Missouri to South Dakota: master plumber license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master plumber license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is South Dakota'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.
Plumbing Contractor license by reciprocity for any state with substantially equivalent regulation (SDCL 36-25-21; ARSD 20:53:02:21)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
The same all-states rule applies at the contractor level. ARSD 20:53:02:21 covers 'applicants for any license issued by the commission who desire to be licensed without examination': the applicant must have been licensed by examination in the origin state, that state's licensure laws must be similar to South Dakota's, and its plumbing code must be 'equal to or exceed the South Dakota state plumbing code' (2024 UPC); the Commission investigates, may require affidavits, and 'the normal examination fee shall accompany the application'. The applicant checks 'Plumbing Contractor $50' and 'License by reciprocity' on the Plumbing License Application and attaches proof of license by exam, a license verification from the origin board and proof of four hours of continuing education. A master plumber or contractor who tested on the IPC or another code is instead approved to take South Dakota's contractor exam 'for the same license type' after verifying the current license and the experience required to obtain it; an applicant whose state did not require a license submits work-experience verification and proof that licensure was not required (ARSD 20:53:03:03). On approval the applicant pays the $275 license fee; a $50 temporary license valid three months is available while pending.
examTradeRequired is false only for origin states the Commission finds substantially equivalent (licensed by exam on the Uniform Plumbing Code). IPC-tested masters and contractors take the three-part Commission contractor exam (80%, code allowed on the sizing drawings, retake every three months) after their out-of-state years are credited toward the six-year/two-years-as-plumber-or-contractor requirement through experience verification signed by the supervising contractor 'or equivalent if from another state'. Which origin titles the Commission treats as the 'same license type' as Plumbing Contractor (master plumber vs. plumbing contractor) is not published; a journeyman-only origin license qualifies at most for the Plumber level. No processing time is published. Fee amounts and the exam-fee-with-reciprocity rule reflect ARSD chapter 20:53:12 and 20:53:02:21 as amended July 2, 2025.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Missouri license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Missouri license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Missouri that the destination considers comparable.
- Origin state's plumber licensure laws must be similar to South Dakota's (substantially equivalent regulation, determined case by case; affidavits may be required)
- Proof of completion of four hours of plumbing continuing education submitted with the reciprocity application
What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Plumbing Contractor license application fee, non-refundable (ARSD 20:53:12:01; Plumbing License Application Rev. 02/2026).
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Contractor examination fee; must accompany the application even when the exam is waived by reciprocity (ARSD 20:53:02:21, 20:53:12:02; SDCL 36-25-21).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Waived when the Commission finds the origin state substantially equivalent. Otherwise: Commission-administered three-part Plumbing Contractor exam on the South Dakota plumbing code (2024 UPC) - open-book code questions (2 hours), closed-book code questions (2 hours), stack/waste/vent sizing drawings with the code permitted (1 hour); 80% to pass; Pierre by appointment or Sioux Falls/Rapid City sessions; retake once every three months.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($275). Initial Plumbing Contractor license fee (ARSD 20:53:12:03); expires December 31 and renews annually for $275 by January 31; reinstatement within one year waives the exam.
- 5Other. Optional temporary license while the application is pending; expires three months from issuance or on passing the exam (ARSD 20:53:12:03) ($50) (if applicable).
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Minimum four hours (50-minute hours) of Commission-approved continuing education each calendar year for renewal (ARSD 20:53:11:03, 20:53:11:05).
Published fees on this path total $425, 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 · $100
- Trade exam · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How South Dakota licenses master plumbers
South Dakota master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation)
South Dakota has no 'master plumber' license. The top individual tier is the statewide Plumbing Contractor license issued by the State Plumbing Commission - a person 'qualified and skilled in the planning, superintending, and the practical installation of plumbing, and otherwise qualified and registered to contract for plumbing installations and conduct the business of plumbing' (SDCL 36-25-1(6)) - which this site maps to the master level. A new applicant needs six years' experience as a plumbing contractor, plumber or apprentice at not less than 1,900 hours per year, with at least two of those years as a plumbing contractor or plumber, then passes the Commission-administered three-part exam on the South Dakota plumbing code (2024 Uniform Plumbing Code with state amendments) at 80%; the code may be used on the sizing-drawing part of the contractor exam. Fees are a $50 application fee, a $100 exam fee and a $275 license fee; licenses expire December 31 and renew annually for $275 with four hours of continuing education each calendar year. Out-of-state master plumbers or plumbing contractors licensed by examination in a state with similar laws and a UPC-equivalent code may be licensed without examination under SDCL 36-25-21; others are approved for the contractor exam on proof of equivalent experience.
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 South Dakota master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- What does it cost to get a South Dakota master plumber license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $425, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in South Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Dakota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from South Dakota to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from South Dakota to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- ARSD Article 20:53 - Plumbing Commission (licensing rules) · ARSD 20:53:02:18, 20:53:02:20, 20:53:02:21, 20:53:03:02, 20:53:03:03, 20:53:03:04, 20:53:03:07, 20:53:11:03, 20:53:11:05, 20:53:12:01, 20:53:12:02, 20:53:12:03 · South Dakota Legislative Research Council (State Plumbing Commission rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Plumbing License Application (Rev. 02/2026) · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Examinations · ARSD 20:53:12:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Applications & Forms · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Requirements · ARSD 20:53:03:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Reciprocity · SDCL 36-25-21; ARSD 20:53:02:21 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- SDCL 36-25-1 - Definition of terms (State Plumbing Commission) · SDCL 36-25-1(3), (4), (6) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- SDCL 36-25-21 - Reciprocity--Determination by commission · SDCL 36-25-21 (SL 1970, ch 222, § 11; SL 2025, ch 163, § 3) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.