Missouri to Maryland: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Maryland'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 journeyman without a reciprocal agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A journeyman licensed in a state other than Delaware or Virginia must qualify for an original Maryland journeyman license by examination; the Board's FAQ says reciprocal licensing is available only where an agreement exists. The statutory route is 4 years as a licensed apprentice with 6,000 hours of training under a licensed contractor, but Bus. Reg. §9A-302(g) lets the Board credit up to 6 years of HVACR work experience that does not fit that pattern when it provided comparable experience and the shortfall was not the applicant's fault, and up to 3 years of formal HVACR study, so documented out-of-state journeyman experience can be submitted to PSI (the Board's testing vendor, which reviews eligibility) in place of a Maryland apprenticeship. The applicant then passes the open-book PSI journeyman exam with 70% ($150), registers the license with the Department and pays the $25 license fee. Bus. Reg. §9A-305 also allows the Board, by majority vote, to waive the exam for a licensee of any state that waives its exam for Maryland licensees to a similar extent, but the Board has published that waiver only for Delaware and Virginia. There is no separate law or business exam.
The Board's requirements page and Bus. Reg. §9A-302(e) require 4 years as a licensed apprentice with 6,000 hours; the PSI bulletin (updated 9/1/2024) still describes a 3-year/1,875-hour apprentice standard and a Board-approved route for 'at least three years of qualifying experience'. The Board's published materials do not say how PSI and the Board apply §9A-302(g) credit to experience gained under an out-of-state license; ask the Board (410-230-6196) before applying. The HVACR Journeyman exam has 100 questions in 240 minutes; the restricted journeyman exams are 40-50 questions in 90-120 minutes.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Statutory route: held a Maryland apprentice license for at least 4 years and completed at least 6,000 hours of HVACR training under the direction and control of a licensed contractor (Bus. Reg. §9A-302(e)); the Board may credit up to 6 years of comparable work experience and up to 3 years of formal study under §9A-302(g).
What you'll do to get licensed in Maryland
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maryland HVACR Journeyman examination administered by PSI, 70% to pass, open book (2012 International Mechanical Code, Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, ACCA Manual J, 29 CFR 1926); apply to PSI with experience documentation.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). PSI examination fee for the Journeyman exam, valid for one attempt (restricted journeyman specialties $50 each); a failed exam may be retaken after 30 days with a new fee.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Journeyman license fee, nonrefundable, effective July 1, 2025 (journeyman restricted $25 per area).
- 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 $175, 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 · $150
- Other · if applicable
How Maryland licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
Maryland journeyman HVAC technician · “HVACR Journeyman”
Statewide license
Maryland issues a statewide HVACR Journeyman license through the Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors in the Department of Labor, a different board from the State Board of Electricians. Everyone who provides or assists in providing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning or refrigeration services in Maryland must hold a Board license (apprentice, journeyman, journeyman restricted, limited, master restricted or master); the journeyman license authorizes HVACR work under the direction and control of a licensed contractor, and a journeyman restricted license covers a single area (forced air, hydronic, ventilation, air conditioning or refrigeration). A new journeyman must have held a Maryland apprentice license for at least 4 years with at least 6,000 hours of training under a licensed contractor and pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam with 70% ($150 exam fee, $25 license fee); graduates of a Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council program are licensed without the exam. The Board has reciprocal agreements only with Delaware and Virginia, under which a qualifying journeyman is licensed without the Maryland exam. Licenses run to October 1 of odd-numbered years and renew for 2-year terms; Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties also require a county HVACR license.
