Plumber License from Pennsylvania to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does South Dakota accept a Pennsylvania plumbing license?
There is no Pennsylvania state license to carry to South Dakota: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license. South Dakota does license this work, so ask the South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
The issue on this move is the starting point: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license — plumbing there is regulated at the contractor level or by cities and counties — so there is no Pennsylvania state license for South Dakota to verify or endorse. South Dakota does license plumbers, through the South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation), and it reviews out-of-state plumbers for endorsement, but that route starts from a state license. Ask the board, in writing, whether it credits a local Pennsylvania license, a contractor-level credential or your documented hours; otherwise plan to qualify as a new journeyman applicant. South Dakota waives its plumber examination for a nonresident who was licensed BY EXAMINATION in another state whose licensure laws are substantially equivalent to South Dakota's and whose plumbing code equals or exceeds the South Dakota plumbing code; the Commission names no fixed partner states and decides comparability case by case, so applicants from non-comparable states, or those licensed by waiver rather than examination, must pass the South Dakota journeyman plumber examination.
What's different between Pennsylvania and South Dakota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into South Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to South Dakota (this page): No state license to transfer.
South Dakota to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania matters here: only 9 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into South Dakota.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (41).
- Fee and processing
Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no Pennsylvania state license application fee or processing time to compare with South Dakota's.
- Exam rules on record
South Dakota and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- South Dakota (this move): South Dakota waives its plumber examination for a nonresident who was licensed BY EXAMINATION in another state whose licensure laws are substantially equivalent to South Dakota's and whose plumbing code equals or exceeds the South Dakota plumbing code; the Commission names no fixed partner states and decides comparability case by case, so applicants from non-comparable states, or those licensed by waiver rather than examination, must pass the South Dakota journeyman plumber examination
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Not applicable — Pennsylvania has no state-level plumber license, so there is no statewide exam to waive or transfer; each municipality sets its own plumber licensing and exam rules (for example, Philadelphia requires passing the ICC-based Journeyman Plumber Examination on the Philadelphia Code)
What changes, Pennsylvania → South Dakota
| Pennsylvania (current) | South Dakota (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 | $50 ($50 plumber license application fee (SDPC application, Rev. 02/2026); reciprocity applicants pay the same $50 and file the reciprocity documentation; a $100 exam fee applies only to applicants who must sit the examination; licenses expire December 31 (annual)) |
| Processing time | No statewide process; processing time is set by each municipality | No board-stated processing time; an incomplete application expires 30 days after receipt and all fees are non-refundable |
| 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) | South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review South Dakota's requirements on the South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) whether it credits a local Pennsylvania license or your documented experience: Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so there is no state license to verify.
- Otherwise apply as a new applicant: meet South Dakota's education/experience requirements and pass the exams it requires.
- Submit the application with fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the Pennsylvania-to-South Dakota move cost and how long does it take?
$50 ($50 plumber license application fee (SDPC application, Rev. 02/2026); reciprocity applicants pay the same $50 and file the reciprocity documentation; a $100 exam fee applies only to applicants who must sit the examination; licenses expire December 31 (annual)), plus the exam and experience-documentation costs of qualifying as a new applicant. Processing time: No board-stated processing time; an incomplete application expires 30 days after receipt and all fees are non-refundable.
What happens to my Pennsylvania credential after I'm licensed in South Dakota?
Nothing changes it. Pennsylvania issues no statewide journeyman plumber license, so any local or contractor-level Pennsylvania credential you hold runs on its own authority's renewal rules, independently of your South Dakota license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- SD Plumbing Commission — Reciprocal Agreements (by-examination + substantially-equivalent-code rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Plumbing Commission — Plumbing License Application (Plumber $50; license-by-reciprocity requires proof of license by exam, verification, and 4 hours CE), Rev. 02/2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Plumbing Commission — Licensing (four-year apprenticeship; annual expiry) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Plumbing Commission — Exams ($100 exam/re-exam fee) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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