Plumber License from California to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division ↗
A plumbing license transfers from California to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division, verify your California license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. Montana waives its journeyman written and practical examinations for an applicant who took and passed both the written and practical journeyman exams in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota and holds an active license there with no complaints filed; every other out-of-state applicant must sit for the Montana journeyman written and practical exams.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
California is not among the states Montana names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Montana waives its journeyman written and practical examinations for an applicant who took and passed both the written and practical journeyman exams in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota and holds an active license there with no complaints filed; every other out-of-state applicant must sit for the Montana journeyman written and practical exams. Bring your California license, proof that it is active and in good standing, and your apprenticeship and exam records — and get any discretionary exam or experience credit in writing before you rely on it.
What changes, California → Montana
| California (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No state journeyman plumber license exists, so there is no journeyman fee. For reference, the CSLB C-36 plumbing CONTRACTOR license (contractor tier, out of scope) is $450 original application + $200 initial license fee (sole owner) / $350 (non-sole owner), plus a bond and Live Scan fingerprint fee. | $400 (Reciprocity path: $400 total ($100 application fee + $300 reciprocity fee). The examination path is instead $270 ($100 application + $170 license). Optional $100 temporary journeyman work permit if requested) |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no state journeyman plumber license is issued | ~4 weeks (Board states complete, routine applications are processed within 30 days (about 4 weeks); non-routine applications requiring Board review take longer, and applicants are notified of status within 30 days of receipt) |
| Licensing authority | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) | Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active journeyman plumber license, with no complaints filed against it, in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota.
- Have taken and passed both the written and practical journeyman examination in that reciprocating state (license by examination).
- Have an official license verification sent directly from the originating state board — Montana will not issue a license without the verification letter.
- Non-reciprocal applicants must document 5 years and 7,500 aggregate hours of plumbing experience (or complete an approved apprenticeship) and pass the Montana written and practical exams at 70%.
- Pay the fees ($400 (Reciprocity path: $400 total ($100 application fee + $300 reciprocity fee). The examination path is instead $270 ($100 application + $170 license). Optional $100 temporary journeyman work permit if requested)) and allow ~4 weeks (Board states complete, routine applications are processed within 30 days (about 4 weeks); non-routine applications requiring Board review take longer, and applicants are notified of status within 30 days of receipt).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana accept a California plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from California to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division, verify your California license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. Montana waives its journeyman written and practical examinations for an applicant who took and passed both the written and practical journeyman exams in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota and holds an active license there with no complaints filed; every other out-of-state applicant must sit for the Montana journeyman written and practical exams.
Which exam applies moving from California to Montana?
Montana waives its journeyman written and practical examinations for an applicant who took and passed both the written and practical journeyman exams in Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota and holds an active license there with no complaints filed; every other out-of-state applicant must sit for the Montana journeyman written and practical exams.
What does the California-to-Montana move cost and how long does it take?
$400 (Reciprocity path: $400 total ($100 application fee + $300 reciprocity fee). The examination path is instead $270 ($100 application + $170 license). Optional $100 temporary journeyman work permit if requested); processing ~4 weeks (Board states complete, routine applications are processed within 30 days (about 4 weeks); non-routine applications requiring Board review take longer, and applicants are notified of status within 30 days of receipt).
Can I keep my California plumbing license after I'm licensed in Montana?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the California credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Montana Board of Plumbers — Journeyman Plumber Application (reciprocity states, fees $100/$300/$170, 5 yr/7,500 hr experience, 30-day processing, 2012 UPC exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana Board of Plumbers — Journeyman Plumber by Out of State / Reciprocity Checklist (ARM 24.180.603, 37-1-304 MCA; $400 reciprocity total) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification detail (plumbing licensed only at contractor level) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocal Classifications List (C-36 reciprocity maps only to Arizona C-37/C-37R) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSLB — Reciprocity Exam Requirements (trade portion may be waived; Law & Business exam still required; 5-year license) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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