Transfer Your Contractor License to Idaho: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Idaho issues no general contractor license: it requires only a state registration, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity or endorsement. Register with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Idaho (DOPL) reciprocates the journeyman ELECTRICAL license of 12 states if the applicant tested for the current license, held it at least one year, and shows 4 years of schooling plus OJT (Wyoming also master). Journeyman PLUMBING reciprocity is limited to Montana, Oregon, and Washington. HVAC has no reciprocity, and general contractors only register (no exam, no reciprocity). Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide and handled separately — check your trade in the checker.
Moving to Idaho from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
No state license — registration only
The structural fact first: Idaho issues no general contractor license — contractors only register, so a general contractor moving here has no state license to transfer; what it needs is the state registration. The work is to identify the registration the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) requires and meet its rules. Trade licenses are a separate question: check your trade and class in the checker before you assume anything carries over.
No state general contractor license — private-work general contractors only register with DOPL (no exam, no reciprocity); state licensing exists for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Idaho is an electrical-reciprocity (NERA-style) member. The dopl.idaho.gov server was returning connection-refused on 2026-07-21, so the official electrical/plumbing FAQs and the reciprocal-states PDF were verified via the Internet Archive snapshot of those same .gov pages.
Idaho requirements at a glance
| Exam | Idaho (DOPL) reciprocates the journeyman ELECTRICAL license of 12 states if the applicant tested for the current license, held it at least one year, and shows 4 years of schooling plus OJT (Wyoming also master). Journeyman PLUMBING reciprocity is limited to Montana, Oregon, and Washington. HVAC has no reciprocity, and general contractors only register (no exam, no reciprocity). |
|---|---|
| General contractor registration |
|
| Registration fee | Not on file — check with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) |
| Registration processing | Not on file — check with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) |
| Trade licenses (not general contracting) |
|
| Trade-license fees | DOPL reciprocal/initial application fee not verified; site was unreachable on 2026-07-21 and archived FAQs list only a $65 renewal fee. Verify current fee schedule with DOPL |
Step by step
- Register with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL): Idaho issues no general contractor license, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity.
- Check the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) (linked on this page) for its current registration requirements and fee — rules change.
- Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide in Idaho and handled separately: use the checker with your trade selected.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Idaho:
All 22 origin states
Nearby states
Contractor license transfer into the states bordering Idaho:
Idaho for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Does my contractor license transfer to Idaho?
Idaho issues no general contractor license: contractors register with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) instead, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity. Idaho (DOPL) reciprocates the journeyman ELECTRICAL license of 12 states if the applicant tested for the current license, held it at least one year, and shows 4 years of schooling plus OJT (Wyoming also master). Journeyman PLUMBING reciprocity is limited to Montana, Oregon, and Washington. HVAC has no reciprocity, and general contractors only register (no exam, no reciprocity). Its electrical, plumbing licenses do have reciprocity — select your trade in the checker.
Which states does Idaho have electrical contractor reciprocity with?
Colorado, North Dakota, Maine, Oklahoma, Montana, Oregon, Nebraska, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming (verified 2026-07-21 against the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — Electrical and Plumbing Boards). Journeyman-license reciprocity per DOPL 'Licenses That Idaho Will Reciprocate'; Wyoming also reciprocates master
Which states does Idaho have plumbing contractor reciprocity with?
Montana, Oregon, Washington (verified 2026-07-21 against the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — Electrical and Plumbing Boards). Journeyman-license reciprocity; MT held 1 yr, OR held 6 mo, WA must be a current WA resident
Does reciprocity waive all of Idaho's requirements?
There is no state general contractor license in Idaho for reciprocity to apply to; any trade license that does reciprocate waives the trade exam only, not the business/law exam, bond, or insurance.
What fees apply in Idaho, and how long does processing take?
Registration fee not on file — check with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Registration processing: not on file — check with the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Idaho DOPL — Electrical Program FAQs (reciprocal agreements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Licenses That Idaho Will Reciprocate (Electrical & Plumbing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — HVAC Program FAQs (no reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]