Plumber License from Maryland to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation ↗
Yes — Delaware has a reciprocity arrangement covering Maryland license holders. Apply to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Maryland is on Delaware's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Maryland license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Delaware waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam). One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Maryland on Delaware's list; the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation link is the live truth.
What changes, Maryland → Delaware
| Maryland (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time) |
| Processing time | ~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.) | No board-stated processing time |
| Licensing authority | Maryland State Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) | Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing Master Plumber license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Reciprocity with no added experience is limited to substantially-similar states (currently Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland).
- Reciprocity from Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia requires proof of at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure.
- Delaware has no state journeyman plumber license; the 'journeyman certificate' is an apprenticeship-completion credential (e.g., via the Delaware Department of Labor), not a board license.
- Pay the fees ($173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time)) and allow No board-stated processing time.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a Maryland plumbing license?
Yes — Delaware has a reciprocity arrangement covering Maryland license holders. Apply to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Maryland to Delaware?
Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam).
What does the Maryland-to-Delaware move cost and how long does it take?
$173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time); processing No board-stated processing time.
Can I keep my Maryland plumbing license after I'm licensed in Delaware?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Maryland 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.
- Delaware DPR — Master Plumber Licensure (reciprocity: substantially-similar states and 7-year states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Plumbing fee schedule (Master Plumber $173) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]