Plumber License from Idaho to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Oregon accept an Idaho plumbing license?
Yes — Oregon has a reciprocity arrangement covering Idaho license holders. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Oregon's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Idaho is on Oregon's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Idaho license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Oregon waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. Oregon waives its journeyman plumber (JP) exam only for applicants who hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license, earned by testing, in a state Oregon has a JP reciprocity agreement with — currently only Idaho and Montana; every other out-of-state plumber must qualify through experience and training and pass the Oregon journeyman exam. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Idaho on Oregon's list; the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services link is the live truth.
What's different between Idaho and Oregon
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Oregon. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Idaho to Oregon (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Oregon to Idaho (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Idaho matter?
Coming from Idaho matters here: only 2 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Oregon.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (39) and no state license to transfer (9).
- Reciprocity agreements
Oregon's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Idaho and Montana), including Idaho.
Idaho's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Montana, Oregon, and Washington), including Oregon.
- Application fee
Oregon lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Idaho lists $51.90 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Oregon and Idaho carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Oregon (this move): Oregon waives its journeyman plumber (JP) exam only for applicants who hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license, earned by testing, in a state Oregon has a JP reciprocity agreement with — currently only Idaho and Montana; every other out-of-state plumber must qualify through experience and training and pass the Oregon journeyman exam
- Idaho (the reverse move): Idaho waives its journeyman plumber written examination for reciprocity applicants who hold an active journeyman license obtained BY EXAMINATION in Montana, Oregon, or Washington and who meet the experience and residency conditions ('No written examination shall be required for the reciprocal certificate when reciprocating from' these states); every other applicant must pass the IAPMO-based Idaho journeyman examination
What changes, Idaho → Oregon
| Idaho (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $51.90 ($51.90 non-refundable application/processing fee, charged at the same rate whether the application type is Initial, Reciprocal, or Reopen Closed License (DOPL Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03). Not included in this amount: the IAPMO journeyman examination fee paid to PSI, later renewal fees, and the 2.5% Access Idaho surcharge added when paying by credit or debit card. idaho.gov hosts still refused direct connections on 2026-09-01, so the DOPL application form was read from an Internet Archive capture of the board's own PDF) | $100 ($100 journeyman plumber license application fee (OAR 918-780-0030); biennial renewal $180 including a $30 continuing-education tracking fee. OAR 918-780-0030 lists no separate reciprocal-license fee, so the standard $100 application fee applies.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time in weeks | No board-stated processing time for reciprocal license issuance (the two-week figure the division cites applies to exam results, which reciprocity applicants do not take) |
| Licensing authority | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an equivalent or higher journeyman plumber license from Idaho or Montana, current and active with no violations or conditions within the past three years.
- The reciprocal license must have been earned by examination in the reciprocating state (Oregon accepts a reciprocal license only from a state in which the applicant tested).
- Complete the BCD Reciprocal Plumbing License Application.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Idaho plumbing license after I'm licensed in Oregon?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Idaho 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 Idaho 2026-09-01, Oregon 2026-07-21.
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal licenses (Journeyman Plumbers: Idaho and Montana) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon BCD — Journeyman plumber license (application requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OAR 918-780-0030 — Plumbing License Fees ($100 journeyman application; $180 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — State Plumbing Board FAQs (reciprocity states and conditions) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Plumbing Journeyman Application Instructions (exam waiver for reciprocity; 8,000-hour experience; IAPMO exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Montana plumbing reciprocity agreement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Oregon plumbing reciprocity agreement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal agreement, Idaho journeyman plumber (mirror) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Plumbing Journeyman Application, revised 2024-10-03 ($51.90 application fee for Initial, Reciprocal, and Reopen Closed License; Internet Archive capture of the DOPL PDF dated 2026-02-14, used because idaho.gov refuses direct connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Idaho 2026-09-01, Oregon 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com