Washington to Wisconsin: master plumber license reciprocity
Washington does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Wisconsin'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 (no reciprocity; exam required, journeyman experience credited toward eligibility)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
DSPS publishes no plumbing reciprocity partners and no exam waiver for out-of-state master plumbers, so a master licensed in another state applies through LicensE under the comity (out-of-state) method and must pass the Wisconsin two-part master plumber examination (open book, 70% on each part to pass). DSPS lists two comity routes to that exam. The first is a five-year out-of-state plumbing apprenticeship with at least 576 hours of related instruction plus at least 1,000 hours per year for three years as a licensed journeyman plumber. The second is a current plumbing license and at least 8 years of plumbing experience, including 1,000 hours per year for at least three years under the laws of another state or a city, town or village, documented with a state license verification and the Trades Experience Form (Form 8168). Wisconsin has no separate law or business exam for individual plumbers.
A graduate of an accredited engineering program in civil or mechanical engineering, or another approved plumbing-related engineering curriculum, may also take the exam (SPS 305.91). Restricted master is a separate DSPS credential. The license is issued for four years and costs $500; the initial fee is prorated when the first term is shorter.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 1,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 1,000 hours of plumbing work per year (DSPS comity route).
- You must have held your Washington license for at least 3 years.Those 1,000 hours per year for at least 3 years as a licensed journeyman plumber. Alternatively, 8 years of plumbing experience including 1,000 hours per year for 3 years under another jurisdiction's license, or an approved engineering degree (DSPS application methods; SPS 305.91).
What you'll do to get licensed in Wisconsin
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($20). Master Plumber application fee (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02, Table 305.02), paid in LicensE when you apply; nonrefundable.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($30). Master Plumber examination fee (Table 305.02), paid again in LicensE for each retake. Candidates who choose a Pearson test center are billed $95 per part by Pearson..
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Master Plumber examination: two parts, open book on Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305 and the SPS 381-387 plumbing code with nine permitted references; 70% on each part to pass; given at DSPS or Pearson locations.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($500). Master Plumber license fee (Table 305.02) for a four-year license, paid after you pass.
- 5Other. Apprenticeship certificate or Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards equivalency letter, or a state license verification or copy of the current license, plus the Trades Experience Form (Form 8168), submitted with the LicensE application.
Published fees on this path total $550, 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 · $30
- Trade exam
How Wisconsin licenses master plumbers
Wisconsin master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
Wisconsin issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through DSPS under Wis. Stat. ch. 145; no person may work at plumbing without a DSPS license (Wis. Stat. 145.06), and under SPS 305.91 a master plumber responsible for an installation must use appropriately credentialed persons to do the work. A new applicant applies in the LicensE portal with the Trades Experience Form (Form 8168) or an engineering degree, is made eligible to test, and must pass the DSPS master plumber examination, a two-part, open-book exam (70% on each part to pass) on Wis. Stat. ch. 145, SPS 305 and the SPS 381-387 plumbing code. DSPS's plumber pages name no reciprocity states.
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 Wisconsin master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Washington?
- Yes. Wisconsin requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Washington license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Wisconsin master plumber license from Washington?
- Published fees on this path total $550, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Washington work hours count in Wisconsin?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Wisconsin's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Wisconsin to Washington?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Wisconsin to Washington, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber: Licensure by Examination · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber: Other Application Methods (comity) · Wis. Stat. 145.09; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber (profession page) · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Exam and Continuing Education Information (exam fee schedule) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Wis. Stat. ch. 145 - Plumbing (145.07 examinations; 145.08 fees and 4-year terms; 145.09 state comity) · Wis. Stat. 145.06; 145.07; 145.08; 145.09 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Wis. Stat. 145.06 - Licenses and registration (plumbing) · Wis. Stat. 145.06 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.