Plumber License from Illinois to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI ↗
No — New Mexico has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois plumbing license holders. You must apply to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI as a new applicant and meet New Mexico's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
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Verdict
Full re-application
New Mexico has no plumbing reciprocity or endorsement covering Illinois, so this is a full journeyman application either way. New Mexico requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the New Mexico Journeyman Plumber (JP) trade examination. The Construction Industries Division reciprocity program that waives the exam and the work-experience affidavit applies ONLY to the Electrical Journeyman (EE98J) classification for holders from the electrical reciprocal group (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming); it does NOT apply to plumbing.. The productive plan: gather proof of the apprenticeship or on-the-job hours you logged in Illinois, register for New Mexico's journeyman exam, and treat your experience as exam preparation and as credit toward New Mexico's experience requirement. Budget a new-applicant timeline and order your certified license history early — it is the long-lead item.
What changes, Illinois → New Mexico
| Illinois (current) | New Mexico (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) | $75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years) |
| 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; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review New Mexico's initial-licensure requirements on the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI website (linked below).
- Expect to meet New Mexico'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 ($75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years)).
- Allow No board-stated processing time; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Mexico accept a Illinois plumbing license?
No — New Mexico has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois plumbing license holders. You must apply to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID); exams and licensing administered by PSI as a new applicant and meet New Mexico's full licensing requirements, including its exams.
Which exam applies moving from Illinois to New Mexico?
New Mexico requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the New Mexico Journeyman Plumber (JP) trade examination. The Construction Industries Division reciprocity program that waives the exam and the work-experience affidavit applies ONLY to the Electrical Journeyman (EE98J) classification for holders from the electrical reciprocal group (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming); it does NOT apply to plumbing..
What does the Illinois-to-New Mexico move cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75 application fee per classification (paid to PSI, refunded if the application is not approved); a separate PSI examination fee applies per exam (amount not stated on the application); certificate valid three years); processing No board-stated processing time; PSI notifies the applicant by email once experience is verified and eligibility cleared, after which the applicant schedules and passes the exam, plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant.
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in New Mexico?
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.
- NM CID / PSI — How to Obtain a Journeyman Certificate (JP = 4,000 hrs, $75/classification fee, reciprocity EE98J only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM Regulation & Licensing Dept — Construction Industries Division ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NMAC 14.6.4 — Journeyman certification (exam/experience; military expedited pathway; no plumbing reciprocity) ↗ (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
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