Plumber License from Mississippi to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Ohio accept a Mississippi plumbing license?
There is no Mississippi state license to carry to Ohio: Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Ohio does license this work, so ask the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
The issue on this move is the starting point: Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license — plumbing there is regulated at the contractor level or by cities and counties — so there is no Mississippi state license for Ohio to verify or endorse. Ohio does license plumbers, through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance, and it reviews out-of-state plumbers for endorsement, but that route starts from a state license. Ask the board, in writing, whether it credits a local Mississippi license, a contractor-level credential or your documented hours; otherwise plan to qualify as a new journeyman applicant. Ohio waives its OCILB plumbing trade exam only for applicants who currently hold a South Carolina or West Virginia plumbing license obtained by examination (not by grandfathering or reciprocity); an out-of-state licensee who instead got their license by grandfathering or reciprocity must take both the Ohio plumbing exam and the Ohio Business and Law exam, and every other applicant must qualify with five years of trade experience and pass the Ohio plumbing exam.
What's different between Mississippi and Ohio
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Ohio. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Mississippi to Ohio (this page): No state license to transfer.
Ohio to Mississippi (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Mississippi matter?
Coming from Mississippi matters here: only 9 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Ohio.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (39) and reciprocity agreement (2).
- Reciprocity agreements
Ohio's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (South Carolina and West Virginia), not including Mississippi.
- Fee and processing
Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no Mississippi state license application fee or processing time to compare with Ohio's.
- Exam rules on record
Ohio and Mississippi carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Ohio (this move): Ohio waives its OCILB plumbing trade exam only for applicants who currently hold a South Carolina or West Virginia plumbing license obtained by examination (not by grandfathering or reciprocity); an out-of-state licensee who instead got their license by grandfathering or reciprocity must take both the Ohio plumbing exam and the Ohio Business and Law exam, and every other applicant must qualify with five years of trade experience and pass the Ohio plumbing exam
- Mississippi (the reverse move): Not applicable at the individual level: Mississippi issues no state journeyman or master plumber license to individuals, so there is no state journeyman exam to waive or transfer, and individual plumbers are licensed (where required) only by cities/municipalities. At the state level only plumbing CONTRACTORS/companies are licensed, by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors; that contractor reciprocity waives only the trade exam, and every contractor applicant must still pass the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam.
What changes, Mississippi → Ohio
| Mississippi (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No individual state journeyman/master plumber license exists, so there is no state application fee; MSBOC contractor Certificate of Responsibility fees are company-level and separate, and any municipal plumber license fee is set locally | $25 ($25.00 non-refundable reciprocity application fee per trade; proof of at least $500,000 contractor liability insurance required. Non-reciprocal applicants pay a $25 exam application fee plus BCI and FBI background-check costs.) |
| Processing time | Not applicable; the state issues no individual journeyman plumber license | No board-stated processing time; reciprocity applications are approved or denied by board review |
| Licensing authority | Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) — licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS only; no individual journeyman/master plumber license is issued by the state | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Ohio's requirements on the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance whether it credits a local Mississippi license or your documented experience: Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to verify.
- Otherwise apply as a new applicant: meet Ohio's education/experience requirements and pass the exams it requires.
- Submit the application with fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my Mississippi credential after I'm licensed in Ohio?
Nothing changes it. Mississippi issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so any local or contractor-level Mississippi credential you hold runs on its own authority's renewal rules, independently of your Ohio license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- OCILB Examination Application (state commercial plumbing contractor license; $25 fee; five-year experience; trades include Plumbing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OCILB South Carolina Reciprocity Application (PL trade; exam waived for tested SC licensees; $25 per trade) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OCILB West Virginia Mechanical Reciprocity Application (PL trade; must hold WV Master Plumber + WV Contractor license, tested not grandfathered) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBOC — Reciprocity (contractor trade-exam waiver; Business & Law exam still required) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBOC — Classifications (plumbing is a company/contractor classification) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBOC — Frequently Asked Questions (who must be licensed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBOC — One-Stop-Shop (monetary thresholds and contractor license search) ↗ (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