Arizona to Montana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Arizona does not issue a statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Montana'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 application with experience credit, then the Montana journeyman examinations (all states except OR, ID, ND, SD)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A journeyman licensed anywhere other than Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota or South Dakota applies under the board's 'Out of State' method (ARM 24.180.604). The applicant submits copies of every plumbing license held plus a certified verification from the state or local licensing agency stating the date of licensure and the requirements for licensure; official verifications are also required from every jurisdiction where the applicant has ever held a professional license of any kind. If the origin state's qualifications are not equivalent to Montana's five-year standard, the applicant 'will receive credit for the years required by the original state' and documents the remaining years with Experience Verification Affidavits from employing masters or contractors (W-2s and pay records may supplement them). Applicants from states with no journeyman or master licensing instead provide notarized statements from qualified individuals with direct knowledge of five years of plumbing experience. The checklist states that applicants using the out-of-state method 'will be required to sit for all the required examinations': after board approval (about 30 days) the applicant schedules with IAPMO, pays IAPMO's fee, and passes both journeyman written examinations (100 code questions plus the diagram-based former practical, now also written) with 70% each. The application fee is $220 (fee schedule effective July 11, 2026) and an optional $100 temporary practice permit allows journeyman work for a Montana master plumber for 110 days while testing.
The Montana journeyman written exam covers the 2021 UPC together with Montana statutes, board rules and Building Codes amendments; there is no separate law exam, so examLawRequired is false. ARM 24.180.604 accepts verification from a 'state or local licensing agency', so a city-issued license is considered for experience credit. The 2023 checklist and packet still print a $400 out-of-state fee and $270 exam fee; ARM 24.180.401 as amended July 11, 2026 sets both at $220. IAPMO's exam fee amount is not published on any board page. Military members, spouses and relocating veterans are licensed under MCA 37-1-147 instead and may receive a temporary license while curing deficiencies.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 7,500 hours of qualifying work experience.Five years and 7,500 aggregate hours of legally obtained plumbing experience (MCA 37-69-304, checklist Option 1), or a registered apprenticeship completion certificate. Years credited from the origin state's licensing requirement count toward the five; the balance must be documented by Experience Verification Affidavits from licensed masters or plumbing contractors
- Copy of each out-of-state plumbing license held plus a certified letter of verification from the state or local licensing agency stating the date of licensure and the requirements for licensure (ARM 24.180.604); verifications must be sent directly from every board where the applicant is or has ever been licensed
- Applicants from states with no journeyman or master licensing must supply a notarized statement or letter from qualified individual(s) acceptable to the board with direct knowledge of plumbing experience equivalent to five years
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($220). Out-of-state / journeyman application fee under ARM 24.180.401 as amended effective July 11, 2026 (previously $400 out-of-state, $270 by examination); nonrefundable; paid online at ebiz.mt.gov/pol or by check.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Montana Journeyman Plumber examinations administered by IAPMO after board approval: first written exam of 100 multiple-choice questions on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended plus Montana statutes and board rules (open book, 3 hours), then the second written exam replacing the former practical (three virtual isometric diagrams, 2.5 hours); 70% required on each.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid directly to IAPMO when scheduling at www.iapmo.org/mt-testing; set by the vendor and not published on board pages.
- 4Other. Optional temporary practice permit (provisional license fee, ARM 24.180.401) issued once the applicant is approved to test; valid 110 days and allows journeyman work only in the employment of a named Montana master plumber (ARM 24.180.607) ($100) (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $220, 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
How Montana licenses journeyman plumbers
Montana journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Montana Board of Plumbers (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)
Montana issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber license through the Board of Plumbers in the Department of Labor & Industry; a journeyman may work only in the employment of a licensed master plumber. A new applicant qualifies under MCA 37-69-304 with five years and 7,500 hours of legally obtained plumbing experience verified by a licensed master or plumbing contractor, or a registered apprenticeship completion certificate (approved trade-school or engineering study counts for up to two of the five years), then passes the IAPMO-administered open-book exams on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code with 70% on each part. Since April 11, 2026 both the written and the former practical exam are given in written format. The application fee is $220 under the fee schedule effective July 11, 2026 (the 2023 packets still print $270); IAPMO's exam fee is paid separately; a $100 temporary practice permit lets an approved exam candidate work for a Montana master for 110 days. Licenses expire every September 1, renew for $160 and require 4 hours of code-related continuing education a year. Out-of-state journeymen from Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota or South Dakota are licensed by reciprocity without the Montana exam; everyone else receives credit for the years their origin state required but must pass the Montana exams.
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 Montana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Arizona?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana journeyman plumber license from Arizona?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Arizona work hours count in Montana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Montana's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Montana to Arizona?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Arizona, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- MCA 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement -- reciprocity · MCA 37-1-304; 37-1-147 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- MCA 37-69-304 - Qualifications of applicants for journeyman plumber's license -- restriction on authority · MCA 37-69-304 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- State of Montana Plumbing Licensing Information - 2021 UPC Examination Information Sheet (IAPMO; Rev. 01/09/2023) · ARM 24.180.404, 24.180.407 · Montana Board of Plumbers / IAPMO · Other · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Board of Plumbers - FAQ · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- MAR Notice No. 2026-79.1 - Board of Plumbers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking amending ARM 24.180.401 Fee Schedule (May 8, 2026) · ARM 24.180.401 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Board of Plumbers · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Home · ARM 24.180.2102 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Journeyman Plumber Application packet (checklist, general information, application, Experience Verification Affidavit, Verification of Licensure) · MCA 37-69-304(2); ARM 24.180.603, 24.180.604 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Journeyman Plumber Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (updated 02/09/2023) · MCA 37-69-304; ARM 24.180.504, 24.180.603, 24.180.604 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Plumber Journeyman license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- MAR Notice No. 2025-126.1 - Board of Plumbers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking amending ARM 24.180.407 and repealing ARM 24.180.603 Reciprocity (November 7, 2025) · ARM 24.180.407, 24.180.603; MCA 37-1-304(3) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Board of Plumbers · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations (Business Standards Division, all boards) · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.