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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Plumber License to Florida: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) ↗

Florida has no blanket plumbing reciprocity, yet the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) can license an out-of-state plumber by endorsement or equivalency rather than a full retest. Florida licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS, not journeymen (journeyman/tradesworker plumbers are licensed by county and municipal governments). Its Certified Plumbing Contractor examination is waived for out-of-state applicants who certify by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): by passing a national/regional/state exam the board deems substantially equivalent (Option A), holding a license issued under substantially equivalent criteria (Option B), or holding an active license for at least 10 years (Option C); the board warns endorsement based on comparing a state-specific exam is rarely approved. Applicants who do not qualify for endorsement must pass the Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor exam. Expect $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) in application fees.

Moving to Florida from a specific state?

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Florida works case-by-case rather than from a published partner list, so the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB)'s judgment on your specific license, exam history, and documented experience decides the outcome. Where the pathway is equivalency-based, the board is measuring your home state's standards and experience requirements against its own. Get any exam waiver or experience credit confirmed in writing before you rely on it — discretionary approvals are exactly the kind of thing that shifts between reviewers.

Florida has no state-level journeyman plumber license; journeyman/tradesworker plumbers are licensed by local (county/municipal) governments, while the state DBPR/Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS (Certified = statewide; Registered = local competency). The canonical state credential researched here is the Certified Plumbing Contractor obtained by an out-of-state applicant through certification by endorsement (form CILB 10, $350). A separate reciprocity form (CILB 32) exists for jurisdictions with a formal reciprocal agreement, but no current named plumbing reciprocity partner list was confirmed on the state site, so reciprocity_partners is empty. No national plumber verification database exists; verification is via DBPR's online license search.

Florida requirements at a glance

Out-of-state plumbing license transfer requirements for Florida, verified 2026-07-21
ExamFlorida licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS, not journeymen (journeyman/tradesworker plumbers are licensed by county and municipal governments). Its Certified Plumbing Contractor examination is waived for out-of-state applicants who certify by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): by passing a national/regional/state exam the board deems substantially equivalent (Option A), holding a license issued under substantially equivalent criteria (Option B), or holding an active license for at least 10 years (Option C); the board warns endorsement based on comparing a state-specific exam is rarely approved. Applicants who do not qualify for endorsement must pass the Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor exam
Additional requirements
  • No state journeyman plumber license: the state (DBPR / Construction Industry Licensing Board) licenses plumbing contractors, while journeyman plumbers are licensed locally by counties and municipalities
  • Certify by endorsement (form CILB 10) via a substantially-equivalent exam, a substantially-equivalent out-of-state license, or at least 10 years of active licensure
  • Submit electronic fingerprints for a state (FDLE) and federal (FBI) background check
  • Provide a credit report with a FICO score of 660+ (or complete a 14-hour financial-responsibility course) and carry required liability and workers'-compensation insurance
Fees$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)
Processing timeNo board-stated processing time

Step by step

  1. Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. No state journeyman plumber license: the state (DBPR / Construction Industry Licensing Board) licenses plumbing contractors, while journeyman plumbers are licensed locally by counties and municipalities.
  5. Certify by endorsement (form CILB 10) via a substantially-equivalent exam, a substantially-equivalent out-of-state license, or at least 10 years of active licensure.
  6. Submit electronic fingerprints for a state (FDLE) and federal (FBI) background check.
  7. Provide a credit report with a FICO score of 660+ (or complete a 14-hour financial-responsibility course) and carry required liability and workers'-compensation insurance.
  8. Pay the fees ($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)) and allow No board-stated processing time.

Official links

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Florida:

Alabama → FloridaAlaska → FloridaArizona → FloridaArkansas → FloridaCalifornia → FloridaColorado → FloridaConnecticut → FloridaDelaware → FloridaDistrict of Columbia → FloridaGeorgia → FloridaHawaii → FloridaIdaho → FloridaIllinois → FloridaIndiana → FloridaIowa → FloridaKansas → FloridaKentucky → FloridaLouisiana → FloridaMaine → FloridaMaryland → Florida
All 50 origin states
Massachusetts → FloridaMichigan → FloridaMinnesota → FloridaMississippi → FloridaMissouri → FloridaMontana → FloridaNebraska → FloridaNevada → FloridaNew Hampshire → FloridaNew Jersey → FloridaNew Mexico → FloridaNew York → FloridaNorth Carolina → FloridaNorth Dakota → FloridaOhio → FloridaOklahoma → FloridaOregon → FloridaPennsylvania → FloridaRhode Island → FloridaSouth Carolina → FloridaSouth Dakota → FloridaTennessee → FloridaTexas → FloridaUtah → FloridaVermont → FloridaVirginia → FloridaWashington → FloridaWest Virginia → FloridaWisconsin → FloridaWyoming → Florida

Frequently asked questions

Does my plumbing license transfer to Florida?

Florida has no blanket plumbing reciprocity, yet the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) can license an out-of-state plumber by endorsement or equivalency rather than a full retest. Florida licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS, not journeymen (journeyman/tradesworker plumbers are licensed by county and municipal governments). Its Certified Plumbing Contractor examination is waived for out-of-state applicants who certify by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): by passing a national/regional/state exam the board deems substantially equivalent (Option A), holding a license issued under substantially equivalent criteria (Option B), or holding an active license for at least 10 years (Option C); the board warns endorsement based on comparing a state-specific exam is rarely approved. Applicants who do not qualify for endorsement must pass the Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor exam. Expect $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) in application fees.

Will I have to take Florida's plumbing exam?

Florida licenses plumbing CONTRACTORS, not journeymen (journeyman/tradesworker plumbers are licensed by county and municipal governments). Its Certified Plumbing Contractor examination is waived for out-of-state applicants who certify by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): by passing a national/regional/state exam the board deems substantially equivalent (Option A), holding a license issued under substantially equivalent criteria (Option B), or holding an active license for at least 10 years (Option C); the board warns endorsement based on comparing a state-specific exam is rarely approved. Applicants who do not qualify for endorsement must pass the Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor exam.

What will licensing in Florida cost an out-of-state plumber, and how long does it take?

$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); processing No board-stated processing time.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]