Plumber License from Illinois to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers, verify your Illinois license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. Rhode Island waives its journeyperson plumber exam for an applicant duly licensed by examination in another state for the same classification, provided that state's requirements are the same as Rhode Island's; there is no fixed partner-state list, so eligibility is assessed case-by-case and any applicant who does not meet the equivalence test must pass the Rhode Island exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois is not among the states Rhode Island names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Rhode Island waives its journeyperson plumber exam for an applicant duly licensed by examination in another state for the same classification, provided that state's requirements are the same as Rhode Island's; there is no fixed partner-state list, so eligibility is assessed case-by-case and any applicant who does not meet the equivalence test must pass the Rhode Island exam. Bring your Illinois 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, Illinois → Rhode Island
| Illinois (current) | Rhode Island (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) | $72 (Journeyperson plumber license fee $72.00 (plus a $6.00 processing fee) per the RI DLT licensing portal; master plumber is $240.00. A separate initial reciprocity application fee could not be confirmed on an official page because the DLT application PDF was inaccessible.) |
| 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. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Rhode Island sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current out-of-state journeyperson (or master) plumber license obtained by written examination for the same classification sought.
- Provide a statement from the issuing state's plumbing board attesting to licensure status, plus an affidavit that the applicant passed a written examination.
- Demonstrate requirements equivalent to Rhode Island's (the RI journeyperson path is 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master plumber plus related classroom instruction).
- Pay the fees ($72 (Journeyperson plumber license fee $72.00 (plus a $6.00 processing fee) per the RI DLT licensing portal; master plumber is $240.00. A separate initial reciprocity application fee could not be confirmed on an official page because the DLT application PDF was inaccessible.)) and allow No board-stated processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Rhode Island accept a Illinois plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) — Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Examiners of Plumbers, verify your Illinois license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. Rhode Island waives its journeyperson plumber exam for an applicant duly licensed by examination in another state for the same classification, provided that state's requirements are the same as Rhode Island's; there is no fixed partner-state list, so eligibility is assessed case-by-case and any applicant who does not meet the equivalence test must pass the Rhode Island exam.
Which exam applies moving from Illinois to Rhode Island?
Rhode Island waives its journeyperson plumber exam for an applicant duly licensed by examination in another state for the same classification, provided that state's requirements are the same as Rhode Island's; there is no fixed partner-state list, so eligibility is assessed case-by-case and any applicant who does not meet the equivalence test must pass the Rhode Island exam.
What does the Illinois-to-Rhode Island move cost and how long does it take?
$72 (Journeyperson plumber license fee $72.00 (plus a $6.00 processing fee) per the RI DLT licensing portal; master plumber is $240.00. A separate initial reciprocity application fee could not be confirmed on an official page because the DLT application PDF was inaccessible.); processing No board-stated processing time..
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in Rhode Island?
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.
- RICR 260-30-15-9 — Licensing of Plumbers, Irrigators and Water System Installers (reciprocity-by-examination provision; journeyperson 8,000-hour path) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- RI.gov Licensing — Plumbers, Irrigators and Water Filtration fees (journeyperson $72, master $240, +$6 processing) ↗ (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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