Plumber License from California to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI ↗
No — New Mexico has no reciprocity or endorsement path for California plumbing license holders. You must apply to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI as a new applicant and meet New Mexico's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
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Verdict
Full re-application
New Mexico has no plumbing reciprocity or endorsement covering California, so this is a full journeyman application either way. New Mexico requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the New Mexico Journeyman Plumber (JP) trade examination. The Construction Industries Division reciprocity program that waives the exam and the work-experience affidavit applies ONLY to the Electrical Journeyman (EE98J) classification for holders from the electrical reciprocal group (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming); it does NOT apply to plumbing.. The productive plan: gather proof of the apprenticeship or on-the-job hours you logged in California, register for New Mexico's journeyman exam, and treat your experience as exam preparation and as credit toward New Mexico's experience requirement. Budget a new-applicant timeline and order your certified license history early — it is the long-lead item.
One thing to check first: because California licenses plumbers only at the contractor level or through cities and counties, you may not hold the kind of state license earned by examination that some boards ask for. Document your hours and any local license or certification you do hold; the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI will weigh them toward its experience requirement even though they do not trigger a waiver.
What changes, California → New Mexico
| California (current) | New Mexico (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No state journeyman plumber license exists, so there is no journeyman fee. For reference, the CSLB C-36 plumbing CONTRACTOR license (contractor tier, out of scope) is $450 original application + $200 initial license fee (sole owner) / $350 (non-sole owner), plus a bond and Live Scan fingerprint fee. | $75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years) |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued | No board-stated processing time; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam |
| Licensing authority | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) | New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review New Mexico's initial-licensure requirements on the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI website (linked below).
- Expect to meet New Mexico's education/experience requirements and pass its required exams — prior out-of-state licensure may still count toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application with fees ($75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years)).
- Allow No board-stated processing time; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Mexico accept a California plumbing license?
No — New Mexico has no reciprocity or endorsement path for California plumbing license holders. You must apply to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI as a new applicant and meet New Mexico's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from California to New Mexico?
New Mexico requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the New Mexico Journeyman Plumber (JP) trade examination. The Construction Industries Division reciprocity program that waives the exam and the work-experience affidavit applies ONLY to the Electrical Journeyman (EE98J) classification for holders from the electrical reciprocal group (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming); it does NOT apply to plumbing..
What does the California-to-New Mexico move cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years); processing No board-stated processing time; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam, plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant.
Can I keep my California plumbing license after I'm licensed in New Mexico?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the California 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.
- NM CID / PSI — How to Obtain a Journeyman Certificate (JP = 4,000 hrs, $75/classification fee, reciprocity EE98J only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM Regulation & Licensing Dept — Construction Industries Division ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NMAC 14.6.4 — Journeyman certification (exam/experience; military expedited pathway; no plumbing reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification detail (plumbing licensed only at contractor level) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocal Classifications List (C-36 reciprocity maps only to Arizona C-37/C-37R) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocity Exam Requirements (trade portion may be waived; Law & Business exam still required; 5-year license) ↗ (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]