South Dakota to North Dakota: master plumber license reciprocity
North Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with South Dakota: a South Dakota master plumber can get a North Dakota license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Master reciprocity agreement with South Dakota (SD Plumbing Contractor license)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board's FAQ lists South Dakota among the three states with which 'North Dakota has written agreements' under NDCC 43-18-13.1. 'If you hold a current South Dakota Contractor license, you can apply for a North Dakota Master license without examination.' South Dakota's top individual plumbing credential is the Plumbing Contractor license, which the Board treats as equivalent to its Master Plumber license. The application 'must be accompanied by a Certificate of Endorsement from the state in which you are licensed, not just a copy of your current license,' and the origin-state letter must state the license type, issue date, whether it was obtained by examination and whether it is current. The applicant pays the $50 application fee and, on approval, the $200 master license fee.
A South Dakota Journeyman license qualifies only for the North Dakota Journeyman license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your South Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- Certificate of Endorsement from the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission stating the license type, issue date, whether it was obtained by examination and whether it is current; a copy of the license alone is not accepted
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Application fee (NDAC 62-02-01-01).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Master plumber license fee on approval; expires December 31, renews annually for $200.
Published fees on this path total $250, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How North Dakota licenses master plumbers
North Dakota master plumber · “Master Plumber”
Statewide license
Issued by North Dakota State Plumbing Board
North Dakota issues a statewide Master Plumber certificate and license through the North Dakota State Plumbing Board under NDCC chapter 43-18 and NDAC chapter 62-02-01. Any firm installing plumbing where there is a public water or sewer system must have a licensed master plumber in charge (NDCC 43-18-10). A new applicant must be at least 21 and have two years and 3,400 hours of experience 'as a journeyman plumber licensed by the state of North Dakota or any other state that has a state licensing law', then pass the board-administered master exam - four parts, one closed book and three open book, five hours, on the 2018 North Dakota Plumbing Code - with 80%. Fees are a $50 application fee, a $50 exam fee and a $200 master license fee; licenses expire every December 31 and renew for $200, with 2 to 4 hours of continuing education required in each two-year period. A master may also hold the journeyman license without paying the journeyman fee. Masters from Minnesota (license held one year) and South Dakota Contractor licensees may be licensed without examination under the Board's written agreements; other out-of-state masters apply for the North Dakota master examination with their journeyman or master license vouched for.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota master plumber exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with South Dakota.
- What does it cost to get a North Dakota master plumber license from South Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $250, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Sources
- North Dakota Administrative Code Chapter 62-02-01 - Plumber Licensure · NDAC 62-02-01-01, 62-02-01-01.1, 62-02-01-02, 62-02-01-03, 62-02-01-04, 62-02-01-06, 62-02-01-07 · North Dakota Legislative Branch (State Board of Plumbing rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-18 - Plumbers · NDCC 43-18-08, 43-18-10, 43-18-11, 43-18-13, 43-18-13.1, 43-18-15, 43-18-16, 43-18-17, 43-18-17.1 · North Dakota Legislative Branch · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Continuing Education Requirements Overview · NDCC 43-18-17.1 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Exam Fees · NDAC 62-02-01-02 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Exams: General Information · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - FAQ (reciprocal licensing with South Dakota) · NDCC 43-18-13.1 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Home · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - Laws and Rules · NDCC ch. 43-18; NDAC Title 62 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · 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.