Plumber License from Maryland to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Pennsylvania accept a Maryland plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to transfer into: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Any licensing for this work is handled below the state level (a city, county or contractor-level authority), so check with the authority where you will work.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
No state license to transfer
There is nothing at the state level to transfer your Maryland 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 Maryland license may count toward a local experience requirement, but Pennsylvania has no state credential for it to reciprocate into.
What's different between Maryland and Pennsylvania
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Pennsylvania. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Maryland to Pennsylvania (this page): No state license to transfer.
Pennsylvania to Maryland (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Maryland matter?
Coming from Maryland does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Pennsylvania.
- Reciprocity agreements
Maryland's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (District of Columbia), not including Pennsylvania.
- Fee and processing
Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no Pennsylvania state license application fee or processing time to compare with Maryland's.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and Maryland carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Pennsylvania (this move): 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)
- Maryland (the reverse move): Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant.
What changes, Maryland → Pennsylvania
| Maryland (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $43.50 (Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter original license fee is $43.50; the board publishes no separate reciprocity application fee, so reciprocal applicants pay the license fee. No fingerprint/background surcharge is listed.) | 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 | ~2 weeks (Board FAQ states a license is mailed within about two weeks of applying; this is stated for original licenses and reciprocal processing time is not separately specified.) | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality |
| Licensing authority | Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) | 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
- Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to transfer: confirm with the authority linked on this page who licenses the work where you will practice.
- Contact that city, county or contractor-level authority for its own requirements, exams and fees.
- Keep records of your current license, exams and documented experience — a local authority may credit them, but nothing transfers at state level.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Maryland plumbing license while I work in Pennsylvania?
Yes — Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so nothing you obtain locally in Pennsylvania replaces your Maryland license. Keep the Maryland license active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule, and meet the local requirements where you work in Pennsylvania.
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)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Reciprocal Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Forms and Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — License Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Licensing FAQs (processing time, verification) ↗ (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