Plumber License: Florida → Texas

A step-by-step breakdown of what it takes for a licensed plumber in Florida to become licensed in Texas, based on Texas's current no direct path — florida's state plumbing license is a contractor license, but texas licenses only individual plumbers rules.

No Direct Path — Florida's State Plumbing License Is a Contractor License, but Texas Licenses Only Individual Plumbers

Source: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) ↗

Updated September 30, 2026

Portability Score

10/100

Difficult Transfer

PermitBridge's own estimate, based on the exam, fee, and processing-time factors below — not an official government rating.

Exam: Required
Processing: Processing time not published by the board
Fee: $95
Extra Hours: 48h

Step-by-Step Process

1
Texas TSBPE has no blanket reciprocity agreement with Florida — its only confirmed signed reciprocal agreement is with Louisiana (confirmed directly from tsbpe.texas.gov/louisianareciprocity/); a second reciprocal state, Arkansas, appears in secondary sourcing but has not been independently fetch-confirmed; Florida is not on this list under either version of it.
2
Texas licenses plumbers only as individuals (Tradesman Plumber-Limited, Journeyman, Master, Inspector) — there is no plumbing company or contractor license. Florida's state-issued plumbing credential is the opposite kind: a Certified Plumbing Contractor license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board.
3
TSBPE's Out-of-State Examination (the shortcut that skips Texas's coursework and job-site-hour requirements) requires a 'current, state-issued Residential, Journeyman or Master plumbing license' held for 2 years. A Florida contractor certification is not a Journeyman or Master Plumber license, and locally issued (county) journeyman cards are not state-issued — so this shortcut does not apply to a Florida plumber on its face.
4
The route that remains is Texas's standard one: register as a Plumber's Apprentice ($15), document 8,000 hours of experience under a Texas Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) or a Master Plumber licensed in another state, complete 48 hours of approved classroom training, then pass the Journeyman exam ($40 exam fee, $40 license fee).
5
Experience gained in Florida counts toward the 8,000 hours only if it was supervised by a 'Master Plumber licensed in another state' — a credential Florida does not issue at the state level, so how TSBPE treats Florida experience is a case-by-case question.
6
To run a plumbing business in Texas, the company must secure at least one Responsible Master Plumber: a Texas Master Plumber (eligible after holding a Journeyman license for 2 years; $175 exam, $75 license) who dedicates the license to that one company ($300 RMP license). A Florida contractor certification does not satisfy this.
7
A failed exam carries a mandatory waiting period before retesting: 30 days after a first failure, 60 days after a second, 90 days after a third or later failure.

Note: CORRECTED 2026-09-30. The previous version of this record (2026-09-20) said the Out-of-State Examination pathway was 'open to any current Journeyman or Master Plumber license from another state, including Florida' and presented it as a 2-year, $40 shortcut. That was unsupported: it equated Florida's Certified Plumbing Contractor license with a Journeyman/Master Plumber license. Re-verified by direct pdftotext extraction of TSBPE's current Out-of-State Examination Application (revised March 2026): minimum requirements include 'Proof applicant is currently licensed as a Journeyman or Master Plumber in another state' held for two years, and the checklist requires a 'Legible copy of the applicant's current, state-issued Residential, Journeyman or Master plumbing license.' TSBPE's current Administrative Rules (March 13, 2026) confirm Texas issues only individual licenses (§365.1) and that a person or company may not offer plumbing to the public unless it 'has secured the services of at least one RMP holding a current Master Plumber License' (§367.9). Standard-route requirements from the same rules: Journeyman §363.5 (48 classroom hours, 8,000 hours under a RMP or 'a Master Plumber licensed in another state', plus an Apprentice Registration, Tradesman-Limited license, or out-of-state Journeyman license); Master §363.4 (Journeyman license held 2 years, or 1 year with an approved apprenticeship). Fees per §361.6: Apprentice Registration $15, Journeyman exam $40, Journeyman license $40, Master exam $175, Master license $75, RMP license $300. feeUsd ($95) is the sum of TSBPE's own fees to reach a Journeyman license; Pearson VUE, fingerprinting, and training-provider costs are not included. Florida side: Rule 61G4-15.001, F.A.C., sets Plumbing as a contractor certification classification; the CILB certifies contractors, not journeyman or master plumbers. needs_review: that Florida issues no state-level individual journeyman or master plumber license is inferred from CILB's contractor-only certification categories, not from a statute read directly here; and whether TSBPE credits Florida experience toward the 8,000 hours is not stated in its rules. Either way the Out-of-State shortcut still fails the form's 'state-issued Journeyman or Master' wording. Arkansas's status as a second reciprocal state remains WebSearch-sourced only and does not affect this record.

Plumber Transfers From Florida to Other States

State	Pathway	Exam?	Score	Link
California	Full New Application Required — No Reciprocity or Exam Waiver Available for C-36	Yes	15	View
New York	Universal License Recognition (Endorsement)	Yes	50	View
Ohio	Out-of-State Licensee Examination Route — No Reciprocity; Ohio Exam Still Required	Yes	40	View

Frequently Asked Questions About This Transfer

Can I transfer my plumber license from Florida to Texas?+

Yes, via no direct path — florida's state plumbing license is a contractor license, but texas licenses only individual plumbers. You will need to pass TSBPE Journeyman Plumber examination (computer-based + practical) after the standard apprentice route; Master Plumber examination later — the Out-of-State Examination is not available to a Florida contractor certification. The licensing board does not publish a processing time.

How much does it cost to transfer a plumber license to Texas?+

Budget approximately $95 for the Texas application fee alone. Exam fees, if required, and any additional continuing-education hours are typically separate costs charged by third-party providers.

Can a master plumber license transfer to any state?+

No. Master plumber classifications and hour requirements differ enough between states that most receiving states require verification of experience hours and, frequently, a local trade or business/law exam even for master-level applicants.