How Do You Get a Plumbing License in Idaho?

Yes.

Idaho licenses plumbers statewide through the Idaho Plumbing Board, administered by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).

The statute establishes three classifications of competency in the business, trade, practice or work of plumbing — plumbing contractor, journeyman plumber and apprentice — plus specialty classes.

The statute puts the first limit in place immediately: apprentices may not perform plumbing work except under the supervision of a journeyman.

The statute's classifications are apprentice, journeyman plumber and plumbing contractor, plus specialty classes; the rules also reference specialty journeyman and specialty contractor certificates, though our research did not capture the named plumbing specialties.

An apprentice registers with DOPL and may not perform plumbing work except under a journeyman's supervision.

The journeyman plumber certificate is the qualified-worker level: a plumbing contractor who in person does plumbing work must also be qualified as a journeyman plumber, or have a qualified journeyman in employ on all work.

The plumbing contractor certificate is the top classification, and there is no state master plumber license above it — as of September 2026, our cross-state research places Idaho among the states whose journeyman license is topped by an individual contractor certificate instead of a master license.

A contractor certificate holder may represent only one person or business at a time and must notify DOPL in writing immediately if that representation ends.

Apprentice registration comes first: Idaho plumbing apprentices must register with DOPL and may work only under a journeyman's supervision.

For the journeyman certificate, the rules require a passing board exam plus either 8,000 hours of work experience as an apprentice making plumbing installations and 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of plumbing experience.

The plumbing contractor certificate sits on the journeyman certificate: an applicant must already hold a journeyman certificate, pass the contractor exam and provide a compliance bond in the amount of $2,000 for the certificate period.

Our research did not confirm current application, examination or renewal fees for Idaho plumbing certificates — ask DOPL before you apply.

Both rungs of the ladder above apprentice turn on a board exam: the journeyman certificate requires a passing board exam, and the contractor certificate requires an examination designated by the Board.

Our research did not capture DOPL's plumbing exam vendor or a content outline for the plumbing exams.

For reference, DOPL's HVAC program publishes PSI as its exam vendor, and a cross-state research summary lists Idaho among the states where PSI delivers state HVAC and/or plumbing licensing exams — though our research did not capture a plumbing-specific vendor statement, so ask DOPL which vendor and exam apply to the journeyman plumber certificate before you schedule.

Idaho plumbing certificates of competency are issued for 3 years and expire three years from the date of issue.

Renewal carries a continuing-education condition: contractor and journeyman renewals require proof of the board's continuing education.

The number of CE hours was not in IDAPA 24.39.20 as we read it, so confirm the current hour requirement with DOPL before you plan a renewal cycle.

Our research also did not establish a separate renewal cycle for apprentice registration, so ask DOPL what applies to your registration.

The journeyman-plumber reciprocity our research found involving Idaho comes from the other states' boards: Montana describes journeyman plumber reciprocity with Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota; Oregon lists journeyman plumber reciprocity with Idaho and Montana; and Washington has journey-level plumber reciprocity only with Idaho.

Those agreements say what Montana, Oregon and Washington accept.

Our research did not capture an Idaho-side statement of these agreements or of what DOPL accepts from an incoming license holder, so ask DOPL what it requires before you count on another state's license in Idaho.

DOPL's eDOPL online services include a Search for a License tool that covers Idaho plumbing licenses.

Search it before you take work arranged under someone else's certificate, to confirm the certificate is current, and again once your own is issued to confirm it appears.

If a result surprises you — a lapsed certificate or a name that does not match — resolve it with DOPL before you rely on the record.

DOPL's Plumbing Board page names the Idaho State Plumbing Code and links to IAPMO's publication of it.

The code link we read pointed to a 2017 Uniform Plumbing Code edition on IAPMO's site, but DOPL's own text did not state the edition, so treat the current edition as unconfirmed and check DOPL's Plumbing Board page.

That is worth pinning down before you study for the board exam or plan work around the code.