LicensebyState

Nevada to Idaho: master plumber license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 16, 2026· 8 sources

Nevada 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

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($22.50). DOPL contractor application processing fee (Idaho Code 54-2614).
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). Plumbing Contractor examination fee, paid per attempt.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Verified September 16, 2026· 5 sources

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.

Moving to IdahoLeaving Idaho

Why Nevada has nothing to transfer

Nevada master plumber · “C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contractor (business license with qualified individual)

No individual license at this level

Verified September 16, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Nevada State Contractors Board (contractor licensing only)

Nevada does not issue a master plumber license to individuals, and no county or city was found to issue a master-level plumbing card; Clark County recognizes a 'plumbing qualified individual', which is simply the person who qualifies a contractor's C-1 license with the State Board. The state-level credential is a classification C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contracting license from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), issued to a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation or LLC and qualified by a named individual rather than held by the plumber personally. An out-of-state master plumber who only wants to work for an employer needs no Nevada license at all (apart from the local journeyman card in Clark County and Reno). To contract, the qualifying individual must show four years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor within the past 15 years (NRS 624.260), pass the PSI-administered Nevada Business and Law exam and the C-1 trade exam within six months of filing (three attempts each), and the business must pay the $300 application fee and $600 biennial license fee, submit a financial statement, fingerprints and background check, and post a bond of $1,000 to $500,000 set by the Board, plus the Residential Recovery Fund assessment ($200 to $1,000) if it does residential work. Under licensure by endorsement (NAC 624.600 and 624.615) the C-1 trade exam and the experience certification are waived for a qualified individual who has held an active license, as the same qualified individual, with no discipline or pending action for the past four years in Arizona (CR-77 Plumbing Including Solar), California (C-36 Plumbing together with C-4 Boiler, Hot Water Heating and Steam Fitting) or Tennessee (CMC Full Mechanical Contractor); a Florida CF Plumbing Contractor gets experience credit but must pass the Nevada C-1 trade exam; the Business and Law exam is never waived. The NSCB equivalency charts contain no Utah chart and no C-1 row for Connecticut, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Mexico, Hawaii, Alabama or West Virginia.

Moving to NevadaLeaving Nevada

Common questions

Do I have to take the Idaho master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Nevada?
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 Nevada?
Published fees on this path total $244.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Nevada 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 Nevada?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to Nevada, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Idaho Code 67-9409 - Universal Licensure · Idaho Code 67-9409 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
  4. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  5. Idaho State Plumbing Board - Program Information and Exams · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
  6. 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
  7. Idaho Plumbing Contractor Application and Instructions (revised July 1, 2023) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 16, 2026
  8. 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.

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