Pennsylvania to Montana: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber (city-issued; no state licence)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumber licence at the journeyman level: none of the Department of State's 29 professional licensing boards covers plumbers or plumbing contractors (the only construction-related board is Crane Operators), and there is no Commonwealth journeyman or master plumber credential. Individual licensing exists only where a city ordinance creates it. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, advised by the Plumbing Advisory Board, issues a Journeyman Plumber License (Philadelphia Code Title 9-1003) that authorises plumbing work under a licensed master plumber but not running a business: four years as a Philadelphia-registered apprentice (or a similar authorisation from another state or local jurisdiction with equal or greater requirements, subject to L&I approval), the ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination referencing the current Philadelphia Code or applied within 12 months of passing, and a $126 annual fee ($25 of that is the non-refundable application fee). Allentown posts 2026 journeyman and master plumber exam applications and licenses the plumbing trade separately from a business licence. Scranton's published form is a master electrical/mechanical/plumbing/general contractor application with no journeyman plumber form on that page. There is no state-level reciprocity; Philadelphia's other-jurisdiction clause substitutes for local apprentice registration only and does not waive the ICC exam.
How local licensing works in Pennsylvania
How local licensing works. Pennsylvania does not license plumbers. Each city that licenses the trade does so under its own ordinance through L&I, a plumbing board, or a codes office. Residential plumbing contractors doing $5,000 or more of home-improvement work in a year must also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act; that registration is not a trade licence and involves no exam.
Philadelphia (verified). L&I issues Plumber Apprentice, Journeyman Plumber and Master Plumber licences (trade-licence list). The journeyman page, last updated with the Plumbing Advisory Board, is the only plumbing service page opened in full. Scope: drainage, cesspools, traps, waste vents, water piping, and fixtures attached to plumbing elements, excluding gas or electric heaters; work must be under a licensed master plumber; the card does not authorise operating a business. Experience: registered Philadelphia apprentice for a minimum of four years, or proof of a similar authorisation from any other state or local jurisdiction with equal or greater qualification requirements, subject to L&I approval. Exam: ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination; must reference the current Philadelphia Code and associated standards, or the application must be filed within 12 months of passing. Photo: 2 in. × 2 in. colour. Fees: $126 licence ($25 non-refundable application fee applied to that amount; balance due on approval); $126 annual renewal; 1.5% of the licence fee per month if more than 60 days late. Apply via eCLIPSE or in person at 1401 JFK Blvd. (Permit and License Center). PLI issues person-held trade licences in other trades; plumbing exam, fee, experience and whether a journeyman tier exists were not verified. Do not assume Pittsburgh waives a plumber exam.
Allentown. Building Standards and Safety licenses electrical, plumbing and sheet metal trades. Operating a contracting company requires both a trades licence and a city business licence. No reciprocity language appears on the trades-licensing page. In Philadelphia, document four years (local apprentice or equivalent out-of-jurisdiction authorisation) and pass the ICC Journeyman Plumber Examination on the Philadelphia Code (or apply within 12 months of that exam). Elsewhere, expect a separate city application and usually a local or ICC exam. Statewide reciprocity: none.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana journeyman plumber license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Pennsylvania, 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.