Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Maine accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to Maine: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Maine does license this work, so ask the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational 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 Maine to verify or endorse. Maine does license plumbers, through the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational 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. Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman exam.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Maine
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maine. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Maine (this page): No state license to transfer.
Maine 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 Maine.
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 Maine's.
- Exam rules on record
Maine and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Maine (this move): Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman 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 → Maine
| Pennsylvania (current) | Maine (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 | $200 ($200 journeyman plumber license fee (biennial renewal also $200); +$21 criminal background check fee (surcharge, not in the range). A separate examination fee applies on the exam track but was not listed on the official fee schedule.) |
| Processing time | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality | No board-stated processing time; since 2024 all applications, exams, and renewals are filed through Maine's online licensing system |
| 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) | Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Maine's requirements on the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational 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 Maine'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 Maine?
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 Maine license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 sec. 3504-A — Reciprocity (Plumbers' Examining Board) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Plumbers' Examining Board individual licenses (fees, experience hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Plumbers' Examining Board online license verification lookup (ALMS) ↗ (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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