Plumber License from Oregon to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Idaho accept an Oregon plumbing license?
Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering Oregon license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Idaho's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Oregon is on Idaho's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Oregon license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, Idaho waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. 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. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Oregon on Idaho's list; the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board link is the live truth.
What's different between Oregon and Idaho
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Idaho. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Oregon to Idaho (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Idaho to Oregon (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Oregon matter?
Coming from Oregon matters here: only 3 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Idaho.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (38) and no state license to transfer (9).
- Reciprocity agreements
Idaho's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Montana, Oregon, and Washington), including Oregon.
Oregon's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Idaho and Montana), including Idaho.
- Application fee
Idaho lists $51.90 for an out-of-state applicant and Oregon lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Idaho and Oregon carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Idaho (this 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
- Oregon (the reverse 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
What changes, Oregon → Idaho
| Oregon (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $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) |
| Processing time | 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) | No board-stated processing time in weeks |
| Licensing authority | Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) — State Plumbing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Reciprocity: hold an active out-of-state journeyman license obtained by examination in Montana, Oregon, or Washington, shown on a DOPL License Verification Form.
- Reciprocity from Montana or Oregon: document completion of an apprenticeship program and 8,000 hours of work experience.
- Reciprocity from Washington: document 8,000 or 16,000 hours of work experience.
- Applicants reciprocating from Montana or Washington must be a resident of the state where they are licensed at the time of application.
- Standard (non-reciprocity) applicants must document 8,000 hours of supervised experience and pass the IAPMO examination; specialty/appliance/pipe-fitting hours do not count toward journeyman experience.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Oregon plumbing license after I'm licensed in Idaho?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Oregon 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 Oregon 2026-07-21, Idaho 2026-09-01.
- 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)
- 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Oregon 2026-07-21, Idaho 2026-09-01
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com