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

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

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

At least 3 years before applying.

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

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

Do my Kansas 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 Kansas?

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

Kansas to Virginia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

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

Kansas 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 Kansas license for at least 3 years.ULR route only: current out-of-state journeyman or master HVAC license held at least three years
Your Kansas license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Kansas 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 Kansas has nothing to transfer

Kansas journeyman HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

Kansas does not issue a journeyman HVAC license and has no state HVAC or mechanical board. State law (K.S.A. 12-1540 to 12-1544) only sets a framework for the counties and cities that choose to license: it names the ICC, IAPMO and Prometric standard exams as the competency tests for journeyman and master heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanics, requires a 75% passing score, two years of supervised field experience for a journeyman certificate (up to one year creditable from a trade-school program of at least 930 hours), and 12 hours of continuing education every two years. A certificate of competency earned by passing one of those standard exams is valid proof of competency in every Kansas county or city that licenses HVAC mechanics without retesting, but a license based on a local alternative exam is good only in the issuing jurisdiction unless it has a reciprocal agreement. Sedgwick County/Wichita (MABCD), Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas license mechanical tradespeople individually; Johnson County licenses only mechanical contractors (Class DM) through a master-level qualifying individual and issues no journeyman card. No Kansas jurisdiction publishes reciprocity with another state's HVAC license: MABCD states it does not reciprocate with state testing, and the portable credentials are the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric mechanical exam scores themselves. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate federal requirement that applies everywhere in Kansas.

How local licensing works in Kansas

How local licensing works. The Kansas HVAC licensing act (K.S.A. 12-1540 to 12-1544) does not create a state license or board; it standardizes what counties and cities do if they license. Journeyman and master HVAC mechanics qualify by passing the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard mechanical exam with 75% (K.S.A. 12-1541, 12-1542), a journeyman needs two years of field experience (one year creditable from a 930-hour trade-school program) and a master needs a journeyman certificate held two years or four years of field experience. A certificate of competency based on a standard exam must be accepted by every other licensing county or city without additional examination, while a license based on an alternative local exam is valid only where issued (K.S.A. 12-1543). Each jurisdiction still requires its own application, fee and continuing education (12 hours biennially or 6 annually, half code education).

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Issues mechanical journeyman certificates ($35) to applicants with one year of field experience plus one year of mechanical trade school, or two years of field experience, who score 75% on ICC K9G/559 Journeyman Mechanical or the IAPMO journeyman exam. MABCD states it 'does not reciprocate with state testing'; only the listed exams are accepted. Renewal requires three trade-specific and three general CEUs.

Johnson County (Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and other cities). Licenses only contractors. A Class DM license 'shall entitle the holder thereof to perform only HVAC, mechanical, and refrigeration services' and is qualified by a qualifying individual who has passed the ICC Standard Master Mechanical exam (556/KGL); there is no journeyman license, so an HVAC technician works as an employee of a Class DM contractor. Fees are $100 application plus $225 per license type; general liability insurance and workers' compensation (or a notarized waiver) are required.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government of Wyandotte County). Building Inspections requires trade masters, including mechanical, to carry a master's license and offers Prometric master testing; the page does not publish a journeyman mechanical requirement, experience rules or fees.

Topeka. Development Services licenses mechanical journeymen (comprehensive or sheet metal) and masters under TMC 5.63.080. Applicants show a 75% score on the Standard Air Conditioning Journeyman, Standard Sheet Metal Journeyman or Standard Unlimited Air Conditioning Master exam from Block, NIA-Block, Experior, Thomson-Prometric or Prometric, submit a notarized time-in-trade form and pay a $50 trade board review fee; the initial license is free, renewal is annual (December 14) with six hours of continuing education, three in the trade. The code allows registration of individuals holding a trade license from another jurisdiction whose requirements comply with the section.

Lawrence. Planning and Development Services certifies Journeyman Mechanical (two years of field experience), Residential Mechanical and Sheet Metal licensees; applicants pay $50 to apply for the exam, must score 75%, and then pay $20 for the license; six hours of continuing education a year. A certificate of competency issued under the Kansas statutes is the accepted standard for licensure.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish reciprocity with another state's journeyman HVAC license. A technician arriving from another state should expect to document experience and either present a qualifying ICC, IAPMO or Prometric mechanical exam score or sit that exam, then apply in each jurisdiction where they will work; Topeka's registration for equivalent out-of-jurisdiction licenses is the only published exception and is applied at the city's discretion.

Moving to Kansas Leaving Kansas

Common questions

Do I have to take the Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Kansas?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Kansas license?: At least 3 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Kansas?: Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Kansas 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 Kansas?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Kansas, 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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