Plumber License from Georgia to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) ↗
No — California has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Georgia plumbing license holders. You must apply to the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) as a new applicant and meet California's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full re-application
There is nothing at the state level to transfer your Georgia license into: California issues no statewide plumbing license, so plumbers there are licensed at the contractor level or by cities and counties. Not applicable at the journeyman level — California issues no state journeyman plumber license, so there is no state journeyman trade exam. Plumbing is licensed only at the contractor level by the Contractors State License Board (C-36 Plumbing). At that contractor tier, CSLB has a reciprocity agreement covering the C-36 classification with Arizona only: an Arizona C-37 or C-37R contractor who has held that license active and in good standing for the previous five years may have the C-36 trade exam waived (CSLB reserves the right to require it), but must still pass CSLB's Law and Business exam. CSLB's other reciprocity partners (Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina) do not map to C-36 Plumbing.. The move is a local or contractor-board application, not a reciprocity filing — identify the authority that governs your worksite and work from its exam, experience, and fee rules. Your Georgia license may count toward a local experience requirement, but California has no state credential for it to reciprocate into.
What changes, Georgia → California
| Georgia (current) | California (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $80–$160 (Journeyman ~$80 ($70 application + $10 processing); master ~$160 ($150 application + $10 processing) per the Division's plumbing exam/initial-application form. Examination administered by PSI with a separate exam fee paid to PSI; that exam is waived only for a qualifying reciprocity applicant under Rule 121-2-.03. Fee figures obtained via search extraction of the Division's official forms because the sos.ga.gov fee-schedule PDF returned HTTP 403 on direct load) | 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. |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time in weeks; the Division publishes exam dates and application deadlines and an application must be approved before the scheduled examination | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Office of the Secretary of State) | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — California sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review California's initial-licensure requirements on the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) website (linked below).
- Expect to meet California'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 (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.).
- Allow Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does California accept a Georgia plumbing license?
No — California has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Georgia plumbing license holders. You must apply to the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) as a new applicant and meet California's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from Georgia to California?
Not applicable at the journeyman level — California issues no state journeyman plumber license, so there is no state journeyman trade exam. Plumbing is licensed only at the contractor level by the Contractors State License Board (C-36 Plumbing). At that contractor tier, CSLB has a reciprocity agreement covering the C-36 classification with Arizona only: an Arizona C-37 or C-37R contractor who has held that license active and in good standing for the previous five years may have the C-36 trade exam waived (CSLB reserves the right to require it), but must still pass CSLB's Law and Business exam. CSLB's other reciprocity partners (Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina) do not map to C-36 Plumbing..
What does the Georgia-to-California move cost and how long does it take?
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.; processing Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued.
Can I keep my Georgia plumbing license after I'm licensed in California?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Georgia 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.
- 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)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-2 (Qualifications) incl. Rule 121-2-.03 Statewide License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-3 (Application for Licensure — 1-yr journeyman / 5-yr master experience, exam minimum score 70) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ (reciprocity statement) ↗ (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]