Transfer Your Plumber License to Delaware: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my plumbing license transfer to Delaware?
Conditionally — Delaware recognizes plumbing licenses from 3 named partner states (Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland). A plumber licensed by examination and in good standing there applies to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation under the agreement; Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam). From any other state you qualify and sit Delaware's journeyman exam as a new applicant. Application fee: $173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time).
Moving to Delaware from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Reciprocity with 3 states
Read Delaware's reciprocity as a named list, and the list is the rule: if you were licensed by examination in a state on it and your license is in good standing, the streamlined track below applies; if not, no amount of field experience substitutes for Delaware's exam. Two cautions. The agreement is directional — it describes the states Delaware recognizes, which tells you nothing about the reverse move — and it typically excludes licenses that were grandfathered in rather than earned by examination. Confirm both against the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation before you rely on the waiver.
Delaware licenses Master Plumbers only; there is no state journeyman plumber license, so the canonical state credential researched here is the Master Plumber license. Reciprocity is credential-based on holding a current Master license in a jurisdiction with substantially similar requirements; the board's own page names Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland as substantially similar (no experience proof required) and requires 7 years of post-Master practice for reciprocity from 14 other named states. reciprocity_partners lists only the no-added-experience (substantially-similar) states. The page does not restate an exam-waiver clause, but reciprocity is a non-examination pathway distinct from the examination (apprenticeship by-pass) route. No national plumber verification database exists; verification is via DELPROS.
Delaware requirements at a glance
| Fees | $173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time) |
|---|---|
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time |
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing Master Plumber license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Reciprocity with no added experience is limited to substantially-similar states (currently Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland).
- Reciprocity from Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia requires proof of at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure.
- Delaware has no state journeyman plumber license; the 'journeyman certificate' is an apprenticeship-completion credential (e.g., via the Delaware Department of Labor), not a board license.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Delaware:
Nearby states
Plumber license transfer into the states bordering Delaware:
Delaware for other professions
- Nursing in Delaware
- Cosmetology / Barber in Delaware
- Real Estate in Delaware
- Contractor in Delaware
- Teaching in Delaware
- CPA / Accounting in Delaware
- Electrician in Delaware
- Engineering in Delaware
- Pharmacy in Delaware
- Physical Therapy in Delaware
- Psychology in Delaware
- Counseling in Delaware
- Social Work in Delaware
- Occupational Therapy in Delaware
Frequently asked questions
Which states does Delaware have plumbing reciprocity with?
Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland (3 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation). The waiver applies only if you were licensed by examination there; plumbers from every other state qualify as new applicants.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Delaware DPR — Master Plumber Licensure (reciprocity: substantially-similar states and 7-year states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Plumbing fee schedule (Master Plumber $173) ↗ (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