Plumber License from Illinois to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Illinois license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois is not among the states Maine names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)'s individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman exam. Bring your Illinois 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, Illinois → Maine
| Illinois (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $225 (Application fee for a plumber registered or licensed in Chicago or outside Illinois is $225 (an in-state Illinois licensed-apprentice applicant pays $175); a separate $150 plumber's license fee applies on issuance (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100). The City-of-Chicago reciprocity (license without exam) carries a $150 license fee. Returned-check fee $100) | $200 ($200 journeyman plumber license fee (biennial renewal also $200); +$21 criminal background check fee (surcharge, not in the range). A separate examination fee applies on the exam track but was not listed on the official fee schedule.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the examination application is due at least 30 days before the examination date | No board-stated processing time; since 2024 all applications, exams, and renewals are filed through Maine's online licensing system. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- For reciprocity: hold a license in a state whose standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants reciprocal privileges to Maine licensees, and file a sworn application with a certified statement verifying that licensure (Title 32 sec. 3504-A).
- Standard journeyman path: complete at least 4,000 hours (about two years) as a licensed trainee plumber, or at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman-in-training, then pass the journeyman exam with at least 70%.
- Undergo a criminal background check.
- File the application, fee, and license fee through Maine's online licensing system (required since January 1, 2024).
- Pay the fees ($200 ($200 journeyman plumber license fee (biennial renewal also $200); +$21 criminal background check fee (surcharge, not in the range). A separate examination fee applies on the exam track but was not listed on the official fee schedule.)) and allow No board-stated processing time; since 2024 all applications, exams, and renewals are filed through Maine's online licensing system..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a Illinois plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Plumbers' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Illinois license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman exam.
Which exam applies moving from Illinois to Maine?
Maine may issue a journeyman plumber license without its exam to an applicant licensed in another state whose licensing standards and experience requirements are at least equivalent to Maine's and that grants Maine plumbers the same privilege (Title 32 sec. 3504-A); no partner states are named, and an applicant who does not meet that equivalency/reciprocal test must pass the Maine journeyman exam.
What does the Illinois-to-Maine move cost and how long does it take?
$200 ($200 journeyman plumber license fee (biennial renewal also $200); +$21 criminal background check fee (surcharge, not in the range). A separate examination fee applies on the exam track but was not listed on the official fee schedule.); processing No board-stated processing time; since 2024 all applications, exams, and renewals are filed through Maine's online licensing system..
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in Maine?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Illinois 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.
- Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 sec. 3504-A — Reciprocity (Plumbers' Examining Board) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Plumbers' Examining Board individual licenses (fees, experience hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Plumbers' Examining Board online license verification lookup (ALMS) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Examination for Plumber's License (fees $175 in-state / $225 out-of-state; out-of-state section; 4-year 225 ILCS 320/10(d) requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Plumber's License Reciprocity with the City of Chicago License Without Examination ($150 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100 — Plumbers' and Apprentice Plumbers' Examination and Licensure Fees (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Plumbing program (license types, license verification link) ↗ (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]