bond, carries $250,000 combined (or $200,000/$50,000) liability insurance, pays a $148.10 license fee plus $53.20 to designate a Washington-certified plumber who works for the firm full time, and renews every two years; no exam is taken by the owner. An out-of-state master plumber therefore has nothing to transfer to at this level. To work as a plumber they obtain the journey level (PL01) certificate through the journeyman path (Idaho reciprocity or license review plus the Washington exam), and to contract they form a business and license it as a plumbing contractor with themselves or an employee as the designated certified plumber.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the District of Columbia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Washington?
- Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a District of Columbia master plumber license from Washington?
- Published fees on this path total $185, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Washington work hours count in District of Columbia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from District of Columbia to Washington?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from District of Columbia to Washington, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 - Powers of the boards (reciprocity and endorsement) · D.C. Code § 47-2853.08(2) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.121 - Scope of practice for plumbers or gasfitters · D.C. Code § 47-2853.121 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 - Plumbers or gasfitters: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.122 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades (plumbers/gasfitters: apply, exams, fees, reciprocity notices) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DC DLCP - Plumbing/Gasfitting license application instructions (linked from Board of Industrial Trades) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.