Missouri to Rhode Island: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
Missouri 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 the Class II license, an applicant from a state without an equivalent limited class 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. No continuing-education requirement was found for mechanical trades on official pages. 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 Missouri 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. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.
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
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 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 could not be confirmed from the pages that could be opened; 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 Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri 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 Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island 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, 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.
- Rhode Island DLT - Trade License Exam Information · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026DLT Professional Regulation administers the mechanical trade exams itself; exams are given first come, first served with limited space; accommodations and interpreters are available on notice. Passing score and fees are not on this page (they are on the application form and in R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17).
- Rhode Island DLT - Rhode Island Licensed Occupations · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026The state's list of DLT-licensed trade occupations includes Refrigeration Mechanic, Pipefitter, Sheet Metal Worker and Oil Burnerperson; there is no occupation titled 'HVAC technician' or 'HVAC contractor'.
- 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 15, 2026Non-refundable $75 application processing fee; notarized application with a copy of government ID and a separate notarized employer statement on company letterhead listing all work-related experience. Verbatim: 'A valid copy of your out-of-state Mechanical Trade License and an Official License Verification from your respective state for all applicants applying for a comparable Mechanical License exam in RI.' Fee table (application / two-year license): Master Mechanical Contractor MMA no test / $480; Contractor Master Refrigeration CMR $75 / $240; Refrigeration Master 1 RM1 $75 / $240; Refrigeration Master 2 RM2 $75 / $96; Pipefitter Master 1 $75 / $240; O/B Serviceman Journeyperson II PJF Limited $75 / $144; and under the heading 'OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE HOLDERS': Refrigeration Journeyperson I RJ1 (code 006) $75 / $72, Refrigeration Journeyperson II RJ2 (code 007) $75 / $60, Pipefitter Journeyperson I/II and Sheet Metal Journeyperson I/II. Footnote: 'Individuals who achieve a passing score of 70 or greater will be invoiced for the License Fee.' Rhode Island-indentured apprentices instead attach the DLT Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Professional Regulation licenses, tests, registers and disciplines over 30,000 people in 67 trade occupations, administering exams itself for electricians, hoisting engineers, pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, fire protection sprinkler fitters, sheet metal workers, plumbers and telecommunication installers. The mechanical trades (pipefitting, refrigeration, sheet metal, sprinkler fitting) fall under the Board of Examiners of Mechanical; contact is the Chief Investigator of Mechanical, (401) 462-8535.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Mechanical Trade application (English and Spanish), the Mechanical Corporation application and the Apprentice Completion and Application for Examination form; there is no separate refrigeration-only form, the mechanical application covers pipefitter, refrigeration, sheet metal and sprinkler fitter exams.
- 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 15, 2026§2.12 Refrigeration Master Class I (unlimited, may be self-employed): must have held a Rhode Island Refrigeration Journeyperson I license for one year or a Refrigeration Master II license for one year; §2.12.C verbatim: 'An out of State Master Class I Refrigeration license will allow the applicant to be tested for the Refrigeration Master Class I Rhode Island license. A copy of the license shall be attached to the application. In the event a State does not have a Refrigeration Master Class I license available, a notarized resume showing six (6) years' experience, one of which is as a contractor, shall accompany the application.' §2.13 Refrigeration Master Class II (limited to 20-ton comfort cooling, 3-ton product cooling or 1 hp freezing): three years as a Rhode Island Journeyperson Class II; §2.13.C: an out-of-state Master Class II license allows testing, or a notarized resume showing six years' experience, three as a contractor. §2.14 Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (unlimited, cannot be self-employed): minimum 10,000 hours OJT and 144 hours of trade-related schooling per year, with up to two years of accredited schooling deductible; §2.14.C: 'An out of State Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I license will allow the applicant to be tested for the Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I Rhode Island license. A copy of the license shall be attached to the application.' §2.15 Journeyperson Class II (limited): 4,000 hours OJT and 288 hours of schooling; §2.15.C: out-of-state Class II license allows testing, or a notarized resume showing five years' experience as a refrigeration journeyperson. The regulation contains no passing score, continuing-education or EPA certification provisions.
- 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 15, 2026No journeyperson test application is accepted unless the test fee is paid, the license fee is paid on passing, and the applicant shows by affidavit (i) apprenticeship hours meeting §§ 28-27-4.1 and 28-27-4.2, or (ii) two academic years in a recognized trade program plus three years of registered apprenticeship employment, or (iii) verbatim, 'a certificate of license issued under the laws of another state specifying that person as a journeyperson'. Applications must be filed at least 15 days before the examination date.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 - Examinations · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026The department conducts examinations of applicants three times each year, administered by the division of professional regulation with the board's assistance, at places within the state convenient to applicants; test materials are preserved for three months.
- 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 15, 2026Fee table (test / license / renewal): Contractor Master $75 / $240 / $240; Refrigeration Master I $75 / $240 / $240; Refrigeration Master II $75 / $96 / $96; Refrigeration Journeyperson I $75 / $72 / $72; Refrigeration Journeyperson II $75 / $60 / $60; Pipefitter Master I $75 / $240; Pipefitter Journeyperson I $75 / $72. Licenses expire on the licensee's birthday every two years (odd birth years in odd years, even in even) and renew on payment of the fee.
- 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 15, 2026Verbatim: 'any person who has completed an appropriate ten thousand (10,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a refrigeration technician examination and who does work in refrigeration/air conditioning subject to provisions of this chapter'. Amended effective June 25, 2024.
- 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, 2026Creates the P.J.F. limited journeyperson II oil burnerperson's license: cannot be self-employed, limited to domestic oil burner service, burner, tank and oil line installation, must be employed by a master pipefitting contractor class II; $72 fee. Cited only to show the adjacent heating-side license.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.