Plumber License from Michigan to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Indiana accept a Michigan plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Michigan to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) — Indiana Plumbing Commission, verify your Michigan license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. Indiana Code 25-28.5-1-19 (verified current as of 2026-01-01) provides that an out-of-state journeyman plumber 'shall without examination, be granted a license' by the Indiana Plumbing Commission IF the other jurisdiction's licensing requirements were substantially equal to Indiana's when the applicant was last licensed AND that jurisdiction grants Indiana licensees the same reciprocal privilege; the statute names no partner states and no official list of qualifying states was located, so an applicant must confirm eligibility with the Commission, and anyone who does not meet the substantial-equivalence/mutuality test must be approved by the Commission and pass the Indiana journeyman plumber examination.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan is not among the states Indiana names for an exam waiver, so this move runs on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) — Indiana Plumbing Commission's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Bring your Michigan 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's different between Michigan and Indiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Indiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Michigan to Indiana (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Indiana to Michigan (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Michigan matter?
Michigan gets Indiana's most common result: 41 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: no state license to transfer (9).
- Application fee
Indiana lists $15–$30 for an out-of-state applicant and Michigan lists $40–$90 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Indiana and Michigan carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Indiana (this move): Indiana Code 25-28.5-1-19 (verified current as of 2026-01-01) provides that an out-of-state journeyman plumber 'shall without examination, be granted a license' by the Indiana Plumbing Commission IF the other jurisdiction's licensing requirements were substantially equal to Indiana's when the applicant was last licensed AND that jurisdiction grants Indiana licensees the same reciprocal privilege; the statute names no partner states and no official list of qualifying states was located, so an applicant must confirm eligibility with the Commission, and anyone who does not meet the substantial-equivalence/mutuality test must be approved by the Commission and pass the Indiana journeyman plumber examination
- Michigan (the reverse move): Michigan does not reciprocate with any state and waives its journey plumber exam for no one: every applicant, in-state or out, must pass Michigan's written AND practical (hands-on) journey plumber examinations. An out-of-state plumber may receive credit for out-of-state experience — documented on the BCC Out-of-State License Verification form — toward the 6,000-hour eligibility requirement to be approved to sit for the exam, but the examination is mandatory.
What changes, Michigan → Indiana
| Michigan (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $40–$90 ($40 journey plumber license/application fee plus $50 examination fee (MCL 339.6121, Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407). The same fees apply to out-of-state applicants; the exam is administered by PSI.) | $15–$30 (Per 860 IAC 1-1-2.1: journeyman plumber initial license fee is $15 in odd-numbered years or $30 in even-numbered years (biennial cycle; renewal $30 due before Dec 1 of each odd-numbered year). A reciprocity applicant pays the license fee with no exam; a non-reciprocity applicant also pays a $30 Commission examination fee plus the separate exam-vendor (Prove/ICC) fee. All PLA fees are non-refundable) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the application, out-of-state verification, and license fee are mailed to LARA BCC and the exam is scheduled through PSI | No board-stated processing time in weeks; a non-reciprocity application must be reviewed and approved for eligibility by the Indiana Plumbing Commission before the applicant may register for the exam. All in.gov hosts refused direct connections during research |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC), Plumbing | Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) — Indiana Plumbing Commission |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) — Indiana Plumbing Commission website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) — Indiana Plumbing Commission (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current journeyman plumber license/registration in the same category in another state, territory, country, or province.
- The issuing jurisdiction's requirements must have been substantially equal to Indiana's when last licensed, and it must grant Indiana licensees the same reciprocity/mutuality (IC 25-28.5-1-19).
- Be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- Applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity must document an approved four-year apprenticeship (about 6,400 hours on-the-job training plus 576 classroom hours) or an out-of-state license, be approved by the Commission, and pass the Indiana journeyman examination (vendor Prove/ICC, provexam.com).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Michigan plumbing license after I'm licensed in Indiana?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Michigan 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.
- Indiana Code 25-28.5-1-19 — Reciprocity ('shall without examination be granted a license' under substantial-equivalence + mutuality; current as of 2026-01-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 860 IAC 1-1-2.1 — Indiana Plumbing Commission fee schedule (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Indiana PLA — Plumbing Licensing Information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA BCC — Plumbing Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MCL 339.6115 — Journey plumber's license requirements (6,000 hours / 3 years) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MCL 339.6121 — License and registration fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA BCC — Out of State License Verification form ↗ (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