Do I have to take the Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Nebraska?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Nebraska license?

At least 3 years before applying.

What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Nebraska?

Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Nebraska work hours count in Virginia?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.

How long does the application take?

The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.

Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Nebraska?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Nebraska, the mechanism is not applicable.

Nebraska to Virginia: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 11 sources

Nebraska 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 three years, 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 three years 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.

The ULR form (v2, 2023) prints a $130 fee while the 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee; DPOR had not republished the ULR form with the technology fee as of the verification date. 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
Typical processing: About 30 days

What you must already have

You must have held your Nebraska license for at least 3 years.ULR route only: current out-of-state journeyman or master HVAC license held at least three years
Your Nebraska license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Nebraska 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 ($130). Tradesman Universal License Recognition application fee as printed on form A501-2710ULR (2023); non-refundable. The 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee..
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 two-year renewal cycle.
6Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. Not a DPOR licensing prerequisite..

Published fees on this path total $130, 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

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

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

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 three years 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 two-year renewal cycle, 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.

Moving to Virginia Leaving Virginia

Why Nebraska has nothing to transfer

Nebraska journeyman HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 16 sources

Nebraska does not issue a statewide HVAC, refrigeration or mechanical journeyman license and has no state mechanical board; the only statewide requirement is that contracting businesses register with the Department of Labor under the Contractor Registration Act ($40 per year, no exam). Electricians are the only construction trade Nebraska licenses at the state level. HVAC technicians are licensed, where they are licensed at all, by cities under their own ordinances: Omaha issues a Journeyman Air Conditioning/Air Distribution (ACAD) license, Lincoln a Journeyman HVAC Technician (mechanical journeyman) license, and Bellevue and Grand Island issue journeyman mechanical licenses. An out-of-state HVAC journeyman license has no state-level recognition; Omaha waives its exam only for Bellevue and State of Iowa licensees, Lincoln lets any out-of-state licensee who tested elsewhere sit its exam without further experience documentation, and the other cities decide case by case. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is required everywhere in the state to handle refrigerants.

How local licensing works in Nebraska

How local licensing works. Nebraska has no state HVAC license and no state mechanical board. The Contractor Registration Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 48-2104) requires every contractor to register with the Department of Labor before performing construction work ($40 per year from August 1, 2026, plus a workers' compensation certificate if there are employees), but registration involves no exam or experience and is not a license. Everything else comes from city ordinances, and requirements differ by city.

Omaha. The Planning Department's Air Conditioning/Air Distribution (ACAD) Board licenses Journeyman ACAD technicians and Master ACAD contractors (Omaha Municipal Code ch. 40, art. II) and registers apprentices and sheet metal installers. Journeyman applicants need five or more years of verifiable experience installing ACAD systems, or four or more years employed by a licensed master ACAD contractor (one year = 1,750 hours), with up to two years of credit for post-secondary education or for NATE Core and installation certifications; they appear before the board, then pass a Pearson Vue exam with 75% or greater. Fees: $64.80 application, $35 license plus $2.80 technology fee; licenses expire December 31 of odd years and renew for $120 plus $9.60 with 8 hours of continuing education. Reciprocation: the board may waive the exam for a holder of a valid Bellevue, Nebraska or State of Iowa journeyman ACAD license with an exam score of 75% or greater (ACAD Reciprocation Application, $64.80, with notarized proof of employment hours). No other state's license is named.

Lincoln. Building and Safety issues a Journeyman HVAC Technician (mechanical journeyman) license after at least three years of practical experience as a registered apprentice (credit for engineering degrees, approved two-year programs and military training) and passing the city exam, which consists of the Lincoln Gas Piping Code test and the Lincoln Adopted Amendments test plus the ICC National Standard Journeyman Mechanical exam G31 taken at the applicant's cost; the city exam fee is $50, exams are given quarterly, and annual registration is $25 with 4 hours of continuing education. Transfers: an applicant holding a valid journeyman or master mechanical license obtained by examination from another state or municipality may take the Lincoln journeyman exam without submitting any additional qualifications, but the exam itself is not waived.

Bellevue. The Building Department issues journeyman and master mechanical licenses (Bellevue Municipal Code ch. 27, Division 2). The journeyman application asks whether the applicant has previously passed the Thompson Prometric, ICC or Experior exam for the license applied for (documentation of the score required) and must be signed by a currently licensed Bellevue master certifying the applicant's experience. Bellevue's fee schedule and testing-information sheets are scanned images and their amounts could not be read.

Grand Island. The Building Services Division requires mechanical tradespersons to be individually licensed as a master or journeyman or registered as an apprentice; applications to take the licensing exam or to apply for license reciprocity are filed through the CitizenServe portal. The city does not publish which jurisdictions it reciprocates with or its fees.

Out-of-state holders. No Nebraska city publishes reciprocity with any state other than Omaha's recognition of Iowa journeyman ACAD licenses. Elsewhere the practical route is to document experience with the city and pass its exam (Lincoln) or the ICC National Standard Journeyman Mechanical exam that Lincoln and Bellevue reference, then register the employing contractor with the Department of Labor. EPA Section 608 certification is federal and required regardless of city.

