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

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Florida license?

At least 3 years before applying.

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

Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Florida work hours count in Virginia?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia'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 Virginia to Florida?

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

Florida to Virginia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 11 sources

Florida does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Virginia'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 License Recognition or exam eligibility for out-of-state journeymen (all states except Maryland)

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

A journeyman HVAC technician licensed by any state without a reciprocal agreement has two routes. If the current license has been held for at least three years, was obtained by examination in a state that also required education, training or experience, and there are no unresolved complaints or investigations, the applicant files the Tradesman Universal License Recognition form (A501-2710ULR) for a 'Licensed Journeyman HVAC (HVA)' license, which DPOR issues without the Virginia trade examination; every state board that has licensed the applicant must send a Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing dated within 90 days directly to the Tradesmen Program, and DPOR reserves the right to require an exam specific to Virginia law (Va. Code 54.1-205). If the license is younger than three years or was not obtained by exam, the out-of-state journeyman or master license still qualifies the applicant to sit the PSI Virginia journeyman HVAC exam ($100) through the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75) without documenting years of experience. The instructions note that the out-of-state license can be reviewed 'for experience or eligibility to sit for the exam or reciprocity'. City-issued licenses from jurisdictions that license HVAC locally are listed the same way on the form.

The ULR form (v2, 2023) prints a $130 fee while the 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee; DPOR had not republished the ULR form with the technology fee as of the verification date. The ULR form's 'Licensed Journeyman HVAC' option uses transaction code 1021, the same code the exam/license form uses for reciprocity.

At a glance

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

What you must already have

You must have held your Florida license for at least 3 years.ULR route only: current out-of-state journeyman or master HVAC license held at least three years
Your Florida license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Florida license must be active and in good standing.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.

What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($130). Tradesman Universal License Recognition application fee as printed on form A501-2710ULR (2023); non-refundable. The 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee..
2Other. Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing from each state board where licensed, sent directly to the Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program and dated within 90 days.
3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam (if applicable). DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205.
4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Only for applicants who do not meet the ULR criteria: PSI Virginia journeyman HVAC exam ($100) via the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75), for which an out-of-state journeyman or master license is itself the qualification.
5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Three hours of board-approved International Mechanical Code continuing education each two-year renewal cycle.
6Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. Not a DPOR licensing prerequisite..

Published fees on this path total $130, 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.

Law / code exam · if applicable
Trade exam · if applicable
Other

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

Continuing education

How Virginia licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Virginia journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVA) Tradesman”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)

Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman HVAC tradesman license to individuals (never to companies) through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). A first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI journeyman exam ($100) with a combination of practical experience and vocational training (four years plus 240 hours down to seven years plus 40 hours), a related degree plus experience, eight years of verified experience, or completion of a registered apprenticeship, which exempts the applicant from the exam; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75, which includes the $7.25-per-year technology fee added on top of the $150 fee in 18VAC50-30-90. A journeyman or master HVAC license from any other state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the Virginia exam without documenting hours, and a licensee who has held that out-of-state license for at least three years may instead apply through Universal License Recognition (ULR) and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board's only HVAC-specific agreement is an examination reciprocity agreement with the Maryland HVACR Board covering journeyman and master licenses. HVAC licensees complete three hours of International Mechanical Code continuing education each two-year renewal cycle, and anyone contracting for work over $1,000 also needs a Class A, B or C contractor license. EPA Section 608 certification is required federally to handle refrigerants; DPOR does not list it as a licensing prerequisite.

