Plumber License from Colorado to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Colorado 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

Colorado to Texas (this page): Licensure by endorsement.

Texas to Colorado (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.

The route is the same in both directions.

Does coming from Colorado matter?

Colorado gets Texas's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.

The others get: no state license to transfer (9) and reciprocity agreement (2).

Reciprocity agreements

Texas's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Louisiana and Arkansas), not including Colorado.

Colorado's row names no reciprocity agreement states.

Application fee

Texas lists $40 for an out-of-state applicant; Colorado has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.

Processing time

Texas lists 4–6 weeks; Colorado has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.

Exam rules on record

Texas and Colorado 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
• Colorado (the reverse move): Colorado has no bilateral state-to-state reciprocity; it licenses out-of-state plumbers by endorsement, accepting successful completion of a comparable state plumbing examination (based on a plumbing-code edition adopted by the Colorado board) in lieu of the Colorado examination, provided the applicant currently holds an active license in the endorsing state and meets the apprenticeship/experience requirement; applicants who cannot document a comparable exam must qualify and pass the Colorado examination

What changes, Colorado → Texas

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
4. Hold a current out-of-state Journeyman or Master Plumber license held for at least two years (or a Louisiana/Arkansas license for the reciprocal pathway).
5. Submit fingerprints through IdentoGO — required for all out-of-state examinees before the application is approved.
6. Provide proof of lawful authorization to work in the United States and a current government-issued photo ID.
7. Pass the Texas journeyman computer-based written exam and the practical exam (both waived only for Louisiana/Arkansas reciprocal applicants).
8. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

Related guides