Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Maryland accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to Maryland: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. Maryland does license this work, so ask the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
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 Maryland to verify or endorse. Maryland does license plumbers, through the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing), 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. Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Maryland
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maryland. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Maryland (this page): No state license to transfer.
Maryland 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 Maryland.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40) and reciprocity agreement (1).
- Reciprocity agreements
Maryland's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (District of Columbia), 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 Maryland's.
- Exam rules on record
Maryland and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Maryland (this move): Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant.
- 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 → Maryland
| Pennsylvania (current) | Maryland (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 | $43.50 (Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter original license fee is $43.50; the board publishes no separate reciprocity application fee, so reciprocal applicants pay the license fee. No fingerprint/background surcharge is listed.) |
| Processing time | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality | ~2 weeks (Board FAQ states a license is mailed within about two weeks of applying; this is stated for original licenses and reciprocal processing time is not separately specified.) |
| 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) | Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Maryland's requirements on the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) 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 Maryland'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 Maryland?
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 Maryland license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Reciprocal Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Forms and Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — License Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Licensing FAQs (processing time, verification) ↗ (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