Idaho to District of Columbia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
District of Columbia has no reciprocity agreement with Idaho. A Idaho journeyman HVAC technician applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman HVAC technician (any state)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
The Board of Industrial Trades publishes no reciprocity for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, so a journeyman-level HVAC licensee from any state applies through the DLCP online portal as a new applicant. The application needs a passport-style photo, government ID, the $65 application fee, tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic showing at least 3 years of experience, and a CFC Universal certification; the applicant then schedules the open-book journeyman exam with PSI (2012 International Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) and pays the $110 license fee for a term ending September 30 of the next even-numbered year. Two statutory routes can waive the exam: D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(d) requires the Board to accept a certificate from a national certifying organization (a registered trade organization, non-union sponsor or labor union) that the applicant completed its apprenticeship, passed its exam and is designated a journeyman, and § 47-2853.12(b) directs boards to waive the exam for a licensee in good standing of a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits DC licensees in a like manner, with § 47-2853.08 leaving the substantial-equivalence finding to the Board case by case. No District-law exam applies; § 47-2853.12(c)(4) exempts journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics from one.
PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin lists the journeyman refrigeration exam fee as $52 per attempt. Whether experience letters signed by an out-of-state master are accepted, and which states or national certifying organizations the Board has listed under § 47-2853.12(d), are not stated in the Board's published materials. The 3-year experience figure comes from DLCP's application instructions; the statute itself sets no journeyman experience term.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.Three years of refrigeration and air conditioning experience, documented with tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic (DLCP application instructions).
What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable), paid online with the DLCP application.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. DC Journeyman Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic examination administered by PSI (schedule at psiexams.com after Board pre-approval), open book on the 2012 International Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; waived for graduates of a registered apprenticeship program or holders of a national certifying organization's journeyman certificate under § 47-2853.202(d).
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($52). Per attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling, as listed in PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($110). Mechanic license fee for a term ending September 30 of the next even-numbered year (renewal $155).
- 5Other. Tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic detailing the applicant's experience and length of employment, uploaded with the online application.
- 6Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. DLCP's refrigeration application instructions list a 'CFC Universal Certification' among the journeyman exam documents.
Published fees on this path total $227, 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 · $52
- Other
How District of Columbia licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
District of Columbia journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic”
Statewide license
Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)
The District of Columbia licenses HVAC technicians as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics through the Board of Industrial Trades in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), the same board that licenses electricians and plumbers. Three person-held credentials exist: apprentice (registered without exam), Journeyman Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, and Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (regular, or limited to systems of 25 compressor horsepower and below). 17 DCMR § 303.7 requires a journeyman license for anyone doing the mechanical work of installing, maintaining, repairing or replacing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. DLCP's application instructions require 3 years of experience verified by a master, tax records, a CFC (EPA 608) Universal certification, and a PSI-administered open-book journeyman exam; a graduate of a registered apprenticeship program (classroom work plus 8,000 hours over 4 years under a master) may waive the journeyman exam, which mirrors the national-certification substitute in D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(d). Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 mechanic license fee; all refrigeration licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes reciprocity for electricians and plumbers from Maryland and Virginia but none for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.
Compare: getting a District of Columbia license from scratch
Common questions
- Do I have to take the District of Columbia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Idaho?
- Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a District of Columbia journeyman HVAC technician license from Idaho?
- Published fees on this path total $227, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Idaho work hours count in District of Columbia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 - Powers of the boards (reciprocity and endorsement) · D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(c) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 - Scope of practice for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics · D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 - Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 17 DCMR Chapter 3 - Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Licensing (§§ 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310) · 17 DCMR §§ 303.6-303.8, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310, 312 · DC Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances (DCMR) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection - Board of Industrial Trades (electricians, plumbers, refrigeration, elevator, asbestos) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades landing page (apply, reciprocity, exams) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DC DLCP - Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning License (Limited and Regular) Application Instructions - Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Washington D.C. Contractor/Trades Examinations · PSI Services LLC for the District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 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, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.