Indiana to Minnesota: master plumber license reciprocity
Minnesota has no reciprocity agreement with Indiana. Your Indiana experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Minnesota exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master without a reciprocity agreement (exam required; equivalent license qualifies applicant to sit)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A master plumber licensed anywhere other than North Dakota or South Dakota gets no exam waiver and must pass the Minnesota master plumber written exam. The out-of-state license is itself the qualification to sit: DLI accepts 'a current master plumber license from another state where the requirements of the licensing jurisdiction are equivalent to those of Minnesota as determined by DLI' as one of the three master exam eligibility routes, alongside one year of experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber or a Minnesota restricted master license with five years as a contractor. DLI makes the equivalence determination case by case when it reviews the exam application. The applicant applies through iMS with the $50 exam fee, must wait 30 days to reapply after a failed attempt, and pays the license fee after passing; a master who intends to contract also needs the separate Plumbing Contractor license with bond and insurance. Minnesota has no separate law or business exam for individual plumbers.
DLI does not publish the criteria it uses to decide that another state's master requirements are 'equivalent'; a master whose state is found not equivalent would have to qualify through the journeyworker route (Minnesota journeyworker license held one year). Whether one year as a journeyworker licensed by another state satisfies the 'licensed journeyworker plumber' route was not confirmed from an official page. The initial license fee amount is not published on the pages fetched (Minn. Stat.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Indiana license must be active and in good standing.
- Alternative routes: at least one year of practical plumbing experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber, or a current Minnesota restricted master plumber license plus five years of verifiable experience in business as a plumbing contractor in Minnesota
What you'll do to get licensed in Minnesota
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($50). Master plumber exam application fee, paid online through iMS (30-day wait before reapplying after a failed exam).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Minnesota master plumber written examination administered by DLI (2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code); pass mark not published on the pages fetched.
- 3Other. Copy of the current out-of-state master plumber license (DLI determines equivalence), or verification of one year as a licensed journeyworker plumber.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee. Master plumber license fee, billed after the exam is passed; amount not published on DLI's plumbing pages (renewal is $93 for the two-year cycle ending Dec. 31 of odd-numbered years).
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 16 hours of DLI-approved continuing education per two-year renewal cycle, at least eight hours on the State Plumbing Code (required to renew, not to obtain the initial license).
- 6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Plumbing Contractor license (Minn. Stat. 326B.46) with code-compliance bond, general liability and workers' compensation insurance is required only to contract for plumbing work as a business.
Published fees on this path total $50, 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.
- Exam fee · $50
- Trade exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Minnesota licenses master plumbers
Minnesota master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Plumbing Board
Minnesota issues a statewide, person-held Master Plumber license through DLI; the license 'authorizes the individual to perform plumbing statewide', and a separate Plumbing Contractor license (a business license that must have a licensed master plumber as its responsible individual and carry a bond, general liability and workers' compensation insurance under Minn. Stat. 326B.46) is not covered here. DLI also issues a Restricted Master Plumber license limited to cities and towns under 5,000. A new master applicant must pass DLI's written master plumber exam ($50 exam fee) and is eligible to sit it after at least one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber, with a current master plumber license from another state whose requirements DLI determines are equivalent to Minnesota's, or with a Minnesota restricted master license plus five years in business as a plumbing contractor. Master plumbers licensed by examination in North Dakota or South Dakota may be licensed without the Minnesota exam. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is $93 and requires 16 hours of continuing education, at least eight on the State Plumbing Code.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Minnesota master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?
- Yes. Minnesota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Minnesota master plumber license from Indiana?
- Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Indiana work hours count in Minnesota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Minnesota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Minnesota to Indiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Minnesota to Indiana, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Minnesota DLI - Personal plumber license forms and resources · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbers (landing page for workers) · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license experience requirements · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license basics · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing license types and credentials · Minn. Stat. 326B.46 · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Minnesota DLI - Plumbing reciprocity · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · 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.