Arizona to Iowa: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Arizona does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Iowa's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman plumber (all states except South Dakota): Iowa exam required; licensure by verification for Iowa residents
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Iowa has no plumbing reciprocity agreement with any state other than South Dakota, so a journeyman plumber from any other state must pass the Iowa journeyperson plumbing exam. An applicant who has established Iowa residency may apply for licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 and 481 IAC 430.4: the origin state sends a verification form directly to the board confirming the license is in good standing and was earned by meeting that state's experience requirements and exam, and the applicant supplies proof of residency and a criminal history statement; the board nevertheless requires proof of passing the applicable Iowa licensing exam and may issue a temporary license in the meantime. A non-resident applies through the ordinary exam route: the $35 Exam Approval Application, the Kirkwood-administered journeyperson plumbing exam ($99 per attempt, 75% to pass, approval valid one year), then the post-examination licensure application and a prorated three-year license fee ($180 for a full term). Exam eligibility on DIAL's page is either the U.S. DOL apprenticeship certificate of completion or a master-level plumbing license from another jurisdiction; a journeyman license alone is not listed as a substitute for the apprenticeship. An Iowa resident arriving from a jurisdiction that did not license plumbers may substitute three years of full-time plumbing work in the last four years under 481 IAC 430.5 and must still pass the exam.
DIAL's journey page lists the Kirkwood exam fee as $99 per attempt while the master page lists $95; both are quoted as published. DIAL's journey page frames an out-of-state master license as an alternative to 'four years of apprenticeship AND passing the Iowa exam' and offers a 'Journey by Master' application, but adds 'If you need to sit for the examination, please see the Examination page'; whether a holder of an out-of-state master plumbing license receives an Iowa journey license without any exam was not confirmed and Iowa Code 105.18 (as read 2026-09-15) requires every journeyperson to pass the state exam, so this rule treats the exam as required. Whether the board accepts an out-of-state journeyman license (without a DOL certificate) as meeting the apprenticeship requirement for a non-resident is not stated on any page fetched. Timeline reflects up to two weeks for exam approval plus up to six weeks for application review, excluding exam scheduling.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 60 days
What you must already have
- Your Arizona license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.For licensure by verification: no revocation, voluntary surrender under investigation, unresolved discipline or pending complaint in any jurisdiction (272C.12; 481 IAC 430.4(3)).
- Your Arizona license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Licensure by verification requires established Iowa residency or a military spouse's permanent change of station to Iowa (272C.12; 481 IAC 430.4); non-residents use the standard exam route
- Exam eligibility: four years as an apprentice in a U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship-registered program (certificate of completion), or a master-level plumbing license from another jurisdiction (DIAL journey page; Iowa Code 105.18)
- You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.
What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). Exam Approval Application fee, per trade discipline exam (DIAL fees page).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Iowa Journeyperson Plumbing examination administered through Kirkwood Community College at 15 Iowa test sites; 75% to pass; exam approval valid one year; also required of licensure-by-verification applicants under 481 IAC 430.4.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($99). Kirkwood Community College examination fee, per attempt (as listed on DIAL's journey license page).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($180). Journeyperson license fee for a full three-year term (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2029), prorated by half-year for later issuance (e.g. $90 for Jan-Jun of year 2); same amount for a license by verification.
- 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25) (if applicable). Paper application fee if not filed through the DIAL online licensing portal.
- 6Background check. Complete a background check. Documentation of any criminal convictions (felony convictions reviewed by the board); licensure-by-verification applicants submit a complete criminal record and any disciplinary documents (481 IAC 430.4). Lawful presence is verified through SAVE..
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Eight classroom hours of board-approved continuing education per three-year term to renew (Iowa Code 105.20); not required for initial licensure.
Published fees on this path total $314, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee · $99
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Iowa licenses journeyman plumbers
Iowa journeyman plumber · “Journeyperson Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)
Iowa issues a statewide, person-held Journeyperson Plumber license through the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (PMSB), now part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL); Iowa Code 105.17 preempts all city and county plumber licensing. A journeyperson works under the supervision of a master plumber. A new applicant must be 18, disclose any criminal convictions, complete four years as an apprentice in a U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship, and pass the Iowa journeyperson plumbing exam, which is approved by the board ($35 application) and administered through Kirkwood Community College ($99 per attempt, 75% to pass). Iowa's only reciprocity agreement is with the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (May 2016) and covers journeyperson and master plumbers licensed by written examination; every other out-of-state journeyman must pass the Iowa exam, although a master plumber licensed in another jurisdiction may qualify for the Iowa journey license without the apprenticeship. Licenses run on a three-year cycle (current period ends June 30, 2029) with a full-term fee of $180, prorated for mid-cycle issuance, and renewal requires eight hours of board-approved continuing education per term.
