Washington to Idaho: journeyman plumber license reciprocity
Idaho has a reciprocity agreement with Washington: a Washington journeyman plumber can get a Idaho license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity Pathway for Washington journey level plumbers
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Washington is one of the three states named in the Reciprocity Pathway on Idaho's Plumbing Journeyman application, and Washington L&I reciprocates in the other direction. The applicant files a Reciprocal application ($51.90, which is the $22.50 application fee plus the $29.40 certificate fee) with a License Verification Form completed by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries showing either 8,000 or 16,000 hours of work experience (Washington's route does not require an apprenticeship program), that the journey level plumber certificate is active, and that it was obtained by examination. The applicant 'must be a resident of the state in which he/she holds their license at the time of application', which matches the 2020 information sheet's 'MUST BE A CURRENT WA RESIDENT'. No Idaho examination is required.
DOPL does not publish the signed Idaho-Washington agreement, so its effective date is unknown. Only the journey level (PL01) certificate is covered; Washington specialty plumber and residential certificates are not mentioned on the Idaho form.
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 Washington license must be active and in good standing.
- Your Washington license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Verification must show either 8,000 or 16,000 hours of work experience.
- Applicant must be a resident of Washington at the time of application.
What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($22.50). DOPL application fee (part of the $51.90 Reciprocal processing fee).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($29.40). Initial Plumbing Journeyman certificate fee, three-year term.
- 3Other. License Verification Form completed by the State of Washington.
Published fees on this path total $51.90, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Idaho licenses journeyman plumbers
Idaho journeyman plumber · “Plumbing Journeyman (Certificate of Competency)”
Statewide license
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Idaho journeyman plumber exam if I'm licensed in Washington?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Washington.
- What does it cost to get a Idaho journeyman plumber license from Washington?
- Published fees on this path total $51.90, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Washington work hours count in Idaho?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Idaho's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- 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 16, 2026
- Idaho State Plumbing Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Idaho State Plumbing Board - Frequently Asked Questions · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- Idaho State Plumbing Board - Apply for or Renew a License · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- IDAPA 24.39.20 - Rules Governing Plumbing · IDAPA 24.39.20.100 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- Idaho Plumbing Journeyman Application and Instructions (revised October 3, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Licenses That Idaho Will Reciprocate - Electrical and Plumbing (Division of Building Safety reciprocal information sheet, October 26, 2020) · Idaho Division of Building Safety (now DOPL) · Other · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.