Do I have to take the Connecticut journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?

Yes. Connecticut requires the trade exam on this path.

What does it cost to get a Connecticut journeyman HVAC technician license from New York?

Published fees on this path total $269, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in Connecticut?

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

Does it work the other way, from Connecticut to New York?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Connecticut to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

New York to Connecticut: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

New York does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Connecticut'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.

Journeyperson by equivalent out-of-state license (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An HVAC technician licensed in any other state applies under DCP's 'Heating Journeyperson - Equivalent Out of State License' path. DCP reviews one out-of-state license for equivalency: it must have required the same number of classroom hours (576 for the S-2), an equivalent classroom curriculum matching DCP's Exhibit A courses, and the same on-the-job training hours (8,000 for the S-2) as the Connecticut license applied for; the limited D-2 class needs 4,000 OJT and 432 classroom hours and the B-2 needs 2,000 and 288. The applicant submits a copy of the license, an official license verification, the laws and regulations that set the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license; only one license will be reviewed and the $90 application fee is non-refundable. If the license is found equivalent, DCP approves the applicant to sit the S-2 exam with PSI ($59 per portion, eligibility valid one year), and the license is issued after passing on payment of the $120 initial license fee. The out-of-state license does not waive the Connecticut exam because Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements. If the license cannot be shown equivalent, the applicant must instead document 576 classroom hours and 8,000 OJT hours with transcripts and notarized employer letters under the equivalent experience and training path.

DCP's out-of-state license page does not itself restate that the exam is required; the exam requirement follows from the Heating, Cooling and Sheet Metal Work Licenses page (every individual applicant must take an exam), CGS 20-334a(a)(2) (competency shown by the state licensure examination) and the PSI bulletin (the State determines eligibility, then the candidate tests). CGS 20-333a permits licensure without examination only where the other state reciprocates for Connecticut licensees, and DCP states no such agreements exist. Many states issue a single HVAC or refrigeration license rather than a heating-piping-cooling license with a 576-hour curriculum, so an applicant may be found equivalent only to a limited class such as the D-2. Neither DCP page mentions EPA Section 608; it is a federal requirement that applies regardless. Typical 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 New York license must be active and in good standing.
The out-of-state license must be equivalent: it required the same classroom hours (576 for the S-2; 432 for the D-2; 288 for the B-2), an equivalent curriculum matching Exhibit A, and the same OJT hours (8,000 S-2; 4,000 D-2; 2,000 B-2) as the Connecticut class applied forOnly one out-of-state license is reviewed for equivalency.
You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.On-the-job training hours required for the S-2; demonstrated through the equivalent out-of-state license or, failing that, through notarized employer letters under the experience and training path.

What you'll do to get licensed in Connecticut

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($90). Journeyperson application fee, non-refundable (CGS 20-333).
2Other. Copy of the out-of-state license, official license verification, the laws/regulations listing the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license.
3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Journeyperson exam administered by PSI: 70 questions, 3 hours, 70% to pass, open book (D-2: 60 questions, 2 hours; B-2: 40 questions, 1.5 hours).
4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59). PSI examination fee per portion, not refundable or transferable (same fee for retakes).
5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Initial license fee for a journeyperson license after passing the exam (CGS 20-335); renews annually for $120, expiring August 31.
6Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.

Published fees on this path total $269, 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 · $59
Other

How Connecticut licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Connecticut journeyman HVAC technician · “S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Journeyperson”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing (Heating, Piping, Cooling and Sheet Metal Work Examining Board)

Connecticut licenses HVAC work statewide through the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) as 'heating, piping and cooling' work; the journeyman-level credential is the S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Journeyperson, which covers all heating, piping and cooling work defined in CGS 20-330 while employed by a licensed contractor. Narrower journeyperson classes exist for technicians whose experience is limited to part of the trade, chiefly the D-2 Limited Warm Air, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Journeyperson (no oil burner servicing) and the B-2 Limited Gas and Oil Burner Journeyperson, plus D-4 cooling-only, G-2 gas piping and S-10 light heating-cooling classes. A new S-2 applicant qualifies through a Connecticut apprenticeship, through equivalent experience and training (8,000 on-the-job hours and 576 classroom hours), or by holding an equivalent out-of-state license, and in every path must pass the PSI-administered S-2 exam (70 questions, 3 hours, 70%, open book). DCP states that Connecticut does not have reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction, even though CGS 20-333a would allow the Commissioner to waive the exam for licensees of states that reciprocate. The application fee is $90, the exam is $59 per portion and the initial license fee is $120; licenses expire every August 31 and renew for $120. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate federal requirement for anyone handling refrigerants.

