Plumber License from Ohio to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Ohio and Arkansas

Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.

Route, each way

Ohio to Arkansas (this page): Reciprocity agreement.

Arkansas to Ohio (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.

The two directions differ: Ohio and Arkansas do not give each other's licensees the same route.

Does coming from Ohio matter?

Coming from Ohio matters here: only 4 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.

The others get: licensure by endorsement (37) and no state license to transfer (9).

Reciprocity agreements

Arkansas's reciprocity agreement list names 4 states (Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma), including Ohio.

Ohio's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (South Carolina and West Virginia), not including Arkansas.

Application fee

Arkansas lists $75–$150 for an out-of-state applicant and Ohio lists $25 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.

Exam rules on record

Arkansas and Ohio carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.

• Arkansas (this move): Arkansas waives its journeyman plumber examination for applicants licensed under one of its formal reciprocal agreements — the Department of Health publishes agreements with Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma — who hold a substantially similar license in good standing (Rules Sec. II(j)(iii): examinations shall not be required, and no apprenticeship/education/training may be imposed). An out-of-state journeyman from a state WITHOUT an agreement whose plumbing laws/codes are substantially similar may sit for the Arkansas journeyman exam without redoing an apprenticeship but must pass it. New residents may instead use Act 457 of 2023 automatic occupational licensure (residency + one year in good standing on a substantially-similar license, or 3 years' experience in a non-licensing state), subject to an Arkansas state-law exam the Department may waive.
• Ohio (the reverse 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

What changes, Ohio → Arkansas

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing and Natural Gas Section (State Committee of Plumbing Examiners) website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the reciprocity application to the Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing and Natural Gas Section (State Committee of Plumbing Examiners) (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
4. Have a minimum of 4 years plumbing experience (or equivalent) to qualify for the journeyman examination.
5. Hold an out-of-state plumber license in good standing whose laws/codes are substantially similar to Arkansas (national model code + national examination), not suspended, revoked, or on probation.
6. Pass the Arkansas journeyman plumber examination unless licensed under a reciprocal agreement (Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma).
7. For automatic licensure (Act 457), establish Arkansas residency and pass an Arkansas state-law exam (waivable) plus a criminal background check.
8. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

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