Plumber License from Florida to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA) ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Florida to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA), verify your Florida license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. 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.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Florida is not among the states Louisiana names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA)'s individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. 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. Bring your Florida license, proof that it is active and in good standing, and your apprenticeship and exam records — and get any discretionary exam or experience credit in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, Florida → Louisiana
| Florida (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $350 ($350 certification-by-endorsement application fee (CILB 10). The standard exam-route Certified Plumbing Contractor application is $245 (May 1 even year–Aug 31 odd year) or $145 (Sep 1 odd year–Apr 30 even year). A separate electronic-fingerprint fee applies) | $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 | No board-stated processing time | No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages. |
| Licensing authority | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) | 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 endorsement 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 ($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.)) and allow No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a Florida plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Florida to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (SPBLA), verify your Florida license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. 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.
Which exam applies moving from Florida to Louisiana?
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.
What does the Florida-to-Louisiana move cost and how long does it take?
$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 No board-stated processing time published in the LAC or reachable board pages..
Can I keep my Florida plumbing license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Florida 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)
- Florida DBPR CILB 10 — Application for Certification by Endorsement (s.489.115(3); $350 fee; licensure without state exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR CILB 5-M — Application for Certified Plumbing Contractor as an Individual (contractor-level license; $145/$245 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida Statutes 489.115 — certification and registration; endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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