Plumber License from Illinois to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Plumbing Board ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois is not among the states North Dakota names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the North Dakota State Plumbing Board's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations.. Bring your Illinois 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, Illinois → North Dakota
| Illinois (current) | North Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $225 (Application fee for a plumber registered or licensed in Chicago or outside Illinois is $225 (an in-state Illinois licensed-apprentice applicant pays $175); a separate $150 plumber's license fee applies on issuance (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100). The City-of-Chicago reciprocity (license without exam) carries a $150 license fee. Returned-check fee $100) | $150–$250 ($50 application fee (N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01-01) plus the license fee — journeyman $100 (total $150) or master $200 (total $250, statutory maximums under NDCC ch. 43-18); a separate $50 examination fee applies only to applicants who must test, so reciprocity (endorsement) applicants avoid it) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the examination application is due at least 30 days before the examination date | No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | North Dakota State Plumbing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Plumbing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Journeyman (non-reciprocity): complete four years and 7,600 hours as an apprentice under a licensed master plumber, then pass the ND journeyman written and practical exams.
- Master: two years and 3,400 hours as a licensed journeyman, and be at least 21.
- Reciprocity applicants must submit a Certificate of Endorsement from the licensing state (a license copy is not sufficient).
- Nonresident licensure without examination requires the home state's requirements to be substantially equivalent to North Dakota's.
- Pay the fees ($150–$250 ($50 application fee (N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01-01) plus the license fee — journeyman $100 (total $150) or master $200 (total $250, statutory maximums under NDCC ch. 43-18); a separate $50 examination fee applies only to applicants who must test, so reciprocity (endorsement) applicants avoid it)) and allow No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Dakota accept a Illinois plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations..
Which exam applies moving from Illinois to North Dakota?
North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations..
What does the Illinois-to-North Dakota move cost and how long does it take?
$150–$250 ($50 application fee (N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01-01) plus the license fee — journeyman $100 (total $150) or master $200 (total $250, statutory maximums under NDCC ch. 43-18); a separate $50 examination fee applies only to applicants who must test, so reciprocity (endorsement) applicants avoid it); processing No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting.
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in North Dakota?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Illinois 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.
- ND State Plumbing Board — FAQ (reciprocity with MN/MT/SD; exam fees; experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ND State Plumbing Board — Plumber Licensure (reciprocity statute; license fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ND State Plumbing Board — License/Renewal Fees (journeyman $100, master $200) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- N.D. Admin. Code Article 62-02-01 Plumber Licensure ($50 application fee 62-02-01-01, $100 journeyman license fee, $50 examination fee 62-02-01-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Examination for Plumber's License (fees $175 in-state / $225 out-of-state; out-of-state section; 4-year 225 ILCS 320/10(d) requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Plumber's License Reciprocity with the City of Chicago License Without Examination ($150 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100 — Plumbers' and Apprentice Plumbers' Examination and Licensure Fees (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Plumbing program (license types, license verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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