Why Missouri has nothing to transfer
Missouri journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri does not issue a journeyman HVAC license and has no state HVAC or mechanical board; the Division of Professional Registration's list of licensed professions contains no heating, air conditioning, refrigeration or mechanical contractor profession, and the only statewide construction credential is the voluntary electrical contractor license. HVAC technicians are licensed, where they are licensed at all, by cities and counties under their own ordinances: Springfield certifies Journeyman Mechanical craftsmen on an ICC exam, St. Louis County licenses mechanical journeymen through its Board of Examiners for Mechanical Licensing, Kansas City certifies trade supervisors and licenses mechanical contractors, and the City of St. Louis licenses mechanical contractors and journeyman pipefitters. Requirements, exams and fees differ in each place and there is no statewide reciprocity. A journeyman arriving from another state must apply in each jurisdiction where they will work; the widespread use of ICC and Prometric exams means a matching passing score is often accepted in place of retesting (Springfield accepts an identical Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC exam score of 75% or better, and Kansas City may accept another jurisdiction's comparable exam). EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate federal requirement that applies statewide.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. Missouri has no state HVAC license and no statute standardizing local HVAC licensing, so each city or county that licenses mechanical tradespeople does so under its own building code and ordinance. The credentials below are the ones published by the largest jurisdictions.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Journeyman Mechanical craftsmen. Eligibility is 4 years under the supervision of a master in the trade or 6 years of experience in the trade, documented on notarized employer experience forms reviewed by the Building and Trades board (first Thursday of each month); approval to test is good for one year. The exam is the ICC mechanical exam through Pearson Vue (about $125 paid to Pearson Vue), 75% to pass, after which the city issues the certification card for $25 (renewal $25 per year). An applicant licensed elsewhere may apply for 'Reciprocation' by submitting a copy of their other-state licenses and an exam score notification of 75% or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC, provided the exam is identical to the one Springfield requires; otherwise they test.
St. Louis County. The Board of Examiners for Mechanical Licensing licenses mechanical apprentices and journeymen and certifies mechanical contractors; applications go through the Accela permitting portal. An applicant approved to test must sit the journeyman exam within one year of approval (Rule 4), a temporary six-month project-specific journeyman license is available for a $45 application fee to applicants who meet the regular criteria (Rule 1), and renewal requires 12 Professional Education Units (24 hours) every three years (Rule 3). The board's rules do not provide for acceptance of another state's license; the only testing exemption (Rule 6) is for pipefitting and sprinkler-fitting journeymen licensed under the county plumbing code. The specific journeyman categories (such as HVAC Servicer-Installer) and the experience hours required to test are not published on the county's pages; contact [email protected].
Kansas City. The city does not issue a separate journeyman HVAC card. City Planning and Development licenses mechanical contractors and requires each to employ a full-time supervisor holding a Kansas City certificate of qualification in the mechanical trade, earned by application with notarized references and a passing score from Prometric or ICC ($60 application, no charge for the first four-year certificate, $181 renewal every four years); comparable exams from other jurisdictions may be accepted if the city deems them equivalent or superior. Non-supervising technicians work under the licensed contractor.
City of St. Louis. The Mechanical Contractors Board of Examiners (Ordinance 62579, City Code 25.10) examines mechanical contractors and journeyman pipefitters; mechanical permits are issued only to contractors licensed by the Building Division's Mechanical Section. No HVAC journeyman license or reciprocity is published.
Out-of-state holders. No Missouri jurisdiction publishes reciprocity with another state's journeyman HVAC license. The practical route is to present an identical ICC or Prometric mechanical exam score where the jurisdiction accepts one (Springfield, and case by case in Kansas City), document experience, and apply locally; otherwise take the local exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Maryland journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Maryland journeyman HVAC technician license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $175, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Maryland?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maryland's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Maryland to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maryland to Missouri, 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
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-101 - Definitions (HVACR licenses) · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-101 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-301 - License required · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-301 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-302 - Qualifications of applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-302 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-305 - Waiver of examination for out-of-state licensees (reciprocity) · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-305 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-306 - Licenses without examination (apprenticeship graduates) · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-306(e) · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Regulation §9A-309 - Term and renewal of licenses · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §9A-309 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Apply for an Original License (license categories) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (HVACR) - Home · Md. Code, Bus. Reg. Title 9A; COMAR 09.15 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - County Licenses and Permits · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Taking the Exams · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Licensing Frequently Asked Questions · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Fees (COMAR fee schedule effective July 1, 2025) · COMAR 09.15.01.03 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Licensing Requirements (master, master restricted, limited, journeyman) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland HVACR Board - Apply for a Reciprocal License · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Maryland State Board of HVACR Contractors - Qualification Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 9/1/2024) · Maryland Department of Labor / PSI Services LLC · Other · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.