North Dakota Plumber License Requirements (2026)

North Dakota’s State Plumbing Board licenses Master Plumbers, Journeyman Plumbers, and apprentices statewide under NDCC Chapter 43-18. In public-water or sewer locations, a plumbing-installation business must have a registered, licensed Master in charge; in rural areas and cities below 1,000 population, a licensed Journeyman may engage in the installation business. Plumbing licensure is separate from the Secretary of State contractor license that can apply to construction jobs exceeding $4,000.

Regulatory Body

Authority over this credential rests with North Dakota State Plumbing Board (NDPB), which issues and polices it under North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-18. Licenses plumbing trade classifications, adopts the state plumbing code, administers examinations, reciprocity, renewal, and continuing education.

Official portal: https://www.nd.gov/ndpb/
Address: North Dakota State Plumbing Board, Bismarck, ND
Phone: (701) 328-9977

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. North Dakota residency is not listed as an applicant qualification in the current Master/Journeyman form.

Good moral character

NDCC 43-18-11.2 limits the effect of convictions on plumbing licensure, subject to the statutory exceptions.

Background investigation

The current Master/Journeyman application requires information used to verify employment or reciprocal licensure; consult the current form for all disclosures.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is Use the current State Plumbing Board application instructions for the Master or Journeyman experience route. Do not rely on the removed unsupported 8,000-hour and two-year progression claims..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Current SFN 59613 Master or Journeyman application
Employment or experience records required by Board instructions
Current reciprocal-license verification when applicable

Education substitution

Confirm any trade-school or apprenticeship credit with the State Plumbing Board.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: North Dakota State Plumbing Board. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Journeyman Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Master Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: $50 application/examination fee. On passing, license fees are $100 Journeyman and $200 Master.

Retake policy: Follow current Board examination instructions; the statute provides for Board examinations and rule-set fees.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to a given job.

General liability

The statewide plumbing law reviewed does not state a universal Master/Journeyman liability or bond amount.

Workers' compensation

Confirm the business’s workers’ compensation obligations with North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance.

Additional financial requirements

No individual plumbing-license financial-statement requirement was identified.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$50
Examination	$50
Initial license	$200
Renewal (every year)	$100

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for North Dakota plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The North Dakota Master and Journeyman Plumber runs on a year renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $100. Licenses expire December 31 of the issue year. Apply to renew within 30 days after expiration; statutory fee caps are $100 Journeyman and $200 Master.

Continuing education: Complete at least 2 and no more than 4 Board-approved credit hours relating to plumbing within each two-year period before renewal.

Downloadable Asset

2026 North Dakota Plumber License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, North Dakota does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Minnesota	—	Listed on the current Master/Journeyman application; verify active requirements with the Board.
Montana	—	Listed on the current Master/Journeyman application; verify active requirements with the Board.
South Dakota	—	Listed on the current Master/Journeyman application; verify active requirements with the Board.

Reciprocity is authorized by NDCC 43-18-13.1. Submit the Board-required current license/verification documents.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Plumber license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Plumber Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare North Dakota's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Minnesota Plumber License Requirements — Minnesota Master Plumber and Plumbing Contractor License
Montana Plumber License Requirements — Montana Journeyman and Master Plumber
South Dakota Plumber License Requirements — South Dakota Plumber and Plumbing Contractor

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Choose Master or Journeyman licensure. Use the Board’s current instructions for the applicable experience and examination route.
Apply to the State Plumbing Board. Submit SFN 59613 and the $50 application/examination fee.
Pass the applicable examination. Pay the $100 Journeyman or $200 Master license fee after passing.
Use the credential within its statutory business scope. A Master is required in public-water/sewer installation businesses; rural/small-city Journeyman business authority is limited by NDCC 43-18-10.
Determine separate contractor licensing. Secretary of State contractor licensing may apply when the job exceeds $4,000.
Check local rules and permits. Local ordinances can limit homeowner/full-time-maintenance exceptions and can add permitting requirements.
Renew and complete CE. Complete 2 to 4 approved CE hours in each two-year period and renew annually.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to NDPB, confirm every item on this short list:

Use current Board qualifications for Master or Journeyman
Submit SFN 59613 and $50 application/exam fee
Pass the Board examination
Pay $100 Journeyman or $200 Master fee after passing
Check business scope, contractor license, and local permit requirements
Complete 2 to 4 CE hours in each two-year period and renew annually

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost North Dakota Plumber applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Confusing Master/Journeyman scope

The public-water/sewer Master requirement and limited rural/small-city Journeyman authority are statutory.

Using an old experience claim

Use the current Board instructions rather than the removed unsourced 8,000-hour pathway.

Assuming trade licensing replaces contractor licensing

A separate Secretary of State contractor license can apply to jobs over $4,000.

Skipping local permit checks

A municipality can require its own plumber license or registration in addition to the state license.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

NDCC Chapter 43-18 — North Dakota Legislative Branch. Primary licensing, scope, reciprocity, renewal, and CE law.
Current State Plumbing Board application — North Dakota State Plumbing Board. Primary source for current fees and application documents.

Other North Dakota Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional North Dakota trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses North Dakota plumbers?

The North Dakota State Plumbing Board licenses Master, Journeyman, and apprentice plumbers statewide.

Can a Journeyman operate a plumbing business?

In public-water or sewer locations, a Master must be in charge. In rural areas and cities under 1,000, a licensed Journeyman may engage in plumbing installation.

What are current application and initial license fees?

The current form lists a $50 application/exam fee, then $100 Journeyman or $200 Master license fee after passing.

Does North Dakota reciprocate plumbing licenses?

The current application lists Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota; verify the current requirements with the Board.

How often does a North Dakota plumbing license renew?

A license is valid for one year and expires December 31 of its issue year. Renew within 30 days after expiration; the statute caps renewal fees at $100 Journeyman and $200 Master.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.