Wyoming to North Carolina: master plumber license reciprocity
Wyoming 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 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 North Carolina master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- 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 Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $300, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wyoming 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 Wyoming?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Carolina to Wyoming, 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.