Plumber License from Louisiana to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) ↗
No — Pennsylvania has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Louisiana plumbing license holders. You must apply to the No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) as a new applicant and meet Pennsylvania's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
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Verdict
Full re-application
There is nothing at the state level to transfer your Louisiana license into: Pennsylvania issues no statewide plumbing license, so plumbers there are licensed at the contractor level or by cities and counties. Not applicable — Pennsylvania has no state-level plumber license, so there is no statewide exam to waive or transfer; each municipality sets its own plumber licensing and exam rules (for example, Philadelphia requires passing the ICC-based Journeyman Plumber Examination on the Philadelphia Code). The move is a local or contractor-board application, not a reciprocity filing — identify the authority that governs your worksite and work from its exam, experience, and fee rules. Your Louisiana license may count toward a local experience requirement, but Pennsylvania has no state credential for it to reciprocate into.
What changes, Louisiana → Pennsylvania
| Louisiana (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $40–$165 (Exam track: $125 examination fee plus $40 initial license fee (about $165 total) per La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312. Reciprocal Arkansas/Texas applicants are exam-exempt and pay the board's reciprocal application fee (reported around $100 for the Arkansas journeyman-plumber/natural-gas-fitter application), which could not be confirmed on a reachable official page.) | No statewide fee. Fees are set locally; for example, Philadelphia's journeyman plumber license is $126 initial (including a $25 non-refundable application fee) and $126 annual renewal. |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages. | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality. |
| Licensing authority | State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) | No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Pennsylvania's initial-licensure requirements on the No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Pennsylvania'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 (No statewide fee. Fees are set locally; for example, Philadelphia's journeyman plumber license is $126 initial (including a $25 non-refundable application fee) and $126 annual renewal.).
- Allow No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Louisiana plumbing license?
No — Pennsylvania has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Louisiana plumbing license holders. You must apply to the No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) as a new applicant and meet Pennsylvania's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from Louisiana to Pennsylvania?
Not applicable — Pennsylvania has no state-level plumber license, so there is no statewide exam to waive or transfer; each municipality sets its own plumber licensing and exam rules (for example, Philadelphia requires passing the ICC-based Journeyman Plumber Examination on the Philadelphia Code).
What does the Louisiana-to-Pennsylvania move cost and how long does it take?
No statewide fee. Fees are set locally; for example, Philadelphia's journeyman plumber license is $126 initial (including a $25 non-refundable application fee) and $126 annual renewal.; processing No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality..
Can I keep my Louisiana plumbing license after I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Louisiana 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.
- City of Philadelphia — Get a Journeyman Plumber License (representative municipal program; requirements and fees; no state license) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312 — Fees (journeyman exam $125, initial license $40) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §301 — Licenses required / journeyman exam and out-of-state temporary permits ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Reciprocal License Agreement with Louisiana ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing & Natural Gas (Arkansas/Louisiana reciprocity agreement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Division of Administration — State Plumbing Board of Louisiana board record ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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