Plumber License from Montana to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Oregon accept a Montana plumbing license?
Yes — Oregon has a reciprocity arrangement covering Montana 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
Montana is on Oregon'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, 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 Montana 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 Montana 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
Montana to Oregon (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Oregon 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 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 Montana.
Montana's reciprocity agreement list names 4 states (Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota), including Oregon.
- Application fee
Oregon lists $100 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; Oregon has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Oregon and Montana 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
- 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 → Oregon
| Montana (current) | Oregon (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) | $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 | 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 for reciprocal license issuance (the two-week figure the division cites applies to exam results, which reciprocity applicants do not take) |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Plumbers — Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division | 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 Montana plumbing license after I'm licensed in Oregon?
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.
- 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)
- 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