Plumber License from Arizona to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Texas accept an Arizona plumbing license?
There is no Arizona state license to carry to Texas: Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Texas does license this work, so ask the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
The issue on this move is the starting point: Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license — plumbing there is regulated at the contractor level or by cities and counties — so there is no Arizona state license for Texas to verify or endorse. Texas does license plumbers, through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), and it reviews out-of-state plumbers for endorsement, but that route starts from a state license. Ask the board, in writing, whether it credits a local Arizona license, a contractor-level credential or your documented hours; otherwise plan to qualify as a new journeyman applicant. Texas waives its journeyman plumber examination only for plumbers currently licensed in Louisiana or Arkansas, who may qualify for a reciprocal Texas license; every other out-of-state journeyman or master plumber (currently licensed and having held that license at least two years) must apply for an Out-of-State Examination and pass the Texas computer-based (Pearson VUE) written exam plus the practical journeyman exam.
What's different between Arizona and Texas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Texas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arizona to Texas (this page): No state license to transfer.
Texas to Arizona (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Arizona matter?
Coming from Arizona matters here: only 9 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Texas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (39) and reciprocity agreement (2).
- Reciprocity agreements
Texas's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Louisiana and Arkansas), not including Arizona.
- Fee and processing
Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no Arizona state license application fee or processing time to compare with Texas's.
- Exam rules on record
Texas and Arizona carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Texas (this move): Texas waives its journeyman plumber examination only for plumbers currently licensed in Louisiana or Arkansas, who may qualify for a reciprocal Texas license; every other out-of-state journeyman or master plumber (currently licensed and having held that license at least two years) must apply for an Out-of-State Examination and pass the Texas computer-based (Pearson VUE) written exam plus the practical journeyman exam
- Arizona (the reverse move): Not applicable at the journeyman level — Arizona issues no state journeyman (or master) plumber license, so there is no state journeyman trade exam to waive or require. Plumbing is regulated only at the contractor level by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (e.g., C-37 commercial plumbing, plus residential and dual plumbing classifications); individual journeymen and apprentices are not state-licensed and work under a licensed contractor. At the contractor level, A.R.S. § 32-1122 lets the Registrar waive the trade exam for a qualifying party who held an Arizona license in the same classification within five years, and Form RC-L-200G extends a comparable out-of-state trade-exam waiver, but the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE) is never waived.
What changes, Arizona → Texas
| Arizona (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No state journeyman plumber license exists, so there is no journeyman application/license fee. For reference, ROC contractor plumbing fees under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-9-130 are $100 application + $480 biennial for C-37 commercial and $80 application + $270 biennial for the residential plumbing classification (contractor tier, out of scope for the journeyman credential) | $40 ($40 non-refundable out-of-state journeyman examination processing fee to TSBPE ($25 for master); a separate computer-based test fee is payable to Pearson VUE on approval, plus IdentoGO fingerprint costs and the license issuance fee once passed; Louisiana/Arkansas applicants use the Reciprocal License Verification pathway) |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued | 4–6 weeks (TSBPE states typical processing of 30-45 days for straightforward applications; longer with criminal history or unclear immigration status) |
| Licensing authority | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Texas's requirements on the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) whether it credits a local Arizona license or your documented experience: Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to verify.
- Otherwise apply as a new applicant: meet Texas's education/experience requirements and pass the exams it requires.
- Submit the application with fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the Arizona-to-Texas move cost and how long does it take?
$40 ($40 non-refundable out-of-state journeyman examination processing fee to TSBPE ($25 for master); a separate computer-based test fee is payable to Pearson VUE on approval, plus IdentoGO fingerprint costs and the license issuance fee once passed; Louisiana/Arkansas applicants use the Reciprocal License Verification pathway), plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant. Processing: 4–6 weeks (TSBPE states typical processing of 30-45 days for straightforward applications; longer with criminal history or unclear immigration status).
What happens to my Arizona credential after I'm licensed in Texas?
Nothing changes it. Arizona issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so any local or contractor-level Arizona credential you hold runs on its own authority's renewal rules, independently of your Texas license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- TSBPE — Out-of-State Examination Application (LA/AR reciprocity banner; 2-year license; $40 journeyman fee; fingerprints; written + practical exam), Rev. March 2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — License Types (Tradesman, Journeyman, Master Plumber) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — Printable Forms (Reciprocal License Verification, Louisiana and Arkansas only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors — License Classifications (plumbing licensed only at contractor level) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 32-1122 — Qualifications for license; waiver of examination (contractor tier) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California CSLB — Reciprocal Classifications List (confirms AZ C-37/C-37R plumbing recognition operates at the contractor tier, not journeyman) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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