Plumber License from Georgia to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure) ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Georgia to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your Georgia license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. Massachusetts has NO plumber reciprocity agreement with any state, so its journeyman plumber examination is required of every applicant. An out-of-state plumber whose license has been active for at least three years immediately preceding application, is current and in good standing, and whose issuing jurisdiction's requirements are found substantially equivalent, may skip the Massachusetts apprenticeship and education requirements and sit directly for the Massachusetts journeyman exam — but the exam itself is never waived..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia is not among the states Massachusetts names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure)'s individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Massachusetts has NO plumber reciprocity agreement with any state, so its journeyman plumber examination is required of every applicant. An out-of-state plumber whose license has been active for at least three years immediately preceding application, is current and in good standing, and whose issuing jurisdiction's requirements are found substantially equivalent, may skip the Massachusetts apprenticeship and education requirements and sit directly for the Massachusetts journeyman exam — but the exam itself is never waived.. Bring your Georgia license, proof that it is active and in good standing, and your apprenticeship and exam records — and get any discretionary exam or experience credit in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, Georgia → Massachusetts
| Georgia (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $80–$160 (Journeyman ~$80 ($70 application + $10 processing); master ~$160 ($150 application + $10 processing) per the Division's plumbing exam/initial-application form. Examination administered by PSI with a separate exam fee paid to PSI; that exam is waived only for a qualifying reciprocity applicant under Rule 121-2-.03. Fee figures obtained via search extraction of the Division's official forms because the sos.ga.gov fee-schedule PDF returned HTTP 403 on direct load) | $31–$83 ($31 journeyman plumber application fee plus $52 original license fee (per 801 CMR 4.00 rate schedule; $52 biennial renewal confirmed on the DPL fee page). Filed and paid via the eLIPSE portal; license fee paid after passing the exam. Valor Act fee reductions may apply to military/veterans/spouses.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time in weeks; the Division publishes exam dates and application deadlines and an application must be approved before the scheduled examination | No board-stated processing time; applications, payment, and scheduling are handled online through the eLIPSE portal. |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Office of the Secretary of State) | Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Standard path: complete a Board-approved apprenticeship of at least 6,800 clock hours of supervised work (8,000 hours if the apprentice license issued before Sept 1, 2008), over no less than 4 years.
- Complete the Board's five-tier education program: 550 clock hours of plumbing and gas fitting theory (300 hours if pre-Sept 1, 2008), with no more than 165 education hours credited per year.
- Pass the Massachusetts journeyman plumber examination (70% to pass).
- Out-of-state applicants: document that the license was active at least 3 years, is current and in good standing with no pending discipline, and that the issuing jurisdiction's requirements are substantially equivalent.
- Pay the fees ($31–$83 ($31 journeyman plumber application fee plus $52 original license fee (per 801 CMR 4.00 rate schedule; $52 biennial renewal confirmed on the DPL fee page). Filed and paid via the eLIPSE portal; license fee paid after passing the exam. Valor Act fee reductions may apply to military/veterans/spouses.)) and allow No board-stated processing time; applications, payment, and scheduling are handled online through the eLIPSE portal..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a Georgia plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Georgia to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your Georgia license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. Massachusetts has NO plumber reciprocity agreement with any state, so its journeyman plumber examination is required of every applicant. An out-of-state plumber whose license has been active for at least three years immediately preceding application, is current and in good standing, and whose issuing jurisdiction's requirements are found substantially equivalent, may skip the Massachusetts apprenticeship and education requirements and sit directly for the Massachusetts journeyman exam — but the exam itself is never waived..
Which exam applies moving from Georgia to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has NO plumber reciprocity agreement with any state, so its journeyman plumber examination is required of every applicant. An out-of-state plumber whose license has been active for at least three years immediately preceding application, is current and in good standing, and whose issuing jurisdiction's requirements are found substantially equivalent, may skip the Massachusetts apprenticeship and education requirements and sit directly for the Massachusetts journeyman exam — but the exam itself is never waived..
What does the Georgia-to-Massachusetts move cost and how long does it take?
$31–$83 ($31 journeyman plumber application fee plus $52 original license fee (per 801 CMR 4.00 rate schedule; $52 biennial renewal confirmed on the DPL fee page). Filed and paid via the eLIPSE portal; license fee paid after passing the exam. Valor Act fee reductions may apply to military/veterans/spouses.); processing No board-stated processing time; applications, payment, and scheduling are handled online through the eLIPSE portal..
Can I keep my Georgia plumbing license after I'm licensed in Massachusetts?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Georgia 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.
- Massachusetts Board of Plumbers and Gas Fitters — Substantially Equivalent License policy statement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Apply for a Journeyman Plumber license ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 248 CMR 11.00 — Education and Experience Standards and Requirements for Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Massachusetts DPL — Plumbers and Gas Fitters fee schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-2 (Qualifications) incl. Rule 121-2-.03 Statewide License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-3 (Application for Licensure — 1-yr journeyman / 5-yr master experience, exam minimum score 70) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ (reciprocity statement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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