Idaho to Montana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Montana has a reciprocity agreement with Idaho: a Idaho journeyman plumber can get a Montana license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Journeyman reciprocity agreement with Idaho
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board of Plumbers lists Idaho among the four states with which 'Montana has reciprocal agreements ... for Journeyman licensure ONLY.' An Idaho journeyman plumber whose license is active, in good standing and free of complaints, and who passed Idaho's written and practical journeyman examinations, applies by reciprocity and is licensed without taking the Montana journeyman exam. The application must include a license verification sent directly from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (reporting exam scores and any discipline); 'A license WILL NOT be issued without the license verification letter.' If the origin state did not require a practical examination with a minimum passing score of 70 percent, the applicant must pass the Montana practical (now written-format) examination with 70 percent or greater. The FAQ confirms an Idaho card alone does not authorize work in Montana: 'You must still apply for licensure in Montana by reciprocity.' The application fee is $220 under the July 11, 2026 fee schedule (the 2023 checklist prints $400).
No agreement text, signing date or effective date is published. examTradeRequired is false only when the origin state required a practical exam passed at 70% or better; otherwise the Montana second (practical-format) written exam is required.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Idaho license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Your Idaho license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Idaho that the destination considers comparable.
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($220). Out-of-state / reciprocity application fee under ARM 24.180.401 effective July 11, 2026 (checklist dated 2023 still shows $400); nonrefundable.
- 2Other. Verification of Licensure sent directly to the Montana Board of Plumbers from the Idaho licensing agency and from every other jurisdiction where the applicant has ever held a professional license.
- 3Other. Optional temporary practice permit ($100 provisional license fee) to work for a Montana master plumber while the application is processed, if the applicant must sit for the Montana practical examination ($100) (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $220, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Idaho?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Idaho.
- What does it cost to get a Montana journeyman plumber license from Idaho?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.