Plumber License from Arkansas to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept an Arkansas plumbing license?
Yes — Louisiana has a reciprocity arrangement covering Arkansas license holders. Apply to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Louisiana's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Arkansas is on Louisiana's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Arkansas license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Louisiana waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Louisiana waives its journeyman plumber examination only for applicants licensed as journeyman plumbers in Arkansas or Texas under the State Plumbing Board's bilateral reciprocity agreements (license held in good standing and obtained by examination); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman exam, though a valid out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted to qualify to sit for it. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Arkansas on Louisiana's list; the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) link is the live truth.
What's different between Arkansas and Louisiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Louisiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arkansas to Louisiana (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Louisiana to Arkansas (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Arkansas matter?
Coming from Arkansas matters here: only 2 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Louisiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (39) and no state license to transfer (9).
- Reciprocity agreements
Louisiana's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Arkansas and Texas), including Arkansas.
Arkansas's reciprocity agreement list names 4 states (Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma), including Louisiana.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $40–$165 for an out-of-state applicant and Arkansas lists $75–$150 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Louisiana and Arkansas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Louisiana (this move): Louisiana waives its journeyman plumber examination only for applicants licensed as journeyman plumbers in Arkansas or Texas under the State Plumbing Board's bilateral reciprocity agreements (license held in good standing and obtained by examination); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman exam, though a valid out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted to qualify to sit for it
- Arkansas (the reverse move): Arkansas waives its journeyman plumber examination for applicants licensed under one of its formal reciprocal agreements — the Department of Health publishes agreements with Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma — who hold a substantially similar license in good standing (Rules Sec. II(j)(iii): examinations shall not be required, and no apprenticeship/education/training may be imposed). An out-of-state journeyman from a state WITHOUT an agreement whose plumbing laws/codes are substantially similar may sit for the Arkansas journeyman exam without redoing an apprenticeship but must pass it. New residents may instead use Act 457 of 2023 automatic occupational licensure (residency + one year in good standing on a substantially-similar license, or 3 years' experience in a non-licensing state), subject to an Arkansas state-law exam the Department may waive.
What changes, Arkansas → Louisiana
| Arkansas (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75–$150 ($75 journeyman application fee + $75 annual journeyman license fee (Ark. State Board of Health plumbing rules, Sec. III). The first scheduled exam is covered by the application fee; retake/no-show exam $50 each. Master tier is $125 application + $200/yr license. Reinstatement: $150 journeyman / $325 master.) | $40–$165 (Exam track: $125 examination fee plus $40 initial license fee (about $165 total) per La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312. Reciprocal Arkansas/Texas applicants are exam-exempt and pay the board's reciprocal application fee (reported around $100 for the Arkansas journeyman-plumber/natural-gas-fitter application), which could not be confirmed on a reachable official page.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; a temporary revocable permit / provisional license is issued immediately upon eligibility approval and is valid 90 days | No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing and Natural Gas Section (State Committee of Plumbing Examiners) | State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Reciprocity: hold a current journeyman plumber license in good standing in Arkansas or Texas, obtained by examination (the Arkansas agreement additionally requires having held the Arkansas journeyman license for a set period and can carry a natural-gas-fitter endorsement).
- Submit the reciprocal license application with a copy of the current out-of-state license.
- Non-reciprocity applicants must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman plumber examination (75% or higher); a valid out-of-state license may be used to document the experience needed to sit for it.
- Journeyman plumbers may work only while employed by a Louisiana-licensed master plumber.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Arkansas plumbing license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Arkansas credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312 — Fees (journeyman exam $125, initial license $40) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §301 — Licenses required / journeyman exam and out-of-state temporary permits ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Reciprocal License Agreement with Louisiana ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing & Natural Gas (Arkansas/Louisiana reciprocity agreement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Division of Administration — State Plumbing Board of Louisiana board record ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing & Natural Gas (published reciprocity agreements: Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma; applications; license lookup) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas State Board of Health — Rules Pertaining to Master, Journeyman, and Restricted Plumber Licenses, eff. 9/5/2024 (reciprocity Sec. II(j); qualifications Sec. II(a); Act 457 Sec. II(k); fees Sec. III) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com