Why Arizona has nothing to transfer
Arizona journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (City of Phoenix)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department (no state journeyman licence)
Arizona has no state journeyman plumber licence. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses only plumbing contractors (C-37 commercial, R-37 residential including solar, CR-37 dual), and an individual plumber works as an employee of a licensed contractor without any personal state credential. The one large jurisdiction verified here that licenses individuals is Phoenix, whose Building Construction Code requires all permitted plumbing and mechanical work to be performed by a City of Phoenix Journeyman (Plumber and Gas Fitter) or a registered Apprentice: the journeyman card requires passing a $100 exam based on the 2024 UPC or IPC plus the 2024 IFGC at an approved testing site, documenting at least four years of trade experience, and paying a $50 fee for a three-year licence. An out-of-state journeyman plumber licence has no state-level recognition and Phoenix publishes no reciprocity, so an arriving journeyman takes the Phoenix exam to pull permits there and otherwise simply works under an ROC-licensed contractor. Other Arizona cities (Tucson, Mesa and others) were not verified for this entry.
How local licensing works in Arizona
How local licensing works. Arizona licenses plumbing contractors at the state level through the Registrar of Contractors and leaves individual tradesperson licensing to cities. The Registrar's classification page, application page and A.R.S. 32-1122 describe no journeyman, master or individual plumber licence; the state credential is a business contractor licence in the C-37, R-37 or CR-37 classification qualified by a named qualifying party. Phoenix is the only jurisdiction verified here that licenses individual plumbers.
Phoenix. The Planning and Development Department issues Journeyman licences in the Plumber and Gas Fitter, Mechanical, Gas Fitter, Mechanical and Gas Fitter, and combined Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Fitter trades, plus Apprentice licences. A journeyman plumber applicant must first pass a journeyman exam at an approved testing site (Arizona Sheet Metal JATC in Phoenix for union and non-union candidates, or P.I.P.E. in Tempe for union members; $100 paid to the site; based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, or the 2024 International Plumbing Code and 2024 IFGC), then apply in person or by mail to 438 W. Adams St. with proof of at least four years of experience in the trade (a United Association Journeyman Plumber, Fitter or Refrigeration Fitter union card, a Sheet Metal Workers union card, or a notarized statement on company letterhead signed by a company official), photo ID, the exam result and the $50 fee (paid within 60 days of the exam; $100 for the combined Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Fitter card). The licence is valid three years and renews for $20 ($40 combined). An apprentice licence (one year, no exam) requires a notarized letter confirming current employment as a plumber, mechanical or gas fitter apprentice and work under a licensed journeyman or Arizona-licensed contractor at all times. The qualifying party of an ROC-licensed contractor does not need a journeyman licence to perform or observe work under the Phoenix code, and may optionally buy one for $50.
Other cities. Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe and other municipalities were not checked for this entry; a plumber should confirm local requirements before pulling permits outside Phoenix.
Out-of-state holders. Neither the Registrar of Contractors nor Phoenix recognizes an out-of-state journeyman plumber licence or exam. Phoenix's page and brochure contain no reciprocity or endorsement language: every applicant passes the local exam and documents four years of experience, although the experience letter may come from an out-of-state employer or a national union card. Outside Phoenix no personal licence is required to work for a licensed contractor. Documented out-of-state experience does count toward the four years of practical trade experience an ROC qualifying party needs to open a plumbing contracting business (see the master level).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Arizona?
- Yes. Iowa requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa journeyman plumber license from Arizona?
- Published fees on this path total $314, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Arizona work hours count in Iowa?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Iowa's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 60 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Iowa to Arizona?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to Arizona, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Iowa Code Chapter 105 - Plumbers, Mechanical Professionals, and Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code 105.2, 105.17, 105.18, 105.19, 105.20, 105.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Iowa Code 272C.12 - Licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions (2026) · Iowa Code 272C.12 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- DIAL - Plumbing & Mechanical Systems License Period & Fees · 481 IAC ch. 428 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DIAL - Journey Level License (plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal, hydronic) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- DIAL - Master Level License (plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal, hydronic) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Iowa Administrative Code 481 Chapter 429 - Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Application, Licensure, and Examination · 481 IAC 429.2, 429.6 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Iowa Administrative Code 481 Chapter 430 - Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Alternative Licensure Pathways · 481 IAC 430.3, 430.4, 430.5 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.