Plumber License from Montana to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does North Dakota accept a Montana plumbing license?
Yes — North Dakota has a reciprocity arrangement covering Montana license holders. Apply to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete North Dakota's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Montana is on North Dakota's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Montana license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, North Dakota waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Montana on North Dakota's list; the North Dakota State Plumbing Board link is the live truth.
What's different between Montana and North Dakota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into North Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Montana to North Dakota (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
North Dakota to Montana (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Montana matter?
Coming from Montana matters here: only 3 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into North Dakota.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (38) and no state license to transfer (9).
- Reciprocity agreements
North Dakota's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota), including Montana.
Montana's reciprocity agreement list names 4 states (Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota), including North Dakota.
- Application fee
North Dakota lists $150–$250 for an out-of-state applicant and Montana lists $400 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Montana lists up to 4 weeks for the reverse move; North Dakota has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
North Dakota and Montana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- North Dakota (this move): North Dakota waives its journeyman (and master) plumber examination for applicants who hold a current, good-standing license issued under the substantially-equivalent laws of Minnesota, Montana, or South Dakota; reciprocity requires a Certificate of Endorsement from the home-state board (Minnesota licenses must have been held at least one year, and South Dakota journeyman reciprocity additionally requires state residency). All other out-of-state plumbers must pass the North Dakota journeyman written and practical examinations.
- Montana (the reverse move): 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 changes, Montana → North Dakota
| Montana (current) | North Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application 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) | $150–$250 ($50 application fee (N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01-01) plus the license fee — journeyman $100 (total $150) or master $200 (total $250, statutory maximums under NDCC ch. 43-18); a separate $50 examination fee applies only to applicants who must test, so reciprocity (endorsement) applicants avoid it) |
| Processing time | up to 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) | No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division | North Dakota State Plumbing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Plumbing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Journeyman (non-reciprocity): complete four years and 7,600 hours as an apprentice under a licensed master plumber, then pass the ND journeyman written and practical exams.
- Master: two years and 3,400 hours as a licensed journeyman, and be at least 21.
- Reciprocity applicants must submit a Certificate of Endorsement from the licensing state (a license copy is not sufficient).
- Nonresident licensure without examination requires the home state's requirements to be substantially equivalent to North Dakota's.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Montana plumbing license after I'm licensed in North Dakota?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Montana 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.
- ND State Plumbing Board — FAQ (reciprocity with MN/MT/SD; exam fees; experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ND State Plumbing Board — Plumber Licensure (reciprocity statute; license fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ND State Plumbing Board — License/Renewal Fees (journeyman $100, master $200) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- N.D. Admin. Code Article 62-02-01 Plumber Licensure ($50 application fee 62-02-01-01, $100 journeyman license fee, $50 examination fee 62-02-01-02) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com