Plumber License from Georgia to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Georgia to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing), verify your Georgia license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia is not among the states Maryland names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing)'s individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant.. Bring your Georgia 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, Georgia → Maryland
| Georgia (current) | Maryland (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) | $43.5 (Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter original license fee is $43.50; the board publishes no separate reciprocity application fee, so reciprocal applicants pay the license fee. No fingerprint/background surcharge is listed.) |
| 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 | ~2 weeks (Board FAQ states a license is mailed within about two weeks of applying; this is stated for original licenses and reciprocal processing time is not separately specified.) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Office of the Secretary of State) | Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current journey plumber/gas fitter license obtained by examination in Washington, D.C., Baltimore County, or WSSC, in good standing.
- For Baltimore County or WSSC reciprocity, hold BOTH the plumbing and the gas portion of the license.
- Submit a license verification letter from the issuing jurisdiction.
- Hold current backflow prevention device certification.
- New-applicant journey path (if no reciprocity): 4 years as a licensed apprentice, 7,500 hours OJT under a master plumber, 32-hour backflow course, and pass the exam.
- Pay the fees ($43.5 (Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter original license fee is $43.50; the board publishes no separate reciprocity application fee, so reciprocal applicants pay the license fee. No fingerprint/background surcharge is listed.)) and allow ~2 weeks (Board FAQ states a license is mailed within about two weeks of applying; this is stated for original licenses and reciprocal processing time is not separately specified.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a Georgia plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Georgia to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing), verify your Georgia license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant..
Which exam applies moving from Georgia to Maryland?
Maryland waives its journey plumber examination only for applicants already licensed by examination as a journey plumber/gas fitter in Washington, D.C. (and, at the master level only, in Delaware), plus its own intrastate jurisdictions of Baltimore County and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC); reciprocity is granted only where that jurisdiction reciprocally waives its exam for Maryland licensees. Every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Maryland journey plumber/gas fitter examination as a new applicant..
What does the Georgia-to-Maryland move cost and how long does it take?
$43.5 (Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter original license fee is $43.50; the board publishes no separate reciprocity application fee, so reciprocal applicants pay the license fee. No fingerprint/background surcharge is listed.); processing ~2 weeks (Board FAQ states a license is mailed within about two weeks of applying; this is stated for original licenses and reciprocal processing time is not separately specified.).
Can I keep my Georgia plumbing license after I'm licensed in Maryland?
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.
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Reciprocal Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Forms and Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — License Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing — Licensing FAQs (processing time, verification) ↗ (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
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