Plumber License from California to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board ↗
A plumbing license transfers from California to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board, verify your California license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. Idaho waives its journeyman plumber written examination for reciprocity applicants who hold an active journeyman license obtained BY EXAMINATION in Montana, Oregon, or Washington and who meet the experience and residency conditions ('No written examination shall be required for the reciprocal certificate when reciprocating from' these states); every other applicant must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman examination.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
California is not among the states Idaho names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Idaho waives its journeyman plumber written examination for reciprocity applicants who hold an active journeyman license obtained BY EXAMINATION in Montana, Oregon, or Washington and who meet the experience and residency conditions ('No written examination shall be required for the reciprocal certificate when reciprocating from' these states); every other applicant must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman examination. Bring your California license, proof that it is active and in good standing, and your apprenticeship and exam records — and get any discretionary exam or experience credit in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, California → Idaho
| California (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No state journeyman plumber license exists, so there is no journeyman fee. For reference, the CSLB C-36 plumbing CONTRACTOR license (contractor tier, out of scope) is $450 original application + $200 initial license fee (sole owner) / $350 (non-sole owner), plus a bond and Live Scan fingerprint fee. | Idaho DOPL journeyman plumber license fees are prorated and reciprocity applicants pay the standard application/license fee, but the exact figure could not be confirmed on a directly loaded DOPL fee schedule because every idaho.gov host was unreachable (connection refused) from the research environment; one search result cited a $147 three-year license fee and another cited roughly $29 license / $22 renewal — the two conflict, so no figure is asserted. Confirm on the DOPL fee schedule |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued | No board-stated processing time in weeks |
| Licensing authority | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Reciprocity: hold an active out-of-state journeyman license obtained by examination in Montana, Oregon, or Washington, shown on a DOPL License Verification Form.
- Reciprocity from Montana or Oregon: document completion of an apprenticeship program and 8,000 hours of work experience.
- Reciprocity from Washington: document 8,000 or 16,000 hours of work experience.
- Applicants reciprocating from Montana or Washington must be a resident of the state where they are licensed at the time of application.
- Standard (non-reciprocity) applicants must document 8,000 hours of supervised experience and pass the IAPMO examination; specialty/appliance/pipe-fitting hours do not count toward journeyman experience.
- Pay the fees (Idaho DOPL journeyman plumber license fees are prorated and reciprocity applicants pay the standard application/license fee, but the exact figure could not be confirmed on a directly loaded DOPL fee schedule because every idaho.gov host was unreachable (connection refused) from the research environment; one search result cited a $147 three-year license fee and another cited roughly $29 license / $22 renewal — the two conflict, so no figure is asserted. Confirm on the DOPL fee schedule) and allow No board-stated processing time in weeks.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a California plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from California to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board, verify your California license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. Idaho waives its journeyman plumber written examination for reciprocity applicants who hold an active journeyman license obtained BY EXAMINATION in Montana, Oregon, or Washington and who meet the experience and residency conditions ('No written examination shall be required for the reciprocal certificate when reciprocating from' these states); every other applicant must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman examination.
Which exam applies moving from California to Idaho?
Idaho waives its journeyman plumber written examination for reciprocity applicants who hold an active journeyman license obtained BY EXAMINATION in Montana, Oregon, or Washington and who meet the experience and residency conditions ('No written examination shall be required for the reciprocal certificate when reciprocating from' these states); every other applicant must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman examination.
What does the California-to-Idaho move cost and how long does it take?
Idaho DOPL journeyman plumber license fees are prorated and reciprocity applicants pay the standard application/license fee, but the exact figure could not be confirmed on a directly loaded DOPL fee schedule because every idaho.gov host was unreachable (connection refused) from the research environment; one search result cited a $147 three-year license fee and another cited roughly $29 license / $22 renewal — the two conflict, so no figure is asserted. Confirm on the DOPL fee schedule; processing No board-stated processing time in weeks.
Can I keep my California plumbing license after I'm licensed in Idaho?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the California 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.
- Idaho DOPL — State Plumbing Board FAQs (reciprocity states and conditions) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Plumbing Journeyman Application Instructions (exam waiver for reciprocity; 8,000-hour experience; IAPMO exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Montana plumbing reciprocity agreement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Oregon plumbing reciprocity agreement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal agreement, Idaho journeyman plumber (mirror) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification detail (plumbing licensed only at contractor level) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocal Classifications List (C-36 reciprocity maps only to Arizona C-37/C-37R) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocity Exam Requirements (trade portion may be waived; Law & Business exam still required; 5-year license) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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