Do I have to take the Idaho journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Florida?

Yes. Idaho requires the trade exam on this path.

What does it cost to get a Idaho journeyman HVAC technician license from Florida?

Published fees on this path total $260, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Florida work hours count in Idaho?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Idaho's eligibility requirements.

How long does the application take?

The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.

Does it work the other way, from Idaho to Florida?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to Florida, the mechanism is not applicable.

Florida to Idaho: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Florida does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Idaho's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Universal licensure for out-of-state HVAC journeymen (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

Idaho has no HVAC reciprocity agreements, so every out-of-state journeyman is handled the same way. Under Idaho Code 67-9409 the HVAC board must license a person who holds a current, valid and unrestricted HVAC license in another state and demonstrates competency, using the standard application, fees and background checks, and it may require the applicant to take all or part of the Idaho journeyman exam; the board's own rules and the HVAC Journeyman application do not yet describe a separate universal-licensure procedure, so in practice the applicant files the $35 journeyman application, documents supervised HVAC installation hours on Work Verification Forms (out-of-state hours count toward the 16,000-hour work-experience pathway) and passes the PSI journeyman exam ($75) within one year. The board may compare the scope of the origin license to Idaho's and issue a limited license pending additional training.

The HVAC FAQ answers 'No' to whether Idaho has a reciprocal licensing agreement. Whether the board waives any part of the exam for universal-licensure applicants was not confirmed from an official page; the journeyman application requires the exam on both listed pathways. The Work Verification Form asks for the supervising journeyman's Idaho license number, so out-of-state employers should attach equivalent documentation.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility
Typical processing: About 30 days

What you must already have

Your Florida license must be active and in good standing.
You must document at least 16,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Work-experience pathway: 16,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work; alternatively 8,000 hours plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction (IDAPA 24.39.70.100.02)

What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). HVAC Journeyman application processing fee (non-refundable).
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Idaho HVAC Journeyman examination administered by PSI (one year from application to pass).
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI examination fee.
4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Journeyman license fee (3-year term; renewal $75, reinstatement $150).
5Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. Not listed on DOPL's HVAC pages.

Published fees on this path total $260, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

Trade exam
Exam fee · $75
Other

How Idaho licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Idaho journeyman HVAC technician · “HVAC Journeyman”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Idaho Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)

Idaho issues a statewide HVAC Journeyman certificate of competency through the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL); a journeyman works in the employ and under the direction of a licensed HVAC contractor. A new applicant pays a $35 application fee and qualifies either by completing 576 hours of instruction at a board-approved apprenticeship program plus 8,000 hours of supervised installation work while registered as an Idaho apprentice, or by documenting 16,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work, and in both cases must pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam ($75) within a year of applying; the license costs $150 and renews for $75 every three years. DOPL also issues Specialty Journeyman and Limited Heating Specialty Journeyman certificates for hearth appliances, oil furnaces and gas piping. The HVAC board's FAQ states that Idaho has no reciprocal licensing agreement for HVAC. An out-of-state journeyman can instead use Idaho's universal licensure statute (Idaho Code 67-9409), under which the board must license a person holding a current, unrestricted license elsewhere who demonstrates competency, but may still require the Idaho exam; the HVAC application form itself offers no endorsement box, so applicants should contact DOPL before filing. EPA Section 608 certification is required nationwide to handle refrigerants.

Moving to Idaho Leaving Idaho

Why Florida has nothing to transfer

Florida journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman Air Conditioning / Mechanical Journeyman certificate of competency (county-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 11 sources

Issued by County and municipal licensing boards (no state journeyman license)

