Plumber License from Texas to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept a Texas plumbing license?
Yes — Louisiana has a reciprocity arrangement covering Texas license holders. Apply to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Louisiana's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Texas is on Louisiana's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Texas license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Louisiana waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Louisiana waives its journeyman plumber examination only for applicants licensed as journeyman plumbers in Arkansas or Texas under the State Plumbing Board's bilateral reciprocity agreements (license held in good standing and obtained by examination); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman exam, though a valid out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted to qualify to sit for it. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Texas on Louisiana's list; the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) link is the live truth.
What's different between Texas and Louisiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Louisiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to Louisiana (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Louisiana to Texas (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Texas matter?
Coming from Texas matters here: only 2 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Louisiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (39) and no state license to transfer (9).
- Reciprocity agreements
Louisiana's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Arkansas and Texas), including Texas.
Texas's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Louisiana and Arkansas), including Louisiana.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $40–$165 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $40 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Texas lists 4–6 weeks for the reverse move; Louisiana has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Louisiana and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Louisiana (this move): Louisiana waives its journeyman plumber examination only for applicants licensed as journeyman plumbers in Arkansas or Texas under the State Plumbing Board's bilateral reciprocity agreements (license held in good standing and obtained by examination); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman exam, though a valid out-of-state plumbing license may be submitted to qualify to sit for it
- Texas (the reverse move): Texas waives its journeyman plumber examination only for plumbers currently licensed in Louisiana or Arkansas, who may qualify for a reciprocal Texas license; every other out-of-state journeyman or master plumber (currently licensed and having held that license at least two years) must apply for an Out-of-State Examination and pass the Texas computer-based (Pearson VUE) written exam plus the practical journeyman exam
What changes, Texas → Louisiana
| Texas (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $40 ($40 non-refundable out-of-state journeyman examination processing fee to TSBPE ($25 for master); a separate computer-based test fee is payable to Pearson VUE on approval, plus IdentoGO fingerprint costs and the license issuance fee once passed; Louisiana/Arkansas applicants use the Reciprocal License Verification pathway) | $40–$165 (Exam track: $125 examination fee plus $40 initial license fee (about $165 total) per La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312. Reciprocal Arkansas/Texas applicants are exam-exempt and pay the board's reciprocal application fee (reported around $100 for the Arkansas journeyman-plumber/natural-gas-fitter application), which could not be confirmed on a reachable official page.) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (TSBPE states typical processing of 30-45 days for straightforward applications; longer with criminal history or unclear immigration status) | No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) | State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Reciprocity: hold a current journeyman plumber license in good standing in Arkansas or Texas, obtained by examination (the Arkansas agreement additionally requires having held the Arkansas journeyman license for a set period and can carry a natural-gas-fitter endorsement).
- Submit the reciprocal license application with a copy of the current out-of-state license.
- Non-reciprocity applicants must pass the Louisiana written and manual journeyman plumber examination (75% or higher); a valid out-of-state license may be used to document the experience needed to sit for it.
- Journeyman plumbers may work only while employed by a Louisiana-licensed master plumber.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Texas plumbing license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Texas credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §312 — Fees (journeyman exam $125, initial license $40) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46 Pt. LV §301 — Licenses required / journeyman exam and out-of-state temporary permits ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — Reciprocal License Agreement with Louisiana ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Department of Health — Plumbing & Natural Gas (Arkansas/Louisiana reciprocity agreement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Division of Administration — State Plumbing Board of Louisiana board record ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — Out-of-State Examination Application (LA/AR reciprocity banner; 2-year license; $40 journeyman fee; fingerprints; written + practical exam), Rev. March 2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — License Types (Tradesman, Journeyman, Master Plumber) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPE — Printable Forms (Reciprocal License Verification, Louisiana and Arkansas only) ↗ (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