WAC 296-400A-070   Can I work as a certified plumber in Washington without taking the Washington state plumbers' competency examination?  You may be eligible to work in Washington state without taking an examination if:

     (1) You have a current plumbers certificate or license from another state; and

     (2) That state has a current reciprocal agreement with the department of labor and industries; and

     (3) You pay the reciprocity application fee and journeyman or specialty certificate fee shown in WAC 296-400A-045.

     The director of labor and industries negotiates reciprocal agreements with states that have equivalent requirements for certification and licensing of journeyman and specialty plumbers. The agreement allows plumbers from those states to work in Washington and Washington-certified plumbers to work in the other state without taking competency examinations. To find out if your state has an agreement with the department, contact the plumber's certification clerk at the department's Tumwater, WA headquarters.

     Reciprocity agreements cannot be used to take the Washington state competency examination instead of the examination in your home state.

     (4)(a) Those actively certified by the department of health on or before July 1, 2001, as backflow assembly testers and registered as a contractor under chapter 18.27 RCW or employed by a registered contractor, may perform maintenance and repair of backflow prevention assemblies, without being a certified plumber under chapter 18.106 RCW and these rules, until January 1, 2003.

     (b) After January 1, 2003, backflow assembly testers exempted under (a) of this subsection are required to meet the eligibility requirements for a specialty plumber's certificate of competency under chapter 18.106 RCW and these rules.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.040, 18.106.140, 2001 c 281, and chapter 18.106 RCW. 02-14-074, § 296-400A-070, filed 6/28/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.106 RCW. 98-13-126, § 296-400A-070, filed 6/17/98, effective 7/20/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.106.050, [18.106.]070,[18.106.]110 , [18.106.]125, [18.106.]140 and [18.106.]270. 97-11-052, § 296-400A-070, filed 5/20/97, effective 6/30/97.]