Plumber License from Idaho to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services ↗
Yes — Oregon has a reciprocity arrangement covering Idaho license holders. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Idaho is on Oregon's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Idaho license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Oregon waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Oregon waives its journeyman plumber (JP) exam only for applicants who hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license, earned by testing, in a state Oregon has a JP reciprocity agreement with — currently only Idaho and Montana; every other out-of-state plumber must qualify through experience and training and pass the Oregon journeyman exam. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Idaho on Oregon's list; the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services link is the live truth.
What changes, Idaho → Oregon
| Idaho (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application 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 | $100 ($100 journeyman plumber license application fee (OAR 918-780-0030); biennial renewal $180 including a $30 continuing-education tracking fee. OAR 918-780-0030 lists no separate reciprocal-license fee, so the standard $100 application fee applies.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time in weeks | No board-stated processing time for reciprocal license issuance (the two-week figure the division cites applies to exam results, which reciprocity applicants do not take). |
| Licensing authority | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license from Idaho or Montana, current and active with no violations or conditions within the past three years.
- The reciprocal license must have been earned by examination in the reciprocating state (Oregon accepts a reciprocal license only from a state in which the applicant tested).
- Complete the BCD Reciprocal Plumbing License Application.
- Pay the fees ($100 ($100 journeyman plumber license application fee (OAR 918-780-0030); biennial renewal $180 including a $30 continuing-education tracking fee. OAR 918-780-0030 lists no separate reciprocal-license fee, so the standard $100 application fee applies.)) and allow No board-stated processing time for reciprocal license issuance (the two-week figure the division cites applies to exam results, which reciprocity applicants do not take)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept a Idaho plumbing license?
Yes — Oregon has a reciprocity arrangement covering Idaho license holders. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Idaho to Oregon?
Oregon waives its journeyman plumber (JP) exam only for applicants who hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license, earned by testing, in a state Oregon has a JP reciprocity agreement with — currently only Idaho and Montana; every other out-of-state plumber must qualify through experience and training and pass the Oregon journeyman exam.
What does the Idaho-to-Oregon move cost and how long does it take?
$100 ($100 journeyman plumber license application fee (OAR 918-780-0030); biennial renewal $180 including a $30 continuing-education tracking fee. OAR 918-780-0030 lists no separate reciprocal-license fee, so the standard $100 application fee applies.); processing No board-stated processing time for reciprocal license issuance (the two-week figure the division cites applies to exam results, which reciprocity applicants do not take)..
Can I keep my Idaho plumbing license after I'm licensed in Oregon?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Idaho 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.
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal licenses (Journeyman Plumbers: Idaho and Montana) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon BCD — Journeyman plumber license (application requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OAR 918-780-0030 — Plumbing License Fees ($100 journeyman application; $180 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]