South Dakota to Iowa: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Iowa has a reciprocity agreement with South Dakota: a South Dakota journeyman plumber can get a Iowa 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 South Dakota (journeyperson plumber)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
In May 2016 the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board approved a reciprocity agreement with the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission, its only reciprocity agreement. A South Dakota journeyman plumber who obtained the license on the basis of written examination may apply for an Iowa journeyperson plumbing license without passing the Iowa exam, and must agree to abide by all other Iowa laws and rules. The application (online, or the paper Reciprocity Application form) must include a copy of the South Dakota license and a certificate of good standing/license verification from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission, and the applicant must have a non-Iowa resident address when the application is submitted. The agreement covers only the journeyperson and master plumbing licenses, not contractor or other disciplines. The Iowa license fee is the prorated three-year journeyperson fee ($180 for a full term).
Effective date is given as May 2016 on DIAL's pages; the exact day is not published, so the first of the month is used. A South Dakota licensee who has already moved to Iowa cannot use this route (non-Iowa address required at filing; 481 IAC 430.3 limits reciprocity to nonresidents) and would instead use licensure by verification, which requires the Iowa exam. Timeline reflects DIAL's stated review time of up to six weeks.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 42 days
- Agreement
- Active since May 1, 2016
What you must already have
- Your South Dakota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your South Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- Applicant must have a non-Iowa resident address at the time the application is submitted (481 IAC 430.3: reciprocity is for nonresidents)
- Must agree to abide by all other Iowa laws and rules governing plumbing
What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($180). Journeyperson license fee for a full three-year term, prorated by half-year for mid-cycle issuance.
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25) (if applicable). Paper application fee if the Reciprocity Application is mailed rather than filed online.
- 3Other. Copy of the South Dakota license and a certificate of good standing/license verification from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission.
- 4Background check. Complete a background check. Documentation of any criminal convictions; lawful presence verified through SAVE.
Published fees on this path total $180, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with South Dakota.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa journeyman plumber license from South Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $180, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Dakota 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 42 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Iowa to South Dakota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to South Dakota, the mechanism is endorsement.
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
- 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.