Mississippi to Rhode Island: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Mississippi does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Rhode Island'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.
Out-of-state journeyperson admitted to the Rhode Island Refrigeration Journeyperson exam (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An HVAC or refrigeration technician holding a journeyperson-level license from any other state applies to DLT for the Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (code 006) or Class II (code 007) examination under the 'Out-of-State License Holders' section of the Mechanical Trade application. The application must include a notarized statement on company letterhead from present or past employers detailing all work-related experience, a valid copy of the out-of-state mechanical trade license and an official license verification from that state, a copy of government-issued ID, and the $75 non-refundable processing fee; the form is signed before a notary and must be filed at least 15 days before the exam date. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-11(3)(iii) and 260-RICR-30-15-2 § 2.14.C, holding the out-of-state journeyperson license is what makes the applicant eligible to sit the Rhode Island exam without a Rhode Island-registered apprenticeship; the exam itself is not waived and must be passed with a score of 70 or better. For either class, an applicant from a state that has no equivalent journeyperson license may instead attach a notarized resume showing five years' experience as a refrigeration journeyperson. Applicants who pass are invoiced for the $72 (Class I) or $60 (Class II) two-year license fee. DLT gives exams three times a year on a first-come, first-served basis.
DLT does not publish whether the 10,000-hour / 144-hours-per-year schooling standard is separately enforced for out-of-state licensees admitted under § 2.14.C, or how it evaluates out-of-state schooling; the regulation and statute condition exam admission only on holding the out-of-state journeyperson license. Neither DLT nor the regulation mentions EPA Section 608; it applies federally. Neither R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 28-27 nor DLT's mechanical trades regulation sets a continuing-education requirement; licenses renew on payment of the fee. Processing time is not published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Mississippi license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The Rhode Island Class I standard is a 10,000-hour registered apprenticeship with 144 hours of schooling per year (Class II: 4,000 hours and 288 schooling hours); out-of-state licensees are admitted to the exam on the strength of the license and notarized employer experience letters.
- At least 18 years of age
What you'll do to get licensed in Rhode Island
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Non-refundable application processing fee for the refrigeration journeyperson examination (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17).
- 2Other. Notarized application, copy of government-issued ID, notarized employer experience statement on company letterhead, copy of the out-of-state license and official license verification; filed at least 15 days before the exam date.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Rhode Island Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (or Class II) examination administered by DLT Professional Regulation; score of 70 or greater required.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($72). Two-year Refrigeration Journeyperson I license fee, invoiced after a passing score (Class II: $60); renews every two years on the licensee's birthday for the same amount.
- 5Other. 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 $147, 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
- Other · if applicable
How Rhode Island licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician · “Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (RJ1, unlimited)”
Statewide license
Rhode Island has no license titled 'HVAC technician'; the state credential for HVAC work is the refrigeration/air conditioning license issued by the Department of Labor and Training (DLT), which writes and administers the exam itself. The journeyman-level credential is the Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (RJ1, unlimited refrigeration and air-conditioning work as an employee); the Refrigeration Journeyperson Class II (RJ2) is limited to comfort cooling up to 20 tons, product cooling up to 3 tons or 1 hp freezing. Heating-side work is licensed separately as pipefitting (Pipefitter Journeyperson I/II) and oil burner service (P.J.F. limited journeyperson II), and sheet metal work has its own license. A new Class I applicant completes a 10,000-hour registered apprenticeship with 144 hours of schooling per year (Class II: 4,000 hours and 288 schooling hours) and passes the DLT exam with a score of 70 or better. Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreements and no statute allowing a refrigeration license without examination; instead R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-11 and DLT regulation 260-RICR-30-15-2 § 2.14.C provide that an out-of-state journeyperson license admits the applicant to the Rhode Island journeyperson exam, and the DLT application has a dedicated 'Out-of-State License Holders' fee line. Fees are a $75 non-refundable application fee and a $72 two-year license fee (Class II $60) invoiced after passing; licenses renew every two years on the licensee's birthday. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement for handling refrigerants.
Why Mississippi has nothing to transfer
Mississippi journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Mississippi does not issue a journeyman HVAC license. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) licenses contracting businesses (commercial HVAC/mechanical contractors on projects over $50,000 and Residential HVAC contractors on residential work above the residential thresholds) through a Certificate of Responsibility held by the company and a tested qualifying party, and its FAQ states that it does not license individual journeymen; none of its exams or reciprocity agreements apply to a technician who only wants to work for an employer. Individual HVAC mechanics are licensed, where they are licensed at all, by cities under their own ordinances: Southaven issues Apprentice, Journeyman and Master Mechanical licenses and accepts a current journeyman license from another jurisdiction or a passed ICC journeyman exam in place of its own testing, while Gulfport licenses only the Mechanical/HVAC contractor's qualifying party and has no journeyman card. An out-of-state journeyman HVAC license has no state-level recognition in Mississippi; the technician must check the ordinance of each city where they will work and apply locally, and Southaven-style acceptance of another jurisdiction's card or an ICC score is the closest thing to reciprocity that exists. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate federal requirement that applies everywhere in the state.
How local licensing works in Mississippi
How local licensing works. Mississippi's contractor law is enforced by MSBOC at the business level; there is no state journeyman or technician card and no statute standardizing city trade licenses. Cities that license individual mechanics do so under their own ordinances, and most coastal and metro cities instead license the contractor or its qualifying party.
Southaven. The Building Department issues Apprentice Mechanical ($20), Journeyman Mechanical ($50) and Master Mechanical ($100) licenses. A journeyman applicant files the application with photo ID and either a copy of a current, active journeyman license held in another jurisdiction or written proof of passing the ICC journeyman exam; no Southaven exam is given. Work must follow the 2024 International Mechanical Code. The city refers all questions about out-of-state reciprocity to MSBOC.
Gulfport. Building Code Services issues a Mechanical/HVAC contractor license in the name of the company's qualifying party ($100, waived for holders of an MSBOC Certificate of Responsibility) with a notarized application, five reference letters (not required with an MSBOC license), $100,000/$300,000 liability insurance naming the city and a home-jurisdiction privilege license. In practice a journeyman card from another jurisdiction or a passing ICC journeyman mechanical score is accepted by Southaven, and elsewhere the technician simply works under a locally licensed contractor.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in Rhode Island?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Rhode Island's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Rhode Island to Mississippi?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island to Mississippi, 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
- Rhode Island DLT - Trade License Exam Information · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Rhode Island Licensed Occupations · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Mechanical Trade License (Pipefitter, Refrigeration, Sheet Metal and Fire Protection Sprinkler Fitter) Application Instructions and Application for Examination · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulations Unit · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- 260-RICR-30-15-2 - Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, Sprinklerfitters, Sheet Metal Workers and Oil Heat Contractors (DLT regulation, effective January 4, 2022) · 260-RICR-30-15-2 §§ 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15 · Rhode Island Department of State (Code of Rhode Island Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-11 - Journeyperson license; test fee, license fee and qualifications · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-11 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 - Examinations · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17 - Test fees, license fees, expiration and renewal · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-4.1 - Journeyperson refrigeration technician defined · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-4.1 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-5.2 - Oil burnerperson license (P.J.F. limited journeyperson II) · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-5.2 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.