Plumber License from Alaska to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board ↗
Yes — New Hampshire has a reciprocity arrangement covering Alaska license holders. Apply to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Alaska is on New Hampshire's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Alaska license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, New Hampshire waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. New Hampshire licenses a journeyman plumber by endorsement — without requiring its own plumbing examination — when the applicant holds an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of 33 'qualifying jurisdictions' whose requirements OPLC deems substantially similar (RSA 310:17 / HB 594, rule Plc 313.34); applicants from any other state must qualify through New Hampshire's apprenticeship route and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Alaska on New Hampshire's list; the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board link is the live truth.
What changes, Alaska → New Hampshire
| Alaska (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $50–$250 ($50 nonrefundable application fee + $200 journeyman certificate fee (2-year term) for a full reciprocal COF ($250 total); a one-year provisional COF is $50 application + $100 certificate ($150)) | $190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310)) |
| Processing time | Board states 7-10 business days for trainee certificates and renewals; no processing time stated for reciprocal/journeyman applications, and the division notes delays from an outdated system and limited staff | No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results |
| Licensing authority | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Labor Standards and Safety Division, Mechanical Inspection Section | New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of the 33 qualifying jurisdictions listed in OPLC rule Plc 313.34.
- Complete a New Hampshire criminal history records check (fingerprint-based), required for the Journeyman Plumber license type.
- Maintain continuing education of 3 hours of code update per year (6 hours per two-year renewal cycle).
- Applicants from non-qualifying states must complete a New Hampshire plumbing apprenticeship and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination.
- Pay the fees ($190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310))) and allow No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a Alaska plumbing license?
Yes — New Hampshire has a reciprocity arrangement covering Alaska license holders. Apply to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Alaska to New Hampshire?
New Hampshire licenses a journeyman plumber by endorsement — without requiring its own plumbing examination — when the applicant holds an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of 33 'qualifying jurisdictions' whose requirements OPLC deems substantially similar (RSA 310:17 / HB 594, rule Plc 313.34); applicants from any other state must qualify through New Hampshire's apprenticeship route and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination.
What does the Alaska-to-New Hampshire move cost and how long does it take?
$190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310)); processing No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results.
Can I keep my Alaska plumbing license after I'm licensed in New Hampshire?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Alaska 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.
- NH OPLC — New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (Mechanical Licensing Board Plc 313.34: 33 qualifying jurisdictions for Journeyman Plumber; RSA 310:17 / HB 594) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC — License Fees for the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (Journeyman Plumber $190 application + $20 certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (governing board for plumbers; RSA 153:27-153:38) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection — Certificates of Fitness Statutes & Regulations, Aug 2025 (8 AAC 90.111 reciprocity; 90.112 provisional; 90.130 journeyman; AS 18.62.030 fees; FAQ) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection — home page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]