Missouri to Idaho: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Idaho's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master plumbers and plumbing contractors (Idaho journeyman prerequisite plus contractor exam)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master plumber or plumbing contractor receives no credit toward Idaho's Plumbing Contractor certificate. The applicant must first hold an active Idaho Plumbing Journeyman certificate - obtained either through the journeyman Reciprocity Pathway (Montana, Oregon, Washington) or by passing the Idaho journeyman exam with out-of-state hours credited - and then file the contractor application ($22.50), receive exam approval, and pass the four-hour Idaho Plumbing Contractor examination through PSI (100 questions: 60 from the DOPL Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual, 40 code and sizing points from the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code / 2015 UPC; 75% to pass; $75 fee). After passing, the applicant files proof of a $2,000 surety (compliance) bond and pays the $147 certificate fee. Idaho Code 67-9409 lets DOPL require its examination of universal-licensure applicants, and the Plumbing Board has adopted no procedure that waives the contractor exam. Applications expire one year after filing if the exam is not passed.
Exam flags: the contractor examination is a single test whose content is 60% business/law and 40% plumbing code and sizing, so both flags are set. Fee conflict: Idaho Code 54-2616 lists the contractor certificate fee as $75 initial / $36 renewal, but DOPL's fee table and form charge $147 / $108. Military members, veterans and spouses holding an out-of-state contractor or master license may instead apply for licensure by endorsement under Idaho Code 67-9406. A DOPL contractor registration under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 52 may additionally be needed to contract for work; it is separate from this Plumbing Board certificate.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Do not count
What you must already have
- Must hold an active Idaho Plumbing Journeyman certificate of competency before applying (IDAPA 24.39.20.100.03).
What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($22.50). DOPL contractor application processing fee (Idaho Code 54-2614).
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). Plumbing Contractor examination fee, paid per attempt.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Idaho Plumbing Contractor examination (4 hours, 100 questions, open book; 8 code questions plus 8 sizing questions worth 4 points each from the 2017 ISPC / 2015 UPC; 75% to pass).
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and law portion of the same contractor examination: 60 questions drawn from the DOPL Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual.
- 5Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($2,000). Compliance (surety) bond of $2,000 filed after passing the exam and kept in force for the whole certificate period; proof of renewal is required to renew the certificate.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($147). Initial Plumbing Contractor certificate fee, three-year term (renewal $108; inactive renewal capped at $36 by statute).
Published fees on this path total $244.50, 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.
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $2,000
How Idaho licenses master plumbers
Idaho master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor (Certificate of Competency)”
Statewide license
Issued by Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho State Plumbing Board)
Idaho has no master plumber title. The level above journeyman is the Plumbing Contractor certificate of competency, which Idaho Code 54-2611 defines as a person ('any person, or a member, representative or agent of a firm') who has passed the contractor examination; the contractor application confirms 'a plumbing contractor may be licensed as an individual', so it is treated here as the master-equivalent credential. IDAPA 24.39.20.100.03 requires the applicant to hold an active Idaho Plumbing Journeyman certificate, pass the Board-designated contractor exam (60% business and law, 40% code and sizing, 75% to pass), and file a $2,000 compliance bond; the initial certificate fee is $147 for a three-year term. A contractor may represent only one business at a time. No out-of-state contractor or master license is reciprocated at this level: the form has no reciprocal application type and the Montana, Oregon and Washington agreements cover journeymen only.