Moving to Nebraska Leaving Nebraska

Common questions

Do I have to take the Virginia journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Nebraska?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Nebraska license?: At least 3 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Virginia journeyman HVAC technician license from Nebraska?: Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Nebraska work hours count in Virginia?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
How long does the application take?: The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Nebraska?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Nebraska, 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.
18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Amended effective March 11, 2026. Exam fees are set by the Board's vendor contract and may not exceed $200 for a journeyman exam or $225 for a master exam; the current PSI fees on the Tradesmen page are $100 and $125.
18VAC50-30-39 - Evidence of ability and proficiency (tradesman qualifications) · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective April 1, 2025 (replacing repealed 18VAC50-30-40). Journeyman pathways: engineering bachelor's plus one year, associate degree plus two years, 240 hours vocational training plus four years, 160 plus five, 80 plus six, 40 plus seven, or eight years of experience. Master pathways: three years holding a valid residential HVAC tradesman license, one year as a licensed journeyman in the trade, or nine years of practical experience. The regulation does not itself address out-of-state licenses; those are handled through the application form's out-of-state qualification option, reciprocity and ULR.
18VAC50-30-50 - Exemptions from examination · 18VAC50-30-50 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Exam exemptions cover pre-July 1, 1995 DHCD tradesman cards, pre-July 1, 1978 locality cards, and completion of an apprenticeship program approved by the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (journeyman exam). Out-of-state licenses are not among the listed exemptions.
18VAC50-30-90 - Fees (individual licenses and certifications) · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective August 1, 2025: original tradesman license with or without examination $150; card exchange $110; additional tradesman designation $105. All fees are non-refundable. The 2026 application form adds the statutory technology fee, giving $171.75.
Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 15, 2026Board-approved list. The only HVAC entry is: 'Maryland HVAC Board Journeyman and Master HVA Tradesman License and Virginia Journeyman and Master HVA License Examination Reciprocity.' All other entries concern electrical tradesmen (AL, DC, KY, MD, WV, NC, OH) or WSSC plumbers and gas fitters. Anyone applying under an agreement must meet all of its terms and submit a complete application with verification of licensure from the out-of-state board.
Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Designations include Journeyman and Master Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVA). Methods of licensure: Examination (1005), Reciprocity (1021) and Apprenticeship Program (1022) at $171.75 each, Card Exchange (1023) at $131.75; the fees include the $7.25-per-year Technology Fee added by 2026 House Bill 30. Question 10 lets an applicant list a current tradesman license from another jurisdiction 'to qualify you for the tradesman examination' or for reciprocity, with a Certification/Letter of Good Standing. Journeyman qualification options include 'Individuals currently certified or licensed as a journeyman or master by governing body located outside the Commonwealth of Virginia'; master options are one year as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential HVAC or plumber tradesman, nine years of practical experience, or a current out-of-state journeyman or master license. Anyone performing work over $1,000 must also hold a Virginia contractor license.
Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 to 54.1-1131 · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Other · verified September 15, 2026States that tradesman licenses are issued to individuals, not companies. Explains that an out-of-state license can be reviewed 'for experience or eligibility to sit for the exam or reciprocity' when a Certification/Letter of Good Standing showing the license number, initial date, expiration, means of licensure and closed disciplinary actions is provided.
Form A501-2710ULR - Tradesman Universal License Recognition Application (v2, 08/14/2023) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Offers 'Licensed Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Cond. (HVA)' and 'Licensed Master HVAC (HVA)' (transaction code 1021, licensure without examination) and 'Unlicensed Journeyman/Master HVAC (HVA) - ULR by exam' (code 1005), $130 each, non-refundable. Licensed applicants must have held the current out-of-state license for at least 3 years, the issuing state must have required an examination and education/training/experience, there must be no unresolved complaints or pending investigations, and 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. The form states DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205. Applicants from states that do not regulate the trade need 3 years of employment, an Experience Verification Form, and must take the Virginia exam unless they have passed one elsewhere.
DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program page for journeyman and master tradesman licenses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting. Exams are administered by PSI: $100 for a journeyman tradesman exam, $125 for a master tradesman exam. HVAC journeyman and master licensees complete three hours of board-approved continuing education on the International Mechanical Code each two-year renewal cycle. Links the Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC), the Residential Tradesman application (A501-2709EXLIC, launched April 1, 2025), the Universal License Recognition application (A501-2710ULR) and the reciprocal agreements list.
DPOR - Universal License Recognition · Va. Code 54.1-204, 54.1-205 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026ULR applies to an applicant who holds a valid out-of-state license or certification in an occupation with a similar scope of practice, has been licensed there for at least one year, passed an examination and met training standards, has no disciplinary actions or pending investigations, has no disqualifying criminal history, and pays the Virginia fees. Tradesmen certifications are among the listed occupations.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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