Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Colorado accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to Colorado: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Colorado does license this work, so ask the Colorado State Plumbing Board — Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations 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 Colorado to verify or endorse. Colorado does license plumbers, through the Colorado State Plumbing Board — Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations, 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. Colorado has no bilateral state-to-state reciprocity; it licenses out-of-state plumbers by endorsement, accepting successful completion of a comparable state plumbing examination (based on a plumbing-code edition adopted by the Colorado board) in lieu of the Colorado examination, provided the applicant currently holds an active license in the endorsing state and meets the apprenticeship/experience requirement; applicants who cannot document a comparable exam must qualify and pass the Colorado examination.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Colorado
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Colorado. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Colorado (this page): No state license to transfer.
Colorado 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 Colorado.
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 Colorado's.
- Exam rules on record
Colorado and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Colorado (this move): Colorado has no bilateral state-to-state reciprocity; it licenses out-of-state plumbers by endorsement, accepting successful completion of a comparable state plumbing examination (based on a plumbing-code edition adopted by the Colorado board) in lieu of the Colorado examination, provided the applicant currently holds an active license in the endorsing state and meets the apprenticeship/experience requirement; applicants who cannot document a comparable exam must qualify and pass the Colorado examination
- 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 → Colorado
| Pennsylvania (current) | Colorado (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 | Application/endorsement fee not verifiable on the official DPO site (dpo.colorado.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated access on 2026-07-21); fees are paid through DPO Online Services |
| Processing time | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality | No board-stated processing time |
| 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) | Colorado State Plumbing Board — Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Colorado's requirements on the Colorado State Plumbing Board — Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Colorado State Plumbing Board — Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations 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 Colorado'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 does the Pennsylvania-to-Colorado move cost and how long does it take?
Application/endorsement fee not verifiable on the official DPO site (dpo.colorado.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated access on 2026-07-21); fees are paid through DPO Online Services, plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant. Processing time: No board-stated processing time.
What happens to my Pennsylvania credential after I'm licensed in Colorado?
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 Colorado license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Colorado State Plumbing Board Rules 3 CCR 720-1.4 — Applications and Licensing (license by endorsement text) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DPO — State Plumbing Board (homepage / applications) ↗ (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
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