Do I have to take the South Dakota journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with North Dakota.

What does it cost to get a South Dakota journeyman plumber license from North Dakota?

Published fees on this path total $255, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my North Dakota work hours count in South Dakota?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Dakota's eligibility requirements.

North Dakota to South Dakota: journeyman plumber license reciprocity

Reciprocity· Exam waivedVerified September 16, 2026· 8 sources

South Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with North Dakota: a North Dakota journeyman plumber can get a South Dakota license without retaking the trade exam.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Reciprocity with North Dakota (Journeyman Plumber to South Dakota Plumber)

A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.

North Dakota's State Plumbing Board states that 'North Dakota has written agreements with South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana' and licenses current South Dakota Plumber licensees who are South Dakota residents as North Dakota journeymen without examination. In the South Dakota direction, a North Dakota Journeyman Plumber licensed by examination applies on the Plumbing License Application under 'License by reciprocity' with a North Dakota license verification (Certificate of Endorsement) and proof of four hours of continuing education; North Dakota licenses by a Board-administered exam on the North Dakota Plumbing Code (UPC-based), so it meets ARSD 20:53:02:21's licensed-by-exam and equal-or-exceeding-code tests. The applicant pays the $50 application fee and $100 exam fee with the application and the $105 license fee on approval; no South Dakota exam is taken.

The South Dakota Commission's reciprocity page names no partner states; the existence of a written ND-SD agreement is documented only on the North Dakota Board's FAQ, and the agreement text, date and any SD-side residency or years-held condition are unpublished. Treat as Reciprocity because both boards waive the trade exam for each other's journeyman-level licensees.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility
Agreement: Active

What you must already have

Your North Dakota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your North Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
Proof of completion of four hours of plumbing continuing education

What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Plumber application fee (ARSD 20:53:12:01).
2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Normal examination fee, which must accompany a reciprocity application even though the exam is waived (ARSD 20:53:02:21; SDCL 36-25-21).
3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($105). Initial Plumber license fee; renews annually for $105 (ARSD 20:53:12:03).
4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Four hours of continuing education each calendar year for renewal (ARSD 20:53:11:05).

Published fees on this path total $255, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

Continuing education

How South Dakota licenses journeyman plumbers

South Dakota journeyman plumber · “Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation)

South Dakota issues a statewide Plumber license through the State Plumbing Commission under SDCL chapter 36-25 and ARSD article 20:53; it has no 'journeyman' title, but the Plumber license is the journeyman-level credential (a person working under the direction of a plumbing contractor, SDCL 36-25-1(3)). A new applicant needs four years as an apprentice plumber at not less than 1,900 hours per year (7,600 hours), or three years and 5,700 hours with an accredited 9-month/1,020-hour trade-school program or 3-year association apprenticeship; military plumbing earns one year of credit per two years served (max five). The Commission itself administers a three-part exam on the South Dakota plumbing code (2024 Uniform Plumbing Code with state amendments) - open-book code questions, closed-book code questions and stack/waste/vent sizing drawings - passed at 70%, offered by appointment in Pierre and periodically in Sioux Falls and Rapid City; a retake is allowed once every three months. Fees are a $50 application fee, a $100 exam fee and a $105 license fee; licenses expire December 31 and renew annually for $105 with four hours of continuing education each calendar year. Out-of-state plumbers licensed by examination in a state with similar laws and a plumbing code equal to or exceeding South Dakota's may be licensed without examination under SDCL 36-25-21; those tested on the IPC or another code, or from non-licensing jurisdictions, are approved for the South Dakota exam on proof of equivalent experience.

Moving to South Dakota Leaving South Dakota

Common questions

Do I have to take the South Dakota journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with North Dakota.
What does it cost to get a South Dakota journeyman plumber license from North Dakota?: Published fees on this path total $255, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my North Dakota work hours count in South Dakota?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Dakota's eligibility requirements.

Sources

North Dakota State Plumbing Board - FAQ (reciprocal licensing with South Dakota) · NDCC 43-18-13.1 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
ARSD Article 20:53 - Plumbing Commission (licensing rules) · ARSD 20:53:02:18, 20:53:02:20, 20:53:02:21, 20:53:03:02, 20:53:03:03, 20:53:03:04, 20:53:03:07, 20:53:11:03, 20:53:11:05, 20:53:12:01, 20:53:12:02, 20:53:12:03 · South Dakota Legislative Research Council (State Plumbing Commission rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Plumbing License Application (Rev. 02/2026) · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Form · verified September 16, 2026
South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Examinations · ARSD 20:53:12:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Requirements · ARSD 20:53:03:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Reciprocity · SDCL 36-25-21; ARSD 20:53:02:21 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
SDCL 36-25-1 - Definition of terms (State Plumbing Commission) · SDCL 36-25-1(3), (4), (6) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
SDCL 36-25-21 - Reciprocity--Determination by commission · SDCL 36-25-21 (SL 1970, ch 222, § 11; SL 2025, ch 163, § 3) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

Report an error on this page