Plumber License from Illinois to Iowa: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Iowa accept an Illinois plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Illinois to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), verify your Illinois license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. Iowa waives its journeyperson plumber exam only for applicants who hold a South Dakota plumbing license obtained on the basis of written examination (its sole reciprocity agreement, approved May 2016); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Iowa journeyperson exam.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois is not among the states Iowa names for an exam waiver, so this move runs on the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)'s individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. Bring your Illinois 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's different between Illinois and Iowa
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Iowa. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Iowa (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Iowa to Illinois (the reverse move): Full re-application.
The two directions differ: Illinois and Iowa do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Illinois matter?
Illinois gets Iowa's most common result: 40 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: no state license to transfer (9) and reciprocity agreement (1).
- Reciprocity agreements
Iowa's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (South Dakota), not including Illinois.
Illinois's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- Application fee
Iowa lists $30–$180 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $225 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Iowa lists up to 2 weeks; Illinois has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Iowa and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Iowa (this move): Iowa waives its journeyperson plumber exam only for applicants who hold a South Dakota plumbing license obtained on the basis of written examination (its sole reciprocity agreement, approved May 2016); every other out-of-state plumber must pass the Iowa journeyperson exam
- Illinois (the reverse move): Illinois requires every out-of-state plumber to pass the Illinois plumber's licensing examination; the application's out-of-state section accepts prior apprenticeship/licensure toward the four-year experience prerequisite but does not waive the exam. The only license-WITHOUT-examination pathway is for a holder of a current City of Chicago plumber's license (an intra-Illinois municipal reciprocity), not for licensees of other states
What changes, Illinois → Iowa
| Illinois (current) | Iowa (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $225 (Application fee for a plumber registered or licensed in Chicago or outside Illinois is $225 (an in-state Illinois licensed-apprentice applicant pays $175); a separate $150 plumber's license fee applies on issuance (68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100). The City-of-Chicago reciprocity (license without exam) carries a $150 license fee. Returned-check fee $100) | $30–$180 (Journeyperson license fee is $180 for a full three-year period and is prorated down to roughly $30 depending on issue date; +$25 paper-application fee if not filed online. Reciprocity applicants are not charged the $35-per-trade exam-approval fee or the $99 Kirkwood Community College exam fee because the exam is waived.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time; the examination application is due at least 30 days before the examination date | up to 2 weeks (Board indicates it reviews an application/exam-approval submission in up to about two weeks; no reciprocity-specific timeline is published.) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Plumbing Program | Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Iowa sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a South Dakota plumbing license issued on the basis of written examination (reciprocity covers only the journeyperson and master licenses, not the contractor license).
- Submit a copy of the South Dakota license plus a certificate of good standing / license verification from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission.
- Non-reciprocity applicants must document four years of apprenticeship experience (or a master license from another jurisdiction) and pass the Iowa journeyperson exam.
- Disclose any criminal convictions; a felony conviction is subject to board review.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Illinois plumbing license after I'm licensed in Iowa?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Illinois 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.
- Iowa DIAL — Journey Level (journeyperson) plumber license & South Dakota reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Plumbing & Mechanical Systems license fees (journeyperson $180, $25 paper fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Find a record or license (public lookup) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Examination for Plumber's License (fees $175 in-state / $225 out-of-state; out-of-state section; 4-year 225 ILCS 320/10(d) requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Application for Plumber's License Reciprocity with the City of Chicago License Without Examination ($150 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 750.1100 — Plumbers' and Apprentice Plumbers' Examination and Licensure Fees (Legal Information Institute) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois DPH — Plumbing program (license types, license verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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