Wyoming to Kentucky: master plumber license reciprocity
Wyoming does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Kentucky'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 (Kentucky journeyman and master examinations; other-state license credited toward eligibility)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Kentucky does not publish plumbing reciprocity or endorsement that waives the master exam. Under 815 KAR 20:030 Section 2(1)(c), a valid plumbing license issued by another state and held at least two years within the past five years qualifies the applicant to apply as a master; Section 2(1)(d) is the alternative for a state that issues no plumbing license (four consecutive years practicing in a capacity equivalent to a master). Section 2(2)(b) then requires those (c) and (d) applicants to submit proof of successfully completing the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (75% on each portion) in addition to the Kentucky master plumber examination (80% on each portion). The master exam is written questions (plumbing principles, KRS Chapter 318, 815 KAR Chapters 2 and 20) plus a pipe-sizing drawing and is more complex than the journeyman exam; there is no separate business-and-law exam. File Form PLB-3 ($150 exam fee, passport photo) and Form PLB-1 ($250 license fee, prorated 7–18 months to the birth month). Passing scores last three years. At renewal the master pays $250, completes six CE hours, and files proof of insurance as required by KRS 318.030.
Section 2(1)(c) says 'plumbing license issued by another state,' so city/county origin licenses do not satisfy the two-year other-state-license path; the four-year path is only for states that do not issue a plumbing license. DHBC does not publish a plumbing partner list in 815 KAR 20:030; HVAC and electrical KY files record Ohio (and for electrical also WV/VA) reciprocity on those trades' checklists — those lists were not confirmed for plumbing and are not entered as agreements. Whether DHBC will accept a previously passed out-of-state journeyman exam in place of Kentucky's journeyman exam under Section 2(2)(b) is not stated; the regulation requires 'the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination.'
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 90 days
What you must already have
- Your Wyoming license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Wyoming license for at least 2 years.Other-state plumbing license must have been held at least two years within the past five years (Section 2(1)(c)). The unlicensed-state path is four consecutive years immediately preceding application (Section 2(1)(d)).
What you'll do to get licensed in Kentucky
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($250). Master plumber license fee (Form PLB-1), $250; initial license prorated for not less than seven nor more than eighteen months and expires on the last day of the applicant's birth month; payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Kentucky master plumber examination (department-administered; written and drawing portions, more complex than journeyman; 80% required on each portion; regular sittings February, May, August, November). Out-of-state applicants under Section 2(1)(c) or (d) must also pass the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (75% each portion, including practical)..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). Non-refundable master examination fee with Form PLB-3; the Kentucky journeyman exam, if still required under Section 2(2)(b), is a separate $50 PLB-3 fee.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. 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..
- 5Other. Passport-sized color photograph taken within six months (Form PLB-3).
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of approved plumbing CE in the twelve months before each renewal (815 KAR 2:010); waived for the first renewal if the initial license issued within twelve months of renewal; no more than two hours safety.
Published fees on this path total $400, 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 · $150
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Kentucky licenses master plumbers
Kentucky master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Division of Plumbing
Kentucky issues a statewide Master Plumber license through DHBC's Division of Plumbing under KRS Chapter 318 and 815 KAR 20:030. In-state applicants typically hold a Kentucky journeyman plumber license for at least two of the past five years and work under a licensed master for at least two years; Kentucky professional engineers with sufficient mechanical-engineering experience may also qualify. An applicant who holds a valid plumbing license issued by another state for at least two of the past five years, or who practiced as the equivalent of a master for four consecutive years in a state that does not license plumbers, may sit for Kentucky's exams but must still pass both the Kentucky journeyman examination (75% each portion) and the Kentucky master examination (80% each portion). The master exam is written plus drawing (more complex than the journeyman exam); the exam fee is $150 (Form PLB-3) and the license fee is $250 (Form PLB-1), prorated 7–18 months to the birth month. Masters renew annually at $250 with six CE hours and proof of insurance required by KRS 318.030. 815 KAR 20:030 names no partner states and does not waive the Kentucky exams.
Why Wyoming has nothing to transfer
Wyoming master plumber
Licensed by cities and counties
Wyoming issues no master plumber or plumbing contractor license; the State Fire Marshal's electrical program is the only statewide trade licensing and it has no plumbing component. The master credential exists only in city ordinances: Cheyenne's Master (8,000 apprentice hours plus 6,000 journeyman hours and an ICC/NICET/NASCLA exam), Casper's Master Plumber (apprenticeship or four years plus five years as a journeyman or master, ICC G27-N), Laramie's master plumbing certificate of qualification (three years beyond journeyman, city exam), Gillette's Master Plumber (five years plus the ICC exam), Sheridan's Master Plumber (2018 ICC G27 with Gas) and Jackson's Master Certificate of Qualification (ICC G-series National Standard exam plus time in service). In every one of these cities a plumbing contractor must be or employ a master of record, and the contractor license is a separate business license with fees from $150 to $300 plus insurance or bond. No city accepts an out-of-state master license: Casper, Gillette and Jackson reciprocate only with other Wyoming jurisdictions, Sheridan refuses all outside licenses, Cheyenne's Board has undefined discretion, and Laramie may waive its exam for an equivalent certificate from any governmental agency. Rock Springs registers contractors for $125 with proof of insurance and tests nobody.
How local licensing works in Wyoming
How local licensing works. There is no state plumbing board; each city's ordinance defines its own master-level license and the plumbing contractor license it qualifies. The reciprocity statute the cities cite reaches only other Wyoming jurisdictions, and no city publishes a route that honours another state's master plumber or plumbing contractor license.
