Washington to North Carolina: master plumber license reciprocity
Washington does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is North Carolina'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 or plumbing contractor without a waiver (all other states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
The Board's Applicant Information page states there are no license reciprocity agreements with any other state and that every applicant must meet North Carolina experience requirements and complete the applicable examinations, except the South Carolina technical-exam waiver and Neighbor State License Recognition for NC residents. G.S. 87-21(g) lets the Board license out-of-state plumbing contractors without written examination after finding qualifications substantially equivalent, but the Board has not published partner states other than the SC technical waiver. An inbound master plumber or plumbing contractor from any other state therefore applies to sit the examination: 4,000 hours of on-site installation, maintenance, service or repair of plumbing systems (up to 2,000 hours academic or technical training), which may have been earned in any state. After approval (currently about six weeks) the candidate takes the technical portion and the North Carolina business and law portion, then files the License Activation Form and fee within 45 days of passing. City or county journeyman or master cards are not a substitute for a state plumbing-contractor license.
PSI is named in the HVAC extract as the scheduler; the Applicant Information page says only 'exam provider' and lists seven NC testing centers. Separate application per classification. Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor is a different exam (1,500 hours) and is not this path.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 42 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Two years on-site full-time plumbing installation, maintenance, service or repair related to the class sought; up to 2,000 hours (45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) may be academic or technical training directly related to plumbing. Out-of-state hours are accepted.
What you'll do to get licensed in North Carolina
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. North Carolina Plumbing Contractor technical examination (Class I or Class II) administered by the Board's exam provider after application approval; must be taken within 90 days of eligibility. Open-book references are listed on the Board's Book Reference List..
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. North Carolina Business and Law examination required of contractor applicants (G.S. 87-21(b)(6)). Waived only under the Neighbor State Act for qualifying NC residents, not on the default path..
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Fee, eligibility details, and processing steps are not published in a form we can list here. Please see the sources on this page to find out more..
- 5Background check. Complete a background check. Nationwide criminal background report ordered by the applicant from the Board's approved provider (HVAC extract of PHFP-1: Disahealthcare/CastleBranch package ST46); applicant pays the vendor.
- 6Other. Notarized experience verification (Form 1-C Applicant Employment History with W-2s/1099s when experience was not earned under an NC licensee), Form SSA-89 Social Security Number verification, and the current NC State Building Code / Laws & Rules / business-management books listed on the Book Reference List.
Published fees on this path total $300, 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.
- Exam fee · $150
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
How North Carolina licenses master plumbers
North Carolina master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor (Class I or Class II)”
Statewide license
Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
North Carolina has no license titled master plumber. Its highest plumbing credential is the person-held Plumbing Contractor license issued by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors under G.S. The individual who passes the two-part examination (technical plus business and law) is the licensee, may list the license in a firm name, and pays an annual license fee after activation. A first-time applicant needs 4,000 hours of on-site plumbing experience (up to half academic or technical training), and out-of-state hours are accepted. The Board states it has no license reciprocity with any state; the only technical-exam waiver is with South Carolina (NC business-law exam still required). North Carolina residents licensed in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia may seek licensure without examination under the Neighbor State License Recognition Act (G.S. 93B-15.3). Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor (1,500 hours, 2-inch and smaller exterior water/sewer/irrigation backflow) is a narrower contracting class, not a master equivalent.
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 North Carolina master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Washington?
- Yes. North Carolina requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a North Carolina master plumber license from Washington?
- Published fees on this path total $300, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Washington work hours count in North Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 42 days.
- Does it work the other way, from North Carolina to Washington?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Carolina to Washington, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- N.C.G.S. 87-21 - Definitions; contractors licensed by Board; examination; posting license · N.C.G.S. 87-21(a), (b), (g) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 - Licensure recognition for individuals licensed in neighboring states · N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 (S.L. 2025-61) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors - Applicant Information · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Application Packet for Persons Applying for Plumbing, Heating or Fuel Piping Contractor License (Form PHFP-1, 2026-06) · G.S. 87-21(g) · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Exam Information 2026 - exam durations · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- License Definitions - Contractor (2026-06) · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.