Plumber License from Pennsylvania to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services ↗
A plumbing license transfers from Pennsylvania to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. 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.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania is not among the states Oregon names for an automatic exam waiver, so this move runs on the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services's individual endorsement or equivalency review rather than a guarantee. 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. Bring your Pennsylvania 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 changes, Pennsylvania → Oregon
| Pennsylvania (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No statewide fee. Fees are set locally; for example, Philadelphia's journeyman plumber license is $126 initial (including a $25 non-refundable application fee) and $126 annual renewal. | $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 | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality. | 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 | No statewide board — plumber licensing is handled by Pennsylvania municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections; Allegheny County Health Department for the Pittsburgh area) | 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 endorsement 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 ($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.)) and allow 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)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
A plumbing license transfers from Pennsylvania to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) — Department of Consumer and Business Services, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. 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.
Which exam applies moving from Pennsylvania to Oregon?
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 does the Pennsylvania-to-Oregon move cost and how long does it take?
$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 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)..
Can I keep my Pennsylvania plumbing license after I'm licensed in Oregon?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Pennsylvania 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)
- City of Philadelphia — Get a Journeyman Plumber License (representative municipal program; requirements and fees; no state license) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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