Maryland to Virginia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Virginia has a reciprocity agreement with Maryland: a Maryland journeyman HVAC technician can get a Virginia license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Examination reciprocity agreement with Maryland (journeyman HVACR)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board for Contractors has an approved examination reciprocity agreement covering the Maryland HVACR Board's Journeyman HVACR license and the Virginia Journeyman HVAC tradesman license; it is the Board's only HVAC-specific agreement. A Maryland journeyman applies on the Tradesman Exam & License Application selecting 'Reciprocity' (transaction 1021, $171.75) for the Journeyman HVA designation, lists the Maryland license in question 10, and attaches a Certification/Letter of Good Standing from the Maryland board showing the license number, initial date, expiration, that it was obtained by examination, and any closed disciplinary actions. The Virginia trade exam is waived; there is no separate Virginia law exam for tradesmen. Maryland journeymen who have held their license at least one year may alternatively use Universal License Recognition. Continuing education (three hours on the International Mechanical Code per three-year license term) applies once licensed.
The agreement list does not print the agreement's date or its detailed terms; DPOR says to contact the Board for details of each agreement. Because it is an examination agreement, the Maryland license is expected to have been obtained by passing Maryland's exam.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Maryland license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Maryland 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 ($171.75). Tradesman Exam & License Application fee, Reciprocity method (transaction 1021), including the $7.25-per-year technology fee; non-refundable.
- 2Other. Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing from the Maryland HVACR Board.
- 3Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Three hours of board-approved International Mechanical Code continuing education each three-year license term.
- 4Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification to handle refrigerant; federal law requires it, but it is not a condition of this state license (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $171.75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
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.
- Other · if applicable
How Virginia licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
Virginia journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVA) Tradesman”
Statewide license
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 one year 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 three-year license term, 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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Maryland?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Maryland.
- What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Maryland?
- Published fees on this path total $171.75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Maryland work hours count in Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
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, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-39 - Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-50 - Exemptions from examination · 18VAC50-30-50 · Virginia Register / Board for Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Va. Code 54.1-103 - Additional training of regulated persons; reciprocity; endorsement · Va. Code 54.1-103(B)-(C) · Virginia General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 through 54.1-1131 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.