Minnesota to Virginia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Minnesota 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 one year, 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 one year 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.
Both the ULR form and the exam/license form charge $171.75, which includes the $7.25-per-year technology fee. 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
What you must already have
- You must have held your Minnesota license for at least 1 year.ULR route only: current out-of-state journeyman or master HVAC license held at least one year
- Your Minnesota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Minnesota 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 Universal License Recognition application fee (form A501-2710ULR), including the $7.25-per-year technology fee; non-refundable.
- 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 three-year license term.
- 6Other. 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
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 · if applicable
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
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.
Why Minnesota has nothing to transfer
Minnesota journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Minnesota has no state HVAC or refrigeration technician license at any level. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) states that there is 'no state license requirement for individual employees of mechanical contractors' and no state license for mechanical contractors either; the only statewide requirement is the $25,000 mechanical contractor bond that a business must file with DLI under Minn. Stat. 326B.197 before contracting for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning or refrigeration work. Journeyman-level licensing exists only where a city requires it: Minneapolis and Saint Paul both require a journeyman Certificate of Competency (Warm Air/Ventilation or Refrigeration) to work in the trade, issued after four years of experience and an exam, and Saint Paul additionally registers trade workers; Bloomington, Rochester and Duluth license contractors or master installers but not journeymen. An out-of-state journeyman HVAC license has no state-level recognition in Minnesota and none of these cities publish a path that accepts it; the only local reciprocity is between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Anyone who handles refrigerants must also hold federal EPA Section 608 certification, which is not a state license.
How local licensing works in Minnesota
How local licensing works. Minnesota licenses neither HVAC contractors nor HVAC workers at the state level. DLI's only role is the $25,000 mechanical contractor bond (Minn. Stat. 326B.197; $100 filing fee for two years), which the statute makes 'in lieu of all other bonds to any political subdivision'. Everything about who may personally do HVAC work comes from city ordinances, and most Minnesota cities require nothing of employees.
Minneapolis. Under Minneapolis Code Chapter 278, 'masters and journeymen' in the refrigeration and warm air/ventilation trades (as well as fuel gas fitting and steam and hot water) 'need the card in order to perform work in Minneapolis'. A Journeyman Warm Air Ventilation or Journeyman Refrigeration Certificate of Competency requires four years (1,600 hours per year) of on-the-job experience plus four years (576 hours) of trade-related education, or a state-approved apprenticeship; the Building Official approves eligibility (no application fee), the ICC exam is taken at Pearson VUE (100-question Journeyman Warm Air Ventilation exam or 70-question Journeyman Refrigeration exam, 70% to pass, $115), and the card costs $30 per trade. A failed exam requires a 60-day wait; scores are valid one year. Minneapolis has reciprocity only with Saint Paul: a Saint Paul card holder sends copies of the card and $30 per trade.
Saint Paul. The Department of Safety and Inspections requires Certificates of Competency (master and/or journeyman) in Warm Air/Ventilation, Refrigeration, Gas Burner, Oil Burner and Steam Fitting/Hot Water. Warm Air/Ventilation exams are held twice a year (January and July); refrigeration and burner candidates arrange testing through the Senior Mechanical Inspector. Journeymen must also carry an annual trade worker registration ($37 per trade for 0-4 years registered, $70 for 5-6 years, $59 for 7 or more). Reciprocal cards are issued on a current Minneapolis card for $24 per trade (Refrigeration at both levels; Warm Air and Ventilation at master level only).
Bloomington. Licenses mechanical contractors (HVAC, gas installer, hot water/steam, oil burner, refrigeration) on the strength of a Minneapolis or Saint Paul competency card or Bloomington's own $35 open-book mechanical test; no journeyman credential.
Rochester. Licenses HVAC Contractors ($125 per year) and individual HVAC Master Installers ($60 per year plus a $25 certificate of competency per area); no journeyman credential.
Duluth. Issues no mechanical license; a DLI-bonded mechanical contractor pulls the permit.
Out-of-state holders. None of these cities publish a reciprocity, endorsement or exam-waiver route for an HVAC license from another state. A journeyman arriving in Minnesota needs no credential to work for a bonded contractor outside Minneapolis and Saint Paul; inside those cities they should expect to document four years of experience and education and pass the city exam (or obtain one city's card and reciprocate to the other).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Minnesota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Minnesota license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Minnesota?
- Published fees on this path total $171.75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Minnesota work hours count in Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Minnesota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Minnesota, 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, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 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
- 18VAC50-30-90 - Fees for licensure and certification · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 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
- Form A501-2710ULR - Tradesman Universal License Recognition Application (v4, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Universal License Recognition - Virginia DPOR · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.