South Dakota to North Dakota: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
North Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with South Dakota: a South Dakota journeyman plumber can get a North Dakota 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 South Dakota
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board's FAQ states that 'North Dakota has written agreements with South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana' under NDCC 43-18-13.1. 'If you hold a current South Dakota Journeyman license and you are a resident of that state, you can apply for a North Dakota Journeyman license without examination.' The application 'must be accompanied by a Certificate of Endorsement from the state in which you are licensed, not just a copy of your current license,' and the origin-state letter must state the license type, issue date, whether it was obtained by examination and whether it is current. The applicant pays the $50 application fee and, on approval, the $100 journeyman license fee; the North Dakota license then renews annually with the 2-4 hour CE requirement.
The agreement text, signing date and any minimum years-held condition are not published on the Board's site; the FAQ conditions are a current SD journeyman license and SD residency. NDCC 43-18-13.1 speaks of 'nonresident applicants', consistent with the residency condition. The Board also honors the reverse direction for SD Contractor licensees at the master level (see master agreements).
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your South Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- Applicant must be a resident of South Dakota
- Certificate of Endorsement from the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission stating the license type, issue date, whether it was obtained by examination and whether it is current; a copy of the license alone is not accepted
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Application fee (NDAC 62-02-01-01).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Journeyman plumber license fee on approval; expires December 31, renews annually for $100.
Published fees on this path total $150, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How North Dakota licenses journeyman plumbers
North Dakota journeyman plumber · “Journeyman Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by North Dakota State Plumbing Board
North Dakota issues a statewide Journeyman Plumber certificate and license through the North Dakota State Plumbing Board under NDCC chapter 43-18 and NDAC chapter 62-02-01; a license is required wherever there is a public water or sewer system, and a journeyman may run a plumbing business only in cities under 1,000 population and rural areas. A new applicant must have served four years and 7,600 hours as a registered apprentice under a licensed master plumber (1,900 hours per year; accredited plumbing-school graduates earn credit by grade average), then pass the board-administered journeyman exam - five parts, two closed book and three open book, five hours, based on the 2018 North Dakota Plumbing Code - with 70%. Fees are a $50 application fee, a $50 exam fee and a $100 journeyman license fee; licenses expire every December 31 and renew for $100, with 2 to 4 hours of continuing education required in each two-year period ($40 board session). Exams are given every other month in Bismarck and Fargo and a failed exam carries a six-month wait. Journeymen from South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana may be licensed without examination under the Board's written reciprocity agreements; all other out-of-state journeymen apply for the North Dakota examination, with their origin license vouched for on the application.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota 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 North Dakota journeyman plumber license from South Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $150, 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
- North Dakota Administrative Code Chapter 62-02-01 - Plumber Licensure · NDAC 62-02-01-01, 62-02-01-01.1, 62-02-01-02, 62-02-01-03, 62-02-01-04, 62-02-01-06, 62-02-01-07 · North Dakota Legislative Branch (State Board of Plumbing rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-18 - Plumbers · NDCC 43-18-08, 43-18-10, 43-18-11, 43-18-13, 43-18-13.1, 43-18-15, 43-18-16, 43-18-17, 43-18-17.1 · North Dakota Legislative Branch · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Continuing Education Requirements Overview · NDCC 43-18-17.1 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Exam Fees · NDAC 62-02-01-02 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Exams: General Information · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Home · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Laws and Rules · NDCC ch. 43-18; NDAC Title 62 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · 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.