Wyoming to West Virginia: master plumber license reciprocity
Wyoming does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is West Virginia'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: licensure without examination under the reciprocity rule and RECAP (no named partners)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
West Virginia publishes no list of master-plumber reciprocity partners. Under 42CSR32 section 14, where another state licenses master plumbers with equivalent requirements, the Commissioner may grant a master license without examination to a plumber from that state who proves compliance with every condition of W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) (a comparable license held at least one year, that state's education and exam requirements met, good standing, no disqualifying criminal record, established West Virginia residency) and pays the $75 license fee. A plumber who worked for at least two years in a state that does not license plumbers may instead qualify on that work experience under W. Va. Code 21-17-4. An applicant who does not qualify must pass the West Virginia master plumber exam, which may not be taken until 12 months after passing the West Virginia journeyman plumber exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c); 42CSR32 section 10.4). A master who wants to contract in West Virginia also needs the separate Contractor Licensing Board plumbing classification when project value meets W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds.
The 12-month wait after the journeyman exam belongs to the West Virginia examination route; it does not affect a master plumber licensed in another state who is granted a license without examination under 42CSR32 section 14. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board lists a West Virginia Master Plumber among credentials it accepts toward an Ohio plumbing contractor license; that is Ohio's rule for inbound contractors, not a West Virginia agreement. Whether a West Virginia contractor license is needed in addition to the master plumber license depends on the Contractor Licensing Act (W. Va. Code 30-42), not on this personal license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
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 1 year.RECAP holding period (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), not the 21-14-2(c) one-year wait after the WV journeyman exam.
- Your Wyoming license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Established West Virginia residency (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)(5), applied through 42CSR32 section 14.1)
- Examination route only (not RECAP): the master plumber written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c))
What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Annual master plumber license fee (42CSR32 section 9.1), paid to the West Virginia Division of Labor.
- 2Other. Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (R.E.C.A.P.) forms, which the Division provides on request by email at [email protected] or by phone at (304) 356-3928 rather than as a download.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). West Virginia master plumber exam through Prov, required only if the Commissioner does not grant the license without examination: 100 questions in 3 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass, and not until 12 months after passing the journeyman plumber exam (W. Va. Code 21-14-2(c); 42CSR32 section 10).
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95) (if applicable). Prov exam fee per attempt when the exam is required, paid to Prov rather than the Division.
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Separate West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board plumbing-contractor classification if contracting (not working as an employee) at or above W. Va. Code 30-42 thresholds; not a substitute for the Division of Labor master plumber license.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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 · if applicable
How West Virginia licenses master plumbers
West Virginia master plumber · “Master plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing Section (Commissioner of Labor)
West Virginia issues a statewide Master plumber license through the Division of Labor under W. Va. Code 21-14. The statute defines a master plumber as a person who has passed a written master examination with a score of at least 70 percent and who is competent to design plumbing systems and to instruct and supervise journeyman plumbers and plumbers in training; the master written examination may not be taken until one year after passage of the journeyman plumber examination. This is a personal license, distinct from a Plumbing contractor license issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board under W. Va. Code 30-42 (the Licensing Section administers that board as well). Since January 1, 2009 plumbing work for others requires a Commissioner of Labor plumber license. Out-of-state master plumbers can apply under the reciprocity section of the Division's plumbing rule (42CSR32 section 14), which ties licensure without examination to the conditions of the Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act (W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a)), including holding a comparable origin license for at least one year. The Division publishes no named plumber partners. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board lists a West Virginia Master Plumber (exam-issued) among credentials that can reciprocate into an Ohio plumbing contractor license; that is Ohio's inbound contractor rule, not a West Virginia master-plumber agreement.
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 honors 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 West Virginia master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Wyoming license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a West Virginia master plumber license from Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wyoming work hours count in West Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to Wyoming?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to Wyoming, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- W. Va. Code Chapter 21, Article 14 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (article index) · W. Va. Code 21-14 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-2 - Definitions (journeyman plumber, master plumber, plumber in training, plumbing) · W. Va. Code 21-14-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-3 - License required; exemptions · W. Va. Code 21-14-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-14-4 - Rule-making authority (classifications, grandfathering, reciprocity provisions, fees) · W. Va. Code 21-14-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: occupational license or other authorization to practice · W. Va. Code 21-17-3(a) · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- W. Va. Code 21-17-4 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures Act: work experience · W. Va. Code 21-17-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov - Candidate Information Bulletin (HVAC Technician, HVAC Residential Technician, Plumbers, Elevator Mechanics) · West Virginia Division of Labor / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section (HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing certifications, Contractor Licensing Board administration) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Fees · West Virginia Division of Labor · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Plumber Certification Forms (application, candidate bulletin, R.E.C.A.P. forms) · West Virginia Division of Labor · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 42CSR32 - Supervision of Plumbing Work (Division of Labor legislative rule, effective May 1, 2023) · W. Va. Code R. 42-32-4, 42-32-6, 42-32-8, 42-32-9, 42-32-10, 42-32-14 · West Virginia Division of Labor · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.