Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Delaware accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to Delaware: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Delaware does license this work, so ask the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation 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 Delaware to verify or endorse. Delaware does license plumbers, through the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation, 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. Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam).
What's different between Pennsylvania and Delaware
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Delaware. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Delaware (this page): No state license to transfer.
Delaware 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 Delaware.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (38) and reciprocity agreement (3).
- Reciprocity agreements
Delaware's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Connecticut, Iowa, and Maryland), not including Pennsylvania.
- 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 Delaware's.
- Exam rules on record
Delaware and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Delaware (this move): Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass 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 → Delaware
| Pennsylvania (current) | Delaware (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 | $173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time) |
| 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) | Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Delaware's requirements on the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation 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 Delaware'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-Delaware move cost and how long does it take?
$173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time), 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 Delaware?
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 Delaware license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Delaware DPR — Master Plumber Licensure (reciprocity: substantially-similar states and 7-year states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Plumbing fee schedule (Master Plumber $173) ↗ (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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