Florida has no state journeyman HVAC license. The Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR certifies and registers air-conditioning and mechanical contractors only; the contracting statute never defines 'journeyman', and the Board's pages and FAQs contain no journeyman credential. Section 489.1455, F.S., instead authorizes counties and municipalities to issue journeyman licenses 'in the plumbing, pipe fitting, mechanical, or HVAC trades' to a person who scores at least 75 percent on a proctored journeyman exam, has completed a registered apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, and completes Florida Building Commission coursework, and it requires every county and municipality to recognize a journeyman licensed by any other Florida county or municipality. The large South Florida and Tampa Bay counties run such programs (Miami-Dade's Journeyman Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration certificates, Broward's Mechanical Journeyman, Pinellas's Air Conditioning Journeyman) with three years of experience and a 70-75% open-book exam, while other counties such as Hillsborough license no mechanical journeyman at all and technicians simply work as employees of a certified or registered contractor. An out-of-state journeyman or HVAC technician license carries no state-level recognition in Florida and none of the county programs reviewed publishes an out-of-state reciprocity rule (Miami-Dade reciprocates only with Broward and Palm Beach counties), so an arriving technician should expect to document experience and take the county exam in the first county that requires a card, after which that card is portable statewide. EPA Section 608 certification is federal and required of anyone handling refrigerants regardless of any Florida card.

How local licensing works in Florida

How local licensing works. DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board certifies (statewide) and registers (locally qualified) air-conditioning and mechanical contractors and issues no personal license below contractor. Section 489.1455, F.S. lets counties and municipalities license journeymen in the plumbing, pipe fitting, mechanical and HVAC trades on three conditions: 75 percent on a proctored Block and Associates or other board-approved journeyman exam, a registered and state-approved apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, and Florida Building Commission-approved coursework (within 6 months of certification). Subsection (2) makes every county and municipality recognize a journeyman licensed by any other Florida county or municipality. A journeyman card never authorizes contracting; the holder works under a certified or registered contractor.

Miami-Dade County. The Construction Trades Qualifying Board issues Journeyman Air Conditioning, Journeyman Room Air Conditioning, Journeyman General Mechanical, Journeyman Heating, Journeyman Refrigeration, Journeyman Warm Air Heating and Journeyman Sheet Metal certificates. Applicants need three years of proven experience in the trade (up to one-half may be equivalent education), documented with employer letters and W-2s, must pass an open-book exam with 75 percent or above, and pay $240. A journeyman 'may only work in the employ of a contractor holding a certificate of competency in the field in which the journeyman is certified', one journeyman is required for every three trainees on a job site, and continuing education is required each certificate term. The county 'only reciprocates with Broward and Palm Beach County in specific trade categories', and only for journeymen who scored 75% or higher.

Broward County. The Building Code Division's Central Examining Boards certify a Mechanical Journeyman (plus Insulation and Sheet Metal Journeymen). Requirements: at least three years of experience in the mechanical field, a notarized affidavit from the licensed employer, the last three years of W-2s, two passport photos, and a GITS or ProV exam with a minimum passing grade of 75 percent; journeymen do not take the Business & Law exam. Since January 1, 2025 the journeyman application fee is $225, renewal $120 and a letter of reciprocity $50; the application offers 'License by Reciprocity' for holders of other Florida county cards, and the packet warns that a Board-accepted lower score 'may not be' reciprocable to another county or state.

Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board certifies an Air Conditioning Journeyman (and Pipe Fitting and Sheet Metal Journeymen) under Chapter 75-489, Laws of Florida; the open-book exam by an independent testing agency has a 70 percent passing grade, the application fee is $75, and applicants file notarized employer experience certificates, six years of employment history and three character letters. The county states that journeymen 'must be certified by the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (PCCLB) to work in our county.'

Hillsborough County. Development Services issues journeyman certificates of competency only to electricians and plumbers; its contractor-licensing forms list no mechanical, HVAC or air-conditioning journeyman card, so HVAC technicians in the Tampa area work under a licensed contractor without a personal certificate.

Out-of-state holders. No county page reviewed describes reciprocity for a journeyman or technician license from another state; Miami-Dade limits reciprocity to two neighboring counties and Pinellas prints no reciprocity provision at all. Palm Beach County's contractor certification page could not be opened on this verification date and is not described here.

