LicensebyState

Missouri to Montana: master plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 11 sources

Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Montana'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 application with experience credit, then the Montana master examination (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

Montana has no reciprocity or endorsement path for master plumbers: the FAQ states 'Montana does not reciprocate a Master license,' and the master application offers no reciprocity option. An out-of-state master applies under ARM 24.180.604 by submitting copies of the license(s) held with a certified letter of verification from the state or local licensing agency stating the date of licensure and the requirements for licensure, plus official verifications from every jurisdiction where the applicant has ever held any professional license. Where the origin state's qualifications are not equivalent to Montana's, the applicant 'will receive credit for the years required by the original state' toward the four years as a licensed journeyman and three years with a master or in a supervisory capacity, documenting the balance with Experience Verification Affidavits; applicants from states with no journeyman or master licensing provide notarized statements showing nine years of plumbing experience. Applicants using the out-of-state method 'will be required to sit for all the required examinations': after board approval (routine files within 30 days) the applicant schedules with IAPMO, pays IAPMO's fee and passes the 125-question open-book master exam with 70%. The application fee is $220 (effective July 11, 2026); an optional $100 temporary practice permit allows journeyman-level work only, for 110 days, while testing.

The master exam incorporates Montana statutes, board rules and Building Codes amendments alongside the 2021 UPC; there is no separate law exam. MCA 37-69-305 requires the four years to be as a 'licensed journeyman plumber'; ARM 24.180.604 credits years required by the origin state and accepts verification from a state or local agency, so out-of-state (including municipal) journeyman or master licensure appears to satisfy the 'licensed' element, but the board has not published guidance on how it counts years for an applicant who was never a Montana journeyman. MCA 37-1-304 would allow licensure by endorsement if the board found an origin state substantially equivalent, but no plumber SE table exists and the board's published materials describe no exam waiver for masters. The 2023 packet prints a $380 master fee and $400 out-of-state fee; ARM 24.180.401 as amended July 11, 2026 sets both at $220. IAPMO's exam fee is not published. Military members, spouses and relocating veterans are handled under MCA 37-1-147.

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility
Typical processing
About 30 days

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Four years and 6,000 hours of experience as a licensed journeyman plumber verified by time or pay records (one year = at least 1,500 hours in a continuous 12-month period), with years credited from the origin state's licensing requirement under ARM 24.180.604
  • Three years of experience working with a licensed master plumber or in a supervisory capacity in the field of plumbing, which may run concurrently with the four journeyman years; steam fitting, hydronics and industrial piping practice is not accepted
  • Copy of each out-of-state plumbing license held plus a certified letter of verification from the state or local licensing agency stating the date of licensure and the requirements for licensure (ARM 24.180.604); verifications must be sent directly from every board where the applicant is or has ever been licensed
  • Applicants from states with no journeyman or master licensing must supply a notarized statement or letter from qualified individual(s) acceptable to the board with direct knowledge of plumbing experience equivalent to nine years

What you'll do to get licensed in Montana

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($220). Master / out-of-state application fee under ARM 24.180.401 as amended effective July 11, 2026 (previously $380 master, $400 out-of-state); nonrefundable.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Montana Master Plumber examination administered by IAPMO after board approval: 125 multiple-choice questions on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended plus Montana statutes, board rules and Building Codes amendments; open book, 3 hours, 70% to pass; candidate brings an untabbed 2021 UPC.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid directly to IAPMO when scheduling at www.iapmo.org/mt-testing; set by the vendor and not published on board pages.
  4. 4Other. Optional temporary practice permit ($100 provisional license fee) issued once the applicant is approved to test; valid 110 days and limited to journeyman plumber functions in the employment of a named Montana master plumber (ARM 24.180.607) ($100) (if applicable).

Published fees on this path total $220, 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
  • Exam fee

How Montana licenses master plumbers

Montana master plumber · “Master Plumber”

Statewide license

Verified September 16, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Montana Board of Plumbers (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)

Montana issues a statewide Master Plumber license through the Board of Plumbers; only a master plumber may obtain plumbing permits or operate a plumbing business, and a master may not lend the license to another firm. Under MCA 37-69-305 an applicant shows four years (6,000 hours; one year is at least 1,500 hours in a continuous 12 months) of experience as a licensed journeyman plumber verified by time or pay records, plus three years, which may run concurrently, working with a licensed master or in a supervisory capacity; steam fitting, hydronics and industrial piping do not count. The applicant then passes the IAPMO-administered open-book master examination of 125 multiple-choice questions on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code and Montana statutes and rules with 70%. The application fee is $220 under the fee schedule effective July 11, 2026 (the 2023 packet prints $380); IAPMO's exam fee is paid separately, and a $100 temporary permit allows journeyman-level work for 110 days while testing. Licenses expire every September 1, renew for $200 and require 4 hours of code-related continuing education a year. The board states plainly that 'Montana does not reciprocate a Master license': every out-of-state master receives credit for the years the origin state required but must pass the Montana master examination.

Moving to MontanaLeaving Montana

Why Missouri has nothing to transfer

Missouri master plumber

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 16, 2026· 6 sources

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.

Moving to MissouriLeaving Missouri

Common questions

Do I have to take the Montana master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Montana master plumber license from Missouri?
Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Missouri work hours count in Montana?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Montana's eligibility requirements.
How long does the application take?
The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Does it work the other way, from Montana to Missouri?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. MCA 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement -- reciprocity · MCA 37-1-304; 37-1-147 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  2. MCA 37-69-305 - Qualifications of applicants for master plumber's license -- restriction on authority · MCA 37-69-305; 37-69-306 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  3. State of Montana Plumbing Licensing Information - 2021 UPC Examination Information Sheet (IAPMO; Rev. 01/09/2023) · ARM 24.180.404, 24.180.407 · Montana Board of Plumbers / IAPMO · Other · verified September 16, 2026
  4. Montana Board of Plumbers - FAQ · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
  5. MAR Notice No. 2026-79.1 - Board of Plumbers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking amending ARM 24.180.401 Fee Schedule (May 8, 2026) · ARM 24.180.401 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Board of Plumbers · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
  6. Montana Board of Plumbers - Home · ARM 24.180.2102 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  7. Montana Board of Plumbers - Master Plumber Application packet (Rev. 02/09/2023) · MCA 37-69-305; ARM 24.180.604 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 16, 2026
  8. Montana Board of Plumbers - Master Plumber by Examination Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (updated 02/09/2023) · MCA 37-69-305, 37-69-306; ARM 24.180.407, 24.180.604, 24.180.607 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 16, 2026
  9. Montana Board of Plumbers - Plumber Master license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  10. MAR Notice No. 2025-126.1 - Board of Plumbers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking amending ARM 24.180.407 and repealing ARM 24.180.603 Reciprocity (November 7, 2025) · ARM 24.180.407, 24.180.603; MCA 37-1-304(3) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Board of Plumbers · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
  11. Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations (Business Standards Division, all boards) · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · 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.

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