Why Missouri has nothing to transfer
Missouri master plumber
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri issues no statewide master plumber or plumbing contractor license. RSMo chapter 341 leaves plumber licensing to cities over 15,000 and first-classification counties, whose boards examine master plumbers, set fees and license terms and (in counties) require master plumber and master drainlayer surety bonds; no state agency licenses the trade and the voluntary statewide contractor license that exists for electrical work has no plumbing counterpart. The master credential therefore exists only locally: Springfield's Master Plumber certification (4 years as a certified journeyman or 10 years' experience, ICC exam, $50), Kansas City's plumbing contractor license qualified by a supervisor holding a certificate of qualification (Prometric or ICC exam, $60 application, $181 four-year renewal; contractor license $55 application, $181 issuance), St. Louis County's Master Plumber license and certified contractor list, and the City of St. Louis Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners' master plumber and drainlayer licenses. An out-of-state master plumber license carries no state-level recognition; Springfield accepts an identical ICC, Prometric, Experior or Block exam score of 75% or better in place of retesting and Kansas City may accept a comparable exam it deems equivalent, while the St. Louis County and City of St. A master arriving from another state should expect to qualify in each jurisdiction separately and then obtain that jurisdiction's contractor license and bond to pull permits.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. There is no state plumbing board. Under RSMo chapter 341, city boards of examiners (cities over 15,000) and county boards of plumbing and sewer inspection (first-classification counties) examine master plumbers; § 341.170 sets the county master plumber qualifications, § 341.180 the application fees, license terms and re-examination rules, and § 341.200 requires master plumbers and master drainlayers to post surety bonds. The master license is the credential that lets a plumber pull permits and run a plumbing business, and each jurisdiction issues and enforces its own.
St. Louis County. The Plumbing Licensing office (41 South Central Avenue, Clayton, 314-615-3741) issues Master Plumber licenses and publishes a Certified Contractors list; the Board of Plumbing Examiners meets the first Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m., and renewals carry PEU continuing-education requirements. Louis.** The Building Division's Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners licenses master plumbers and drainlayers and reviews licensing matters and complaints for plumbing and drainlaying work in the city; permits are issued to city-licensed contractors. Every licensed contractor must employ a full-time supervisor who holds a Kansas City certificate of qualification in the plumbing trade, obtained on an application with notarized references and a passing score from a recognized agency such as Prometric or ICC ($60 application, first four-year certificate free, $181 renewal); the city 'may accept comparable examinations from other jurisdictions if deemed equivalent or superior'. Whether a separately titled master plumber license, plumbing-specific experience hours or named reciprocity with Kansas jurisdictions exist could not be confirmed because kcmo.gov and both fallback routes were blocked on 2026-09-16.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Master Plumbers: 4 years as a certified journeyman plumber or 10 years of satisfactory experience in the trade, documented on notarized employer experience forms and approved by the board (first Thursday monthly, 5:00 p.m., Busch Building; approval to test good for one year). The exam is the ICC master plumber exam through Pearson Vue (about $125 paid to Pearson Vue), 75% to pass; the certification card costs $50 with $50 annual renewal, and a master must file a Master Registration form to qualify a contracting business (Master Resignation form on leaving). Out-of-state treatment: 'Reciprocity from another jurisdiction' applicants submit the same experience documentation plus an exam score notification of 75% or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC (Pearson Vue) for the identical exam Springfield requires; otherwise they test. Springfield also certifies Master Gas fitters (4 years as a certified gas journeyman, or 4 years as a master mechanic or plumber plus 2 years as a gas journeyman).
Columbia and others. Columbia, St.
- St. Louis County (Transportation and Public Works, Plumbing Licensing / Board of Plumbing Examiners)
- City of St. Louis (Building Division, Plumbers and Drainlayers Board of Examiners)
- Kansas City (City Planning and Development, contractor licensing and certificates of qualification)
- Springfield (Building Development Services, Trade Certifications)
- Columbia (Community Development, Building and Site Development)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Idaho master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Idaho requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Idaho master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $244.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Idaho?
- No. Idaho does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
- Does it work the other way, from Idaho to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
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 Code 67-9406 - Licensure by Endorsement - Members of the Military, Veterans, and Spouses · Idaho Code 67-9406 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- Idaho Code 67-9409 - Universal Licensure · Idaho Code 67-9409 · 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 - Program Information and Exams · 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 Contractor Application and Instructions (revised July 1, 2023) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Idaho DOPL Plumbing Exams Information Bulletin (updated September 23, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (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.