Moving to Virginia Leaving Virginia

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 Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Florida?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Florida license?: At least 3 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Florida?: Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Florida work hours count in Virginia?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia'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 Virginia to Florida?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia 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.
18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Amended effective March 11, 2026. Exam fees are set by the Board's vendor contract and may not exceed $200 for a journeyman exam or $225 for a master exam; the current PSI fees on the Tradesmen page are $100 and $125.
18VAC50-30-39 - Evidence of ability and proficiency (tradesman qualifications) · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective April 1, 2025 (replacing repealed 18VAC50-30-40). Journeyman pathways: engineering bachelor's plus one year, associate degree plus two years, 240 hours vocational training plus four years, 160 plus five, 80 plus six, 40 plus seven, or eight years of experience. Master pathways: three years holding a valid residential HVAC tradesman license, one year as a licensed journeyman in the trade, or nine years of practical experience. The regulation does not itself address out-of-state licenses; those are handled through the application form's out-of-state qualification option, reciprocity and ULR.
18VAC50-30-50 - Exemptions from examination · 18VAC50-30-50 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Exam exemptions cover pre-July 1, 1995 DHCD tradesman cards, pre-July 1, 1978 locality cards, and completion of an apprenticeship program approved by the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (journeyman exam). Out-of-state licenses are not among the listed exemptions.
18VAC50-30-90 - Fees (individual licenses and certifications) · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective August 1, 2025: original tradesman license with or without examination $150; card exchange $110; additional tradesman designation $105. All fees are non-refundable. The 2026 application form adds the statutory technology fee, giving $171.75.
Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 15, 2026Board-approved list. The only HVAC entry is: 'Maryland HVAC Board Journeyman and Master HVA Tradesman License and Virginia Journeyman and Master HVA License Examination Reciprocity.' All other entries concern electrical tradesmen (AL, DC, KY, MD, WV, NC, OH) or WSSC plumbers and gas fitters. Anyone applying under an agreement must meet all of its terms and submit a complete application with verification of licensure from the out-of-state board.
Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Designations include Journeyman and Master Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVA). Methods of licensure: Examination (1005), Reciprocity (1021) and Apprenticeship Program (1022) at $171.75 each, Card Exchange (1023) at $131.75; the fees include the $7.25-per-year Technology Fee added by 2026 House Bill 30. Question 10 lets an applicant list a current tradesman license from another jurisdiction 'to qualify you for the tradesman examination' or for reciprocity, with a Certification/Letter of Good Standing. Journeyman qualification options include 'Individuals currently certified or licensed as a journeyman or master by governing body located outside the Commonwealth of Virginia'; master options are one year as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential HVAC or plumber tradesman, nine years of practical experience, or a current out-of-state journeyman or master license. Anyone performing work over $1,000 must also hold a Virginia contractor license.
Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 to 54.1-1131 · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Other · verified September 15, 2026States that tradesman licenses are issued to individuals, not companies. Explains that an out-of-state license can be reviewed 'for experience or eligibility to sit for the exam or reciprocity' when a Certification/Letter of Good Standing showing the license number, initial date, expiration, means of licensure and closed disciplinary actions is provided.
Form A501-2710ULR - Tradesman Universal License Recognition Application (v2, 08/14/2023) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Offers 'Licensed Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Cond. (HVA)' and 'Licensed Master HVAC (HVA)' (transaction code 1021, licensure without examination) and 'Unlicensed Journeyman/Master HVAC (HVA) - ULR by exam' (code 1005), $130 each, non-refundable. Licensed applicants must have held the current out-of-state license for at least 3 years, the issuing state must have required an examination and education/training/experience, there must be no unresolved complaints or pending investigations, and every state board that has licensed the applicant must send a Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing dated within 90 days directly to the Tradesmen Program. The form states DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205. Applicants from states that do not regulate the trade need 3 years of employment, an Experience Verification Form, and must take the Virginia exam unless they have passed one elsewhere.
DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program page for journeyman and master tradesman licenses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting. Exams are administered by PSI: $100 for a journeyman tradesman exam, $125 for a master tradesman exam. HVAC journeyman and master licensees complete three hours of board-approved continuing education on the International Mechanical Code each two-year renewal cycle. Links the Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC), the Residential Tradesman application (A501-2709EXLIC, launched April 1, 2025), the Universal License Recognition application (A501-2710ULR) and the reciprocal agreements list.
DPOR - Universal License Recognition · Va. Code 54.1-204, 54.1-205 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026ULR applies to an applicant who holds a valid out-of-state license or certification in an occupation with a similar scope of practice, has been licensed there for at least one year, passed an examination and met training standards, has no disciplinary actions or pending investigations, has no disqualifying criminal history, and pays the Virginia fees. Tradesmen certifications are among the listed occupations.

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

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