Transfer Your Plumber License to North Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Plumbing Board ↗
North Dakota has bilateral plumbing reciprocity with 3 states (Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota): a plumber originally licensed by examination in one of them can skip North Dakota's journeyman exam. 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.. Everyone else applies as a new journeyman applicant. Fee: $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).
Moving to North Dakota from a specific state?
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Verdict
Reciprocity with 3 states
Read North Dakota's reciprocity as a named list, and the list is the rule: if you were licensed by examination in a state on it and your license is in good standing, the streamlined track below applies; if not, no amount of field experience substitutes for North Dakota's exam. Two cautions. The agreement is directional — it describes the states North Dakota recognizes, which tells you nothing about the reverse move — and it typically excludes licenses that were grandfathered in rather than earned by examination. Confirm both against the North Dakota State Plumbing Board before you rely on the waiver.
North Dakota licenses journeyman and master plumbers and maintains written reciprocity agreements with Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota allowing licensure without examination for holders of a substantially-equivalent home-state license in good standing (Minnesota license held at least one year; South Dakota journeyman reciprocity also requires residency). Reciprocity applicants must provide a Certificate of Endorsement from their home-state board. License fees are set as statutory maximums (journeyman $100, master $200); applicants also pay a $50 application fee (N.D. Admin. Code 62-02-01-01), and a separate $50 examination fee applies to those who must test. No national plumber verification database exists; verification_system_url is the ND State Plumbing Board's own license lookup.
North Dakota requirements at a glance
| Exam | 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. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $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 | No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting |
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Plumbing Board website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the North Dakota State Plumbing Board (application linked on this page).
- 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 ($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)) and allow No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into North Dakota:
Frequently asked questions
Does my plumbing license transfer to North Dakota?
North Dakota has bilateral plumbing reciprocity with 3 states (Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota): a plumber originally licensed by examination in one of them can skip North Dakota's journeyman exam. 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.. Everyone else applies as a new journeyman applicant. Fee: $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).
Will I have to take North Dakota's plumbing exam?
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..
Which states does North Dakota have plumbing reciprocity with?
Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota (3 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the North Dakota State Plumbing Board). The waiver applies only if you were licensed by examination there; plumbers from every other state qualify as new applicants.
What will licensing in North Dakota cost an out-of-state plumber, and how long does it take?
$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 No board-stated processing time; examination applicants are tested at the next regular board meeting.
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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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