State rules
Idaho
Idaho licenses backflow assembly testers under the Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Licensing Act. Idaho Code section 54-2402 says it is unlawful for any person to perform backflow assembly testing or inspection unless that person is licensed under the chapter. The Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals, in the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, sets the license rules in IDAPA 24.05.01. A backflow assembly tester must complete a board-approved training program and pass a practical examination using University of Southern California testing procedures, or other procedures the board approves. The license is separate from a drinking-water operator license.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Drinking-water agency
- The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses licenses backflow assembly testers, and the Department of Environmental Quality addresses cross-connection control at public water systems.
- Who may test an assembly
- Only a person licensed under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 24, may perform backflow assembly testing or inspection.
- Official program page
- Official page →
IDAPA 24.05.01 says a backflow assembly tester qualifies by successful completion of a board-approved training program and passage of a practical examination using USC testing procedures or other board-approved procedures. Continuing education for this license is an eight-hour refresher course every two years, and that continuing education must be completed in person and be board-approved. Other water and wastewater licenses in the same chapter can use germane remote study; the backflow tester exception is written separately. Board guidelines for instructors say the board requires a 32-hour class before licensing and an eight-hour class every two years.
When a backflow assembly passes a field test, the tester must submit the report to the consumer and the relevant public water system within fifteen business days. When it does not pass, the report goes to the consumer and the public water system within two business days. Those deadlines are in the board rules. They are reporting rules, not repair instructions. A person who only holds an operator license is not thereby a backflow assembly tester. The statute says the right to practice as a tester is personal, based on the individual’s license, and is not transferable.
Idaho DEQ’s cross-connection material says assemblies are inspected and tested annually by a tester licensed by the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses, the name that fact sheet uses. An assembly that cannot pass or is defective shall be repaired, replaced, or isolated within ten business days. If no action is taken, water service to the failed assembly must be discontinued. DEQ also says double-check and reduced-pressure assemblies must meet AWWA standards C510 and C511. That product standard does not replace the state license.
Official resources in Idaho
Makes backflow assembly testing or inspection without a license unlawful.
Board rules for backflow assembly tester training, the practical exam, refresher hours, and report deadlines.
Says the board requires a 32-hour class before licensing and an eight-hour class every two years.
Key facts for Idaho
- Idaho Code 54-2402 makes it unlawful to perform backflow assembly testing or inspection without a license under that chapter.
- The tester license requires a board-approved training program and a practical exam using USC procedures or another procedure the board approves.
- Backflow assembly testers must complete an eight-hour in-person, board-approved refresher every two years.
- A passing field test must be reported to the consumer and the public water system within fifteen business days.
- A failing field test must be reported within two business days.
- DEQ material says a failed or defective assembly must be repaired, replaced, or isolated within ten business days.
What to do next
- Ask to see the current Idaho backflow assembly tester license, not only a course certificate.
- Ask when the report will reach both you and the water system, because the rule sets fifteen and two business days.
- If the assembly fails, ask the water system about the ten-business-day repair, replacement, or isolation expectation in DEQ’s material.
- Do not assume a drinking-water operator license includes testing authority.
Looking for your city or county in Idaho?
We haven't found official program-level pages for Idaho we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Idaho, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Idaho Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Idaho Association of Counties →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Idaho page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- What a backflow test is
- Who is allowed to test a backflow assembly
- Why utilities require annual backflow testing
- Tester and cross-connection specialist