Cheyenne. A Master level craft employee license (12.1.8) requires 4 years/8,000 hours documented as an apprentice (or certified equivalent training) plus 3 years/6,000 hours documented as a journeyman and passing results on a current ICC, NICET or NASCLA exam from the Board's list. Fees are $50 application plus $50 initial and $25 renewal. A Plumbing (C1) contractor - covering plumbing and pipe-fitting systems other than fire sprinklers - may be licensed only if it always employs a full-time master or qualified supervisor of that class, who may represent only one contractor (13.0); the C1 tested contractor license costs $50 application plus $200 initial and $75 renewal. Reciprocity is at the Board's discretion (3.3.2/3.5.1) with no published partner list and a statute limiting it to Wyoming jurisdictions.
Casper. Master Plumber ($75 new, $37.50 renewal) requires a federally recognized plumbing apprenticeship or four years in a Casper-licensed plumbing shop plus five years as a journeyman or master plumber in a Casper-licensed shop, and proof of passing ICC G27-N or equivalent. A Plumbing Contractor license ($300/$150) covers any plumbing work including steam and water boilers, must be backed by a full-time licensed master plumber, and requires $250,000/$500,000/$250,000 liability insurance. Reciprocal Master/Journeyman licenses ($50/$25) are limited to holders of a current license from another Wyoming jurisdiction with comparable testing.
Laramie. A master plumbing certificate of qualification requires three years as a journeyman (Table 15.24.020-1) and the building official's examination ($5 per attempt), or is issued without exam on presentation of a certificate from another governmental agency whose exam the board of examiners finds at least equal. All plumbing contractor work must be performed by or under the supervision of a master plumbing certificate holder, who must be available to the building official within 24 hours. The Plumbing Contractor license costs $300 new and $35 renewal and requires a business location and telephone, a $500,000 combined single limit insurance certificate naming the City and a Wyoming Workers' Compensation certificate of good standing; licenses and certificates run January 1 - December 31.
Gillette. Master Plumber ($50 new, $50 renewal) requires five years of approved experience and passing ICC examination results. A Class D Plumbing Contractor ($150/$50) works under the 2024 IPC, may not do gas pipefitting on its plumbing license, and must designate a Master of Record - a full-time employee or owner licensed as a Master Plumber, able to reach any job site within 48 hours and replaced within 60 days if they leave. Reciprocity (5-III-1(d)) is limited to active, good-standing licenses from other Wyoming local governments, with testing waived on proof of the ICC plumbing or contractor exam and no fee charged.
Sheridan. Master Plumber ($50 new, $50 annual) acts as Master of Record for a plumbing company, must show they meet the Plumbing Contractor requirements (2018 ICC G27 exam, four-year journeyman plumber verification on Form JP, two-year project verification on Form A) and pass the 2018 ICC G27 Master Plumber with Gas exam. The Plumbing Contractor license ($200 new, $200 annual) also needs a $1,000,000 liability insurance certificate and a $10,000 license and permit bond, and every plumbing business must hold both a contractor license and a Master of Record. The City does not accept licenses from other cities, towns, counties or states.
Jackson. The Master Certificate of Qualification card is the prerequisite for a Plumbing Contractor license and is the only individual card the Town still issues. It is obtained by passing the ICC National Standard trades exam through Pearson VUE (only G-series tests based on the 2018 I-Codes are accepted) and meeting the time-in-service requirement in JMC 15.36.050, or by reciprocity for someone 'currently licensed and in good standing in a Wyoming jurisdiction that meets our licensing requirements'. Applications go through the SmartGov portal with a 30-day processing window; the contractor license then requires the bond and insurance in JMC 15.36.035 and renews every December 31, while the Master COQ card renews triennially with six hours of ICC-accredited continuing education. Licensing covers only work inside Town limits.
Rock Springs. Contractors register with the Building Inspection Office ($125 fee and a certificate of insurance naming the City) before working; no master license or exam exists.
- Cheyenne (Contractor Licensing Board / Building Safety Department)
- Casper (Community Development Department)
- Laramie (Code Administration)
- Gillette (Building Inspection Division / Board of Examiners)
- Sheridan (Building Division)
- Jackson (Planning & Building Department)
- Rock Springs (Building Inspection Office)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Kentucky master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- Yes. Kentucky requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Wyoming license?
- At least 2 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Kentucky master plumber license from Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $400, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wyoming work hours count in Kentucky?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Kentucky's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 90 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Kentucky to Wyoming?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Kentucky to Wyoming, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) - home · Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DHBC Division of Plumbing forms incorporated in 815 KAR 20:030 (PLB-1, PLB-2, PLB-3, DHBC L-1) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR 2:010 - Continuing education requirements (master and journeyman plumbers) · 815 KAR 2:010 Sections 1-2; KRS 318.054 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR 20:030 - Plumbing licenses (application, examination, and renewal) · 815 KAR 20:030 Sections 1-6 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- 815 KAR Chapter 20 - Plumbing (Kentucky State Plumbing Code chapter index) · 815 KAR Chapter 20 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- KRS Chapter 318 - Plumbers and Plumbing · KRS 318.010, 318.020, 318.030, 318.040, 318.050, 318.054, 318.080, 318.130 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- KRS 318.030 - Insurance required of master plumbers (cited by 815 KAR 20:030) · KRS 318.030 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · 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.