Plumber License from Illinois to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Division of Plumbing ↗
No — Kentucky has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois plumbing license holders. You must apply to the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Division of Plumbing as a new applicant and meet Kentucky's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
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Verdict
Full re-application
Kentucky has no plumbing reciprocity or endorsement covering Illinois, so this is a full journeyman application either way. Kentucky has no plumbing reciprocity; every applicant, including out-of-state plumbers, must pass the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (written, drawing, and practical sections, minimum 75% each). An out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted only as proof of the required experience, not as a substitute for the exam. The productive plan: gather proof of the apprenticeship or on-the-job hours you logged in Illinois, register for Kentucky's journeyman exam, and treat your experience as exam preparation and as credit toward Kentucky's experience requirement. Budget a new-applicant timeline and order your certified license history early — it is the long-lead item.
What changes, Illinois → Kentucky
| Illinois (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $225 (Application fee for a plumber registered or licensed in Chicago or outside Illinois is $225 (an in-state Illinois licensed-apprentice applicant pays $175); a separate $150 plumber's license fee applies on issuance (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100). The City-of-Chicago reciprocity (license without exam) carries a $150 license fee. Returned-check fee $100) | $110 ($50 journeyman examination fee + $60 initial license fee (total $110 to become licensed); journeyman renewal is $60. Fees set by 815 KAR 20:030. Master plumber tier: $150 exam + $250 license.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the examination application is due at least 30 days before the examination date | No board-stated processing time; exam applications must reach the Frankfort office at least three weeks before the exam date. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Division of Plumbing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Kentucky's initial-licensure requirements on the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Division of Plumbing website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Kentucky's education/experience requirements and pass its required exams — prior out-of-state licensure may still count toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application with fees ($110 ($50 journeyman examination fee + $60 initial license fee (total $110 to become licensed); journeyman renewal is $60. Fees set by 815 KAR 20:030. Master plumber tier: $150 exam + $250 license.)).
- Allow No board-stated processing time; exam applications must reach the Frankfort office at least three weeks before the exam date..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a Illinois plumbing license?
No — Kentucky has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois plumbing license holders. You must apply to the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Division of Plumbing as a new applicant and meet Kentucky's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from Illinois to Kentucky?
Kentucky has no plumbing reciprocity; every applicant, including out-of-state plumbers, must pass the Kentucky journeyman plumber examination (written, drawing, and practical sections, minimum 75% each). An out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted only as proof of the required experience, not as a substitute for the exam.
What does the Illinois-to-Kentucky move cost and how long does it take?
$110 ($50 journeyman examination fee + $60 initial license fee (total $110 to become licensed); journeyman renewal is $60. Fees set by 815 KAR 20:030. Master plumber tier: $150 exam + $250 license.); processing No board-stated processing time; exam applications must reach the Frankfort office at least three weeks before the exam date., plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant.
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in Kentucky?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Illinois 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.
- 815 KAR 20:030 Plumbing licenses — Kentucky Administrative Regulations (official LRC) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky DHBC — Division of Plumbing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky DHBC — Plumbing Licensing Examination ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 815 KAR 20:030 full text (Cornell LII copy; read for experience, exam, and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky DHBC — public license search / verification (plumbing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Examination for Plumber's License (fees $175 in-state / $225 out-of-state; out-of-state section; 4-year 225 ILCS 320/10(d) requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Plumber's License Reciprocity with the City of Chicago License Without Examination ($150 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100 — Plumbers' and Apprentice Plumbers' Examination and Licensure Fees (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Plumbing program (license types, license verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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