Moving to Florida Leaving Florida

Common questions

Do I have to take the Idaho journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Florida?: Yes. Idaho requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Idaho journeyman HVAC technician license from Florida?: Published fees on this path total $260, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Florida work hours count in Idaho?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Idaho's eligibility requirements.
How long does the application take?: The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Does it work the other way, from Idaho to Florida?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to Florida, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

EPA Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements · 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F (Clean Air Act §608) · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Other · verified September 15, 2026Federal requirement in every state: technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere must be certified (Type I small appliances, Type II high-pressure, Type III low-pressure, Universal). Apprentices under direct supervision are exempt. Certification does not expire; the core exam must be proctored for Universal certification. State HVAC boards commonly require it before licensure, but it is not itself a state license.
Idaho Code 54-5009 - Classification of Competency (HVAC apprentice, journeyman, contractor, specialty contractor) · Idaho Code § 54-5009 · Idaho State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Four classifications: apprentice (works only under a journeyman or contractor), journeyman (works in the employ and under direction of an HVAC contractor and has completed all trade-required classes), HVAC contractor (any business, partnership, company, firm or association installing, maintaining or repairing HVAC appliances or gas-fired equipment) and HVAC specialty contractor (gas piping, gas appliances, decorative gas-fired appliances).
Idaho Code 67-9409 - Universal Licensure · Idaho Code § 67-9409 · Idaho State Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Every Idaho licensing authority must establish a procedure to license a person who holds a current, valid and unrestricted license in another state and demonstrates competency by methods the board determines; the applicant files the standard application, supporting materials and background checks, pays the same fees, and may be required to take all or part of the Idaho exam (no jurisprudence exam may be added); the board may compare scopes of practice and issue a limited license pending additional training. Enacted 2020, amended 2023.
Idaho DOPL - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board (program home and fees) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026License types: Apprentice, Journeyman, Contractor, Specialty Apprentice, Specialty Journeyman, Specialty Contractor and Limited Heating Specialty variants. Fees: application $35; Journeyman and Specialty Journeyman $150 license / $75 renewal / $150 reinstatement, 3-year term; Contractor and Specialty Contractor $225 / $150 / $225, 3-year term; Apprentice $10 (1 year); Specialty Apprentice $20 (2 years). Adopted codes include the 2018 IFGC and 2018 IMC. No reciprocity content.
Idaho DOPL - HVAC Board FAQs · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Faq · verified September 15, 2026'Q: Does Idaho have a Reciprocal Licensing agreement? A: No.' Also states that hours worked without a required license do not count toward the required on-the-job time, and that unlicensed HVAC work is subject to civil penalties.
Idaho DOPL - HVAC Journeyman Application and Instructions (rev. July 1, 2023) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Form · verified September 15, 2026Two pathways, both requiring a passing exam score before issuance: (1) Idaho Apprenticeship School pathway - 576 hours of instruction at a board-approved program, a Work Verification Form showing 8,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work, and an active Idaho apprentice registration during those hours (the exam may be taken after the 576 hours); (2) Work Experience pathway - Work Verification Forms showing 16,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work. $35 non-refundable processing fee; one year from application to pass the exam. The Work Verification Form asks for the supervising journeyman's name and license number. The form contains no endorsement or reciprocity option.
Idaho DOPL - HVAC Program Information and Exams · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI for a $75 fee; candidates bring their own reference materials (the DOPL Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual in a binder for the contractor exam); after passing, apply for licensure through the eDOPL portal. Links the board-approved apprentice program list.
IDAPA 24.39.70 - Rules Governing Installation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems · IDAPA 24.39.70.100 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Section 100.02 journeyman: pass the board exam and either 8,000 hours of apprentice work experience plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience; may sit for the exam after either the 576 hours or the 16,000 hours. Section 100.03 contractor: pass the board-designated examination and provide a $2,000 compliance bond effective for the certificate period. Section 100.04 specialty journeyman (hearth appliances, non-duct-connected oil furnaces and their gas piping and venting): 2,000 hours of specialty experience plus the board exam or 60 hours of fuel gas education. No reciprocity or endorsement provisions. The redirect from adminrules.idaho.gov to files.dfm.idaho.gov was followed.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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