Plumber License from Montana to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-01 · source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board ↗
Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering Montana license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Montana is on Idaho's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Montana license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Idaho waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. 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. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Montana on Idaho's list; the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board link is the live truth.
What changes, Montana → Idaho
| Montana (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $400 (Reciprocity path: $400 total ($100 application fee + $300 reciprocity fee). The examination path is instead $270 ($100 application + $170 license). Optional $100 temporary journeyman work permit if requested) | $51.9 ($51.90 non-refundable application/processing fee, charged at the same rate whether the application type is Initial, Reciprocal, or Reopen Closed License (DOPL Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03). Not included in this amount: the IAPMO journeyman examination fee paid to PSI, later renewal fees, and the 2.5% Access Idaho surcharge added when paying by credit or debit card. idaho.gov hosts still refused direct connections on 2026-09-01, so the DOPL application form was read from an Internet Archive capture of the board's own PDF) |
| Processing time | ~4 weeks (Board states complete, routine applications are processed within 30 days (about 4 weeks); non-routine applications requiring Board review take longer, and applicants are notified of status within 30 days of receipt) | No board-stated processing time in weeks |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division | 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 reciprocity 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 ($51.9 ($51.90 non-refundable application/processing fee, charged at the same rate whether the application type is Initial, Reciprocal, or Reopen Closed License (DOPL Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03). Not included in this amount: the IAPMO journeyman examination fee paid to PSI, later renewal fees, and the 2.5% Access Idaho surcharge added when paying by credit or debit card. idaho.gov hosts still refused direct connections on 2026-09-01, so the DOPL application form was read from an Internet Archive capture of the board's own PDF)) and allow No board-stated processing time in weeks.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Montana plumbing license?
Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering Montana license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Montana 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 Montana-to-Idaho move cost and how long does it take?
$51.9 ($51.90 non-refundable application/processing fee, charged at the same rate whether the application type is Initial, Reciprocal, or Reopen Closed License (DOPL Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03). Not included in this amount: the IAPMO journeyman examination fee paid to PSI, later renewal fees, and the 2.5% Access Idaho surcharge added when paying by credit or debit card. idaho.gov hosts still refused direct connections on 2026-09-01, so the DOPL application form was read from an Internet Archive capture of the board's own PDF); processing No board-stated processing time in weeks.
Can I keep my Montana plumbing license after I'm licensed in Idaho?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Montana 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 2026-09-01.
- 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)
- Idaho DOPL — Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03 ($51.90 application fee for Initial, Reciprocal, and Reopen Closed License; Internet Archive capture of the DOPL PDF dated 2026-02-14, used because idaho.gov refuses direct connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
- Montana Board of Plumbers — Journeyman Plumber Application (reciprocity states, fees $100/$300/$170, 5 yr/7,500 hr experience, 30-day processing, 2012 UPC exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana Board of Plumbers — Journeyman Plumber by Out of State / Reciprocity Checklist (ARM 24.180.603, 37-1-304 MCA; $400 reciprocity total) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-01
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]