Does my license transfer to another state?

Sometimes. It depends on two things: whether the state licenses individual workers at all, and whether it holds a reciprocity agreement with the state that issued your card. Open your trade above, then any state, to see exactly whose licenses it accepts.

Do you need a license to weld?

No — no state licenses welders as welders, so there is no welder license to transfer. What travels is certification: AWS papers go with you, ASME qualifications stay with the employer.

What does reciprocity actually mean?

A reciprocity agreement lets one state accept another state’s license without making you sit the exam again. They are not mutual by default — a state accepting Ohio cards does not mean Ohio accepts theirs, so the direction of travel matters.

Can I work while my application is pending?

In some states yes, under a temporary permit or while supervised by a licensed worker. In others you cannot touch the job until the card is in hand. Every state page answers this specifically, because guessing wrong costs you the trip.

Where does this information come from?

Every state’s rules are read from the licensing board or the statute itself — never from another directory — and every page carries the date it was last checked.

Do I need a license to work as a plumber in Delaware?

Delaware licenses plumbing contractors, not individual workers. As a hired plumber you usually do not need a personal state license; the license belongs to the contracting business.

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Plumber licensing in Delaware

Contractors licensed, workers not

Delaware licenses plumbing contractors, not individual workers. Working for a licensed contractor you can usually start day one, with no card of your own and nothing to transfer in.

Check a license at the Delaware board →

✓ Verified 10 August 2026 · board verified

Starting as an apprentice

Delaware has no apprentice credential — you can start with no card of your own

Who issues it: Delaware DOL, Office of Apprenticeship and Training

The plumbing board does not register apprentices. You apply to a registered sponsor, get hired, and the sponsor registers you. No state apprentice fee was identified.

The master plumber license

Delaware licenses this trade at the MASTER level only - the Master Plumber license is the state's one plumber license, with no journeyman tier beneath it. It takes an apprenticeship completion plus 2 years under a master, or 7 years of work under a master.

What it is called: Master Plumber license
Who issues it: Delaware Board of Plumbing/HVACR Examiners (DPR)

Apply for your Delaware master license →

Workers under a master hold no state card at all - they are statutorily exempt. The "journeyman certificate" here is an apprenticeship completion document, not a license.

Bringing your license from another state

Delaware issues no statewide plumber license to the individual worker — there is nothing to reciprocate into. The licensed party is the plumbing CONTRACTOR (the business), so your out-of-state card neither transfers nor blocks you here.

Can you work while it is pending?

There is no state worker license to wait for. You work as the employee of a licensed plumbing contractor, and any waiting belongs to the employer's credentials, permits, and local requirements — confirm the specifics with the Delaware Board of Plumbing Examiners and the local building department before the first shift.

The exam and the hours

No state journeyman exam exists — the board issues master-level licenses only — no journeyman plumber credential exists in Delaware, so a resume claiming a 'Delaware journeyman plumber license' is claiming something that does not exist.

How apprenticing works here

No state apprentice card exists. Entry-level workers are hired directly by contractors; a formally registered apprenticeship runs through a US DOL sponsor, not a state plumbing board.

The local picture

Cities and counties may run their own plumbing rules, permits, and in some places their own licensing — check the city where the job sits before assuming the state-level answer is the whole answer.

If you want to contract for yourself

The contractor credential is the regulated one: the master plumber license is Delaware's contracting credential, and it is what Maryland's master-only reciprocity lane refers to.

Verified August 10, 2026 · source confidence: board-verified
Checked against the state board or statute. Rules change — confirm with the board before you travel or accept work. This is information, not legal advice.