Idaho Plumber License Reciprocity

Which States Have Reciprocity With Idaho

Idaho maintains active plumbing reciprocity agreements with three neighboring states: Washington, Oregon, and Montana. If you hold a journeyman plumber license in one of these states, you can obtain an Idaho journeyman license without taking the Idaho trade exam — but only if you follow the process correctly.

These agreements are bilateral, meaning Idaho-licensed journeymen can also pursue reciprocal licenses in those states, though each state sets its own requirements for incoming applicants.

No other states have reciprocity agreements with Idaho. If you're licensed in California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, or anywhere else, you'll need to go through Idaho's standard application and examination process.

Requirements by State

Each reciprocity agreement has distinct eligibility criteria:

Washington → Idaho:

• Hold an active Washington journeyman plumber license
• Maintain current Washington residency (you must be a Washington resident at the time of application)
• No minimum post-licensure experience period specified

Oregon → Idaho:

• Hold an active Oregon journeyman plumber license
• At least six months of active post-licensure experience in Oregon
• No residency restriction specified

Montana → Idaho:

• Hold an active Montana journeyman plumber license
• At least one year of active post-licensure experience in Montana
• Provide official proof of Montana residency

The key differences: Washington requires current residency but no experience minimum. Oregon requires experience but no residency. Montana requires both.

The Exam Registration Trap

This is the single most important thing to understand about Idaho plumbing reciprocity, and the most common way movers permanently lose their eligibility:

If you register for or take the Idaho plumbing exam before applying through reciprocity, you permanently forfeit your right to use the reciprocity pathway.

Under the reciprocity agreements, once an individual registers for or sits for the state exam, they can only receive a license by passing the examination. The reciprocity option is gone — irreversibly.

This matters because the intuition is backwards. A plumber who moves to Idaho might think: "I'll register for the exam as a backup, and also apply through reciprocity." That registration kills the reciprocity option. Apply through reciprocity first, wait for a decision, and only pursue the exam route if reciprocity is denied.

How to Apply

The reciprocity application goes through DOPL. Here's the general process:

1. Verify your eligibility. Confirm your existing state license is active (not expired, suspended, or in any limited status). Confirm you meet the experience and/or residency requirements for your state's agreement.

2. Request documentation from your current state. You'll need a certified license history from your state licensing board and potentially work verification forms from your employers.

3. Submit to DOPL. Contact DOPL's trade licensing staff at [email protected] to request an examination waiver and initiate the reciprocity process. Submit your certified license history, any required work verification documentation, and the standard application fee.

4. Do not register for the PSI exam. This bears repeating. Any contact with PSI about the Idaho trade exam before your reciprocity application is processed puts you at risk of losing the exemption.

5. Receive your Idaho license. Once DOPL approves your reciprocity application, you'll receive your Idaho journeyman license through the same process as any new licensee — digital license via email, typically within one business day of approval.

What Reciprocity Doesn't Cover

The reciprocity agreements cover the journeyman license specifically. They do not automatically grant a contractor license. If you want to operate a plumbing business in Idaho, you'll still need to:

• Accumulate 30 months of journeyman experience (your out-of-state experience may count, but DOPL evaluates this individually)
• Pass the Idaho contractor exam through PSI
• Obtain bonding and insurance per Idaho requirements

The reciprocity also doesn't exempt you from understanding Idaho's specific regulatory landscape. Local permitting works differently than in your home state, the code enforcement authority split between DOPL and municipal building departments is Idaho-specific, and the biennial renewal cycle may be different from what you're used to.

For a complete walkthrough of the reciprocity process and the steps to get working in Idaho as quickly as possible, the Idaho Plumber License Guide includes a reciprocity decision tree and application checklist.

See more Idaho guides →