Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Alabama accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to Alabama: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Alabama does license this work, so ask the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (APGFEB) 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: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license — plumbing there is regulated at the contractor level or by cities and counties — so there is no Pennsylvania state license for Alabama to verify or endorse. Alabama does license plumbers, through the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (APGFEB), 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 Pennsylvania license, a contractor-level credential or your documented hours; otherwise plan to qualify as a new journeyman applicant. Alabama does not waive its journeyman plumber examination for any state. An out-of-state journeyman licensed BY EXAMINATION (minimum score 70%), active and in good standing, may use that license to sit the Alabama journeyman exam for the equivalent classification WITHOUT completing an Alabama apprenticeship, but must still pass the exam. The board's only formal reciprocity is at the MASTER tier — a reciprocal agreement recognizing Mississippi Board of Contractors master plumbers (effective January 1, 2026) plus a master gas fitter arrangement with the Alabama LP-Gas Board — neither waives the journeyman trade exam.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Alabama
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Alabama. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Alabama (this page): No state license to transfer.
Alabama to Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania matters here: only 9 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Alabama.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (41).
- 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 Alabama's.
- Exam rules on record
Alabama and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Alabama (this move): Alabama does not waive its journeyman plumber examination for any state. An out-of-state journeyman licensed BY EXAMINATION (minimum score 70%), active and in good standing, may use that license to sit the Alabama journeyman exam for the equivalent classification WITHOUT completing an Alabama apprenticeship, but must still pass the exam. The board's only formal reciprocity is at the MASTER tier — a reciprocal agreement recognizing Mississippi Board of Contractors master plumbers (effective January 1, 2026) plus a master gas fitter arrangement with the Alabama LP-Gas Board — neither waives the journeyman trade exam.
- Pennsylvania (the reverse 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)
What changes, Pennsylvania → Alabama
| Pennsylvania (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 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 | $50–$235 (Journeyman out-of-state exam route (Ala. Admin. Code r. 720-X-4-.01): $50 initial application processing fee + $110 non-refundable journeyman examination fee + $75 initial certificate fee = $235. Master level: $50 application + $160 exam + $175 certificate. License verification request $15.) |
| Processing time | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality | No board-stated application/exam processing time; after passing the exam the applicant has 90 days to pay all prescribed fees and be certified |
| Licensing authority | 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) | Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (APGFEB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Alabama's requirements on the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (APGFEB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board (APGFEB) whether it credits a local Pennsylvania license or your documented experience: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to verify.
- Otherwise apply as a new applicant: meet Alabama'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 Pennsylvania credential after I'm licensed in Alabama?
Nothing changes it. Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so any local or contractor-level Pennsylvania credential you hold runs on its own authority's renewal rules, independently of your Alabama license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Alabama PGFB — Out of State Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama PGFB — Reciprocation ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama PGFB — How Do I Become Licensed? (out-of-state testing rule, 90-day fee window) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 720-X-4-.01 — Forms, Requirements, and Fee Schedule (LII reproduction of the official rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Philadelphia — Get a Journeyman Plumber License (representative municipal program; requirements and fees; no state license) ↗ (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