Plumber License from Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio, 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 Ohio, 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, Ohio → New Mexico
| Ohio (current) | New Mexico (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $25 ($25.00 non-refundable reciprocity application fee per trade; proof of at least $500,000 contractor liability insurance required. Non-reciprocal applicants pay a $25 exam application fee plus BCI and FBI background-check costs.) | $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; reciprocity applications are approved or denied by board review. | 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 | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance | 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 Ohio plumbing license?
No — New Mexico has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio-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 Ohio plumbing license after I'm licensed in New Mexico?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Ohio 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)
- OCILB Examination Application (state commercial plumbing contractor license; $25 fee; five-year experience; trades include Plumbing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OCILB South Carolina Reciprocity Application (PL trade; exam waived for tested SC licensees; $25 per trade) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OCILB West Virginia Mechanical Reciprocity Application (PL trade; must hold WV Master Plumber + WV Contractor license, tested not grandfathered) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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