LicensebyState

Moving to Idaho as a journeyman plumber: every state's rule

Idaho has reciprocity agreements with 3 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Idaho journeyman plumber · “Plumbing Journeyman (Certificate of Competency)”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho State Plumbing Board)

Idaho issues a statewide Plumbing Journeyman certificate of competency through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) on behalf of the Idaho State Plumbing Board under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 26 and IDAPA 24.39.20. A new applicant needs either 8,000 supervised hours plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction or 16,000 supervised hours, and must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman exam administered by PSI before applying. Journeymen licensed by examination in Montana, Oregon or Washington may use the form's Reciprocity Pathway and are licensed without retesting. Everyone else applies as an initial applicant; hours earned in any jurisdiction count toward the experience requirement, but the Idaho exam must be passed. The certificate runs three years, and the Board has set no continuing-education requirement.

States Idaho reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 3Experience credit 29No credit 18
Every state's path into Idaho
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-16
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-16
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-16
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-16
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-16
DelawareNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-16
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-16
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-16
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
IndianaExperience credit2026-09-16
IowaExperience credit2026-09-16
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-16
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-16
MaineExperience credit2026-09-16
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-16
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-16
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-16
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-16
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
MontanaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-16
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-16
New JerseyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-16
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-16
OregonReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-16
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-16
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-16
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16
TexasExperience credit2026-09-16
UtahExperience credit2026-09-16
VermontExperience credit2026-09-16
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WashingtonReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-16
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-16
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-16
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-16

Getting licensed in Idaho from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Idaho issues a journeyman plumber license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 10 sources

Plumbing Journeyman certificate of competency by examination

Idaho issues the Plumbing Journeyman certificate of competency to applicants who complete the required training and experience and then pass the Idaho Plumbing Journeyman exam, an IAPMO exam administered by PSI. The main route is an Idaho plumbing apprenticeship: 8,000 hours of supervised plumbing installation work plus 576 hours (four years) of instruction at a board-approved apprenticeship program. Applicants without that schooling may instead document 16,000 hours of supervised plumbing installation work. The exam must be passed before the application is filed with DOPL, together with a Work Verification Form for each employer and the $51.90 processing fee.

The exam has 100 questions and a 3-hour limit. It covers the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code (based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code) plus two sizing problems worth 4 points each; candidates bring their own copy of the 2015 UPC or 2017 ISPC and may not write in it during the exam. There is no separate law exam. The $75 exam fee is paid to PSI when scheduling, is valid for one year, and is charged again for each retake; after a second failure the Board may refuse another attempt for one year. Hours worked in Idaho count only while the worker holds an active Idaho Plumbing Apprentice registration ($50, five-year term); hours worked without it, and pipe-fitting or appliance-specialty work, do not count. Appliance and water pump specialty journeyman certificates are separate credentials with their own exams.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
None required

Who can apply

  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.DOPL describes this as four years of approved schooling. Approved programs include Idaho community colleges and universities and plumbers and pipefitters joint apprenticeship committees; see DOPL's Board Approved Apprenticeship Programs list. A certificate of completion goes with the application.
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Hours may be earned in or out of Idaho. Hours earned in Idaho must be worked under an active Idaho Plumbing Apprentice registration, supervised by a licensed journeyman.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

16,000 hours of plumbing experience

Applicants who have not completed a board-approved apprenticeship program may qualify for the same exam by documenting 16,000 hours of supervised plumbing installation work, in or out of Idaho, on Work Verification Forms.

  • You must document at least 16,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Hours earned in Idaho count only while the worker holds an active Idaho Plumbing Apprentice registration.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI examination fee, paid per attempt when scheduling; nonrefundable and valid one year from payment.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Idaho Plumbing Journeyman exam (IAPMO, administered by PSI): 100 questions, 3 hours, open book with the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code or 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code; 70 percent to pass. Must be passed before applying..
  3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($22.50). DOPL application fee, paid as part of the $51.90 nonrefundable processing fee on the Plumbing Journeyman Application.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($29.40). Initial Plumbing Journeyman certificate fee for a three-year term, paid as part of the $51.90 processing fee.
  5. 5Other. Work Verification Form for each employer (supervising journeyman's name and license number, dates and plumbing installation hours) and, for the apprenticeship route, a certificate of completion from a board-approved program.

Published fees on this path total $126.90, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with no continuing education required and a $21.60 renewal fee.

The Plumbing Board has set no continuing-education requirement for plumbing.

Certificates run three years from the date of issue and may be renewed during the month before they expire. A lapsed certificate can be revived within two years without re-examination by paying the full initial fee.

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

Sources for this section

  1. Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 26 - Plumbing and Plumbers · Idaho Code 54-2610, 54-2611, 54-2614, 54-2616, 54-2617 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Program Information and Exams · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Frequently Asked Questions · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Apply for or Renew a License · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. IDAPA 24.39.20 - Rules Governing Plumbing · IDAPA 24.39.20.100 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Board Approved Apprenticeship Programs (Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Idaho Plumbing Journeyman Application and Instructions (revised October 3, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Idaho State Plumbing Board draft meeting minutes, February 26, 2026 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  10. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Idaho DOPL Contractor, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical Examinations (effective December 10, 2025) · PSI Services for Idaho DOPL · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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