Plumber License from Iowa to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation ↗
Yes — Delaware has a reciprocity arrangement covering Iowa license holders. Apply to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Iowa is on Delaware's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Iowa license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Delaware waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam). One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Iowa on Delaware's list; the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation link is the live truth.
What changes, Iowa → Delaware
| Iowa (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $30–$180 (Journeyperson license fee is $180 for a full three-year period and is prorated down to roughly $30 depending on issue date; +$25 paper-application fee if not filed online. Reciprocity applicants are not charged the $35-per-trade exam-approval fee or the $99 Kirkwood Community College exam fee because the exam is waived.) | $173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time) |
| Processing time | ~2 weeks (Board indicates it reviews an application/exam-approval submission in up to about two weeks; no reciprocity-specific timeline is published.) | No board-stated processing time |
| Licensing authority | Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) | Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing Master Plumber license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Reciprocity with no added experience is limited to substantially-similar states (currently Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland).
- Reciprocity from Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia requires proof of at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure.
- Delaware has no state journeyman plumber license; the 'journeyman certificate' is an apprenticeship-completion credential (e.g., via the Delaware Department of Labor), not a board license.
- Pay the fees ($173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time)) and allow No board-stated processing time.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a Iowa plumbing license?
Yes — Delaware has a reciprocity arrangement covering Iowa license holders. Apply to the Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners — Division of Professional Regulation under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Iowa to Delaware?
Delaware issues only Master Plumber licenses (no state journeyman license). It grants licensure by reciprocity — without the Delaware master examination — to Master Plumbers currently licensed in a state with substantially similar standards, presently Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland, with no additional experience required; Master Plumbers from 14 other named states qualify by reciprocity only after documenting at least 7 years of practice after Master licensure; applicants from any other jurisdiction have their state's law reviewed and otherwise qualify by examination (apprenticeship by-pass exam).
What does the Iowa-to-Delaware move cost and how long does it take?
$173 ($173 non-refundable Master Plumber application fee submitted through DELPROS; the biennial renewal fee is stated at renewal time); processing No board-stated processing time.
Can I keep my Iowa plumbing license after I'm licensed in Delaware?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Iowa 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.
- Delaware DPR — Master Plumber Licensure (reciprocity: substantially-similar states and 7-year states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Plumbing fee schedule (Master Plumber $173) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Journey Level (journeyperson) plumber license & South Dakota reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Plumbing & Mechanical Systems license fees (journeyperson $180, $25 paper fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Find a record or license (public lookup) ↗ (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]