Kentucky to Idaho: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Idaho has no reciprocity agreement with Kentucky. A Kentucky journeyman HVAC technician applies by endorsement.
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)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
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 Kentucky 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
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Idaho journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
- Yes. Idaho requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Idaho journeyman HVAC technician license from Kentucky?
- Published fees on this path total $260, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to Kentucky, the mechanism is experience credit.
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.