Tennessee to Montana: master plumber license reciprocity
Tennessee 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer
Tennessee master plumber · “Master plumber (city or county card); state CMC-A plumbing contractor is a business license”
Licensed by cities and counties
Tennessee does not issue a master plumber license. The state-level plumbing credentials are (1) the Limited Licensed Plumber (LLP), a personal license for work under $25,000 where the Division of Fire Prevention inspects, which the Board does not treat as a master equivalent and for which it has no exam-waiver agreements, and (2) a contractor license with the CMC-A (plumbing) or CMC (full mechanical: plumbing and HVAC) classification, issued to a business that names a qualifying agent and required for plumbing projects of $25,000 or more. CMC-A and CMC candidates need Board pre-approval ($50) before the plumbing or full-mechanical trade exam; every contractor also takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam (Prov from 2026-07-01; scores typically valid two years). Initial contractor application fee $250. The Board's trade-exam-waiver form lets a contractor whose origin board verifies a comparable plumbing or mechanical exam skip the Tennessee trade exam but not Business and Law, and it cannot be used for the LLP: Ohio plumbing maps to CMC-A, South Carolina plumbing to CMC-A, and Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia mechanical licenses to CMC. That waiver is contractor-to-contractor only (Ohio's OCILB listing of Tennessee as a plumbing-contractor partner is the same relationship from Ohio's side). Master plumber licenses proper exist only locally; Nashville's MPE Board issues a master plumber certificate. An out-of-state master plumber has no statewide personal recognition: to contract for $25,000 or more they need the CMC-A or CMC contractor license; to pull small-job permits they need the LLP where it is accepted, or the local master card where it is not.
How local licensing works in Tennessee
State contractor route (CMC-A / CMC) — business license, not a personal master. Required statewide to bid or contract plumbing of $25,000 or more (subcontractor plumbing portion counted with materials, equipment and labor). Qualifying agent (owner, officer or full-time employee) takes the Tennessee Business and Law exam and the CMC-A or CMC trade exam after a $50 pre-approval request to [email protected]. Up to two people may take each exam; Business and Law and the trade exam need not be the same person. Application $250 at core.tn.gov. From 2026-07-01 a contractors' surety bond of at least 50% of the requested monetary limit may replace a CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement. General liability and workers' compensation (or exemption) are required on the contractor application. Trade exam waiver (not Reciprocity for a master plumber card): origin board completes the Request for Contractor License Verification in lieu of the Tennessee trade exam score. Plumbing rows: Ohio Plumbing -> CMC-A; South Carolina Plumbing -> CMC-A; Louisiana Mechanical -> CMC; Mississippi Mechanical -> CMC; West Virginia Mechanical -> CMC. Business and Law is never waived. Ineligible if discipline, open complaints or felony convictions. Cannot be used for LLP, LLE or home improvement. NASCLA accredited exams on the Board exam page are commercial building and electrical, not plumbing.
State LLP (personal, limited, not master). $75 initial, Prov LLP exam, under $25,000, Fire Prevention jurisdictions only, no exam waiver. A Tennessee CMC-A/CMC firm may still need Metro registration to pull permits; confirm with Codes (615-862-6500).
Knoxville. State Contractor registration (CMC-A/CMC) or Unlicensed/State Limited License (LLP) registration to pull permits.
- Nashville / Davidson County (Codes and Building Safety)
- Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections)
- Chattanooga (Land Development Office)
- Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana master plumber license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- MCA 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement -- reciprocity · MCA 37-1-304; 37-1-147 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- 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
- Montana Board of Plumbers - FAQ · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Home · ARM 24.180.2102 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- 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
- Montana Board of Plumbers - Plumber Master license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- 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
- 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.