Washington to Maine: master plumber license reciprocity
Washington does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Maine'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.
Licensure by endorsement (32 M.R.S. §3501-C); examination if origin requirements are not substantially equivalent
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
There is no Maine-published list of master-plumber reciprocity agreements. The inbound default is licensure by endorsement under 32 M.R.S. §3501-C and 10 M.R.S. §8003-H: hold a substantially equivalent master-level license in another U.S. jurisdiction, be in good standing everywhere licensed, and pay the fee. Chapter 49 does not require a Maine trade or jurisprudence exam on that path. If the origin license is not substantially equivalent, or if the board has not yet implemented endorsement for the master grade, the applicant uses §3501(2-A): application, §3501-B fee, 2,000 hours as a journeyman or 8,000 hours as a trainee under a master (or the equivalent), and a passing grade on the master's examination. Out-of-state master or journeyman hours may be offered as 'the equivalent.' Contracting in Maine still requires a person who holds this master license (or employs one) to supervise any trainee; this file does not separately model a plumbing-contractor registration because chapter 49 licenses individuals.
Same gaps as journeyman: fee amounts, SBI background-check fee, exam vendor/pass mark/sitting fee, existence of a board endorsement rule, any reciprocity partners, CE, timeline. Maine's master experience floor (2,000 hours as a journeyman, or 8,000 as a trainee) is lower than many states' master thresholds, so a bona fide out-of-state master license will often be substantially equivalent on hours even if the board has not published an equivalence chart. examTradeRequired is false for endorsement; the Maine master exam is required on the §3501(2-A) examination route.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Washington license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Origin jurisdiction's master requirements must be substantially equivalent to Maine's (10 M.R.S. §8003-H). Maine's own exam pathway is 2,000 hours as a journeyman plumber or 8,000 hours as a trainee under a master, or the equivalent, plus a passing grade on the master's examination (32 M.R.S. §3501(2-A)).
- You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Statutory exam-route minimum as a journeyman plumber (one year / 2,000 hours), or alternatively 8,000 hours as a trainee plumber under a master, or the equivalent. Endorsement applicants meet this only insofar as the origin pathway is substantially equivalent.
What you'll do to get licensed in Maine
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee. Fee set under 32 M.R.S. §3501-B (and OPOR 02-041 CMR ch. 10). Statute opened: fees by rule, not to exceed $350 biennially..
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Master Plumber license fee under 32 M.R.S. §3501-B..
- 3Other. Sworn application on a form prescribed by the board, with proof of the valid, active out-of-state master license (license verification from the issuing board).
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Board-approved master plumber examination with a passing grade determined by the board (32 M.R.S. §3501(1-A), (2-A)) — required only if endorsement under §3501-C is not available..
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 · if applicable
How Maine licenses master plumbers
Maine master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
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. Board applications, fees, exam bulletin and CE rules were not reachable (PFR 404).
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 Maine master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Washington?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- Do my Washington work hours count in Maine?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maine's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Maine to Washington?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maine to Washington, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) - expected board home · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR), Department of Professional and Financial Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation - Professions and Boards · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 10 M.R.S. §8003-H - Licensure by endorsement (OPOR general provision) · 10 M.R.S. §8003-H · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 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 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. §3501-B - Fees (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3501-B · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. §3501-C - Licensure by endorsement (Plumbers' Examining Board) · 32 M.R.S. §3501-C; PL 2021, c. 642, §16 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. Chapter 49 - Plumbers (table of contents) · 32 M.R.S. ch. 49 · Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.