Moving to Connecticut Leaving Connecticut

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York journeyman HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 17 sources

New York has no statewide HVAC license at any level: the Department of State's Division of Licensing Services regulates 35 occupations and none of them is an HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration trade, and no other state agency licenses HVAC technicians. Journeyman-level HVAC licensing therefore exists only where a local ordinance creates it, and none of the large jurisdictions actually licenses an HVAC journeyman or technician: New York City's Department of Buildings issues no HVAC or mechanical license (its only adjacent person-held credentials are the Oil Burner Equipment Installer license and the FDNY's Q-01 Refrigerating System Operating Engineer certificate, which is an operator credential for permitted refrigeration plants), Buffalo licenses Heating Contractors rather than journeymen, Rochester licenses stationary engineers and refrigeration operators rather than installers, and Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties regulate HVAC through home improvement contractor licensing of businesses. A technician arriving with an out-of-state HVAC journeyman license has nothing to transfer it to; they work as an employee of whatever business holds the local contractor or home improvement license, and the only person-held credential they may need is federal EPA Section 608 certification (which the FDNY also requires, at the Universal level, of Q-01 applicants).

How local licensing works in New York

How local licensing works. New York licenses no HVAC workers at the state level, so cities and counties decide for themselves; in practice they license the contracting business (or, in Buffalo, the heating contractor) and leave individual technicians unlicensed.

New York City. The Department of Buildings' license list contains no HVAC or mechanical license; ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration installation is done under permits by contractors and their employees without any personal trade license. Two adjacent credentials exist: the DOB Oil Burner Equipment Installer license (Class A any oil-burning equipment, Class B domestic fuel oils 1-4; written exam $585 and practical exam $530, $100 license for three years) and the FDNY Q-01 Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, which must supervise any refrigerating system that needs an FDNY permit. Q-01 candidates need a high school diploma or GED, EPA Universal Technician Certification, and either a current NYC High Pressure Boiler Operating Engineer license, a Coast Guard marine engineer certificate or a PE license from any state, a 200-hour FDNY-approved refrigeration course, or one year of qualifying plant or service experience in the last three years; the two-part exam costs $60 plus $225 and the certificate renews every three years for $15. Neither credential recognizes out-of-state HVAC licenses.

Buffalo. Under City Code Chapter 238 no person may install, alter, repair, service or replace any heating or process system without a license from the Board of Heating Examiners; the license is the Heating Contractor license (Class I oil, gas or solid fuel; Class II gas or solid fuel; Class III wood-burning fireplaces and stoves), issued to an individual or a firm. There is no journeyman class; workers perform heating work under a licensed heating contractor. See the master level for requirements.

Rochester. Licenses electricians, plumbers and Stationary Engineers and Refrigeration Operators (classes R-4, R-3, R-2 for refrigeration operators, examined through ICC); no HVAC installer license.

Westchester County. Licenses master plumbers and electricians (with a journey-level plumber license) but no HVAC trade; since July 1, 2025 'all HVAC professionals' must be licensed through the Department of Consumer Protection, which is done through the home improvement contractor license of the business ($750 application fee, no exam).

Nassau and Suffolk counties. No HVAC or journeyman license; installation of 'central heating or air conditioning systems' (Nassau) and 'ductwork for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems' (Suffolk) is home improvement work requiring the business to hold a county home improvement license, and employees of a licensed contractor are exempt from licensing.

Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction in New York publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for out-of-state HVAC journeyman licenses because none issues such a license.

Moving to New York Leaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the Connecticut journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. Connecticut requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Connecticut journeyman HVAC technician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $269, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Connecticut?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Connecticut's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Connecticut to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Connecticut to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 393 - Occupational Licensing (Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, Heating, Cooling...) · CGS §§ 20-333, 20-333a, 20-334a, 20-335 · Connecticut General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§20-333: non-refundable application fee of $90 for limited licenses and journeyman-type licenses under 20-334a(a)(2)-(3) and $150 for unlimited contractor licenses under 20-334a(a)(1); competency is shown by examination. §20-333a Reciprocity: the Commissioner may grant a license without examination to a currently practicing, competent person holding a similar license from another state with substantially similar or higher requirements, but only if that state grants the same privilege to Connecticut licensees; DCP reports no such agreements exist. §20-334a(a)(1)(A): an unlimited contractor's license may be issued to a person who served as a journeyman in the trade for at least two years 'and, if such service as a journeyman was outside this state, has furnished evidence satisfactory to the appropriate state board or the department that such service is comparable to similar service in this state', and has passed the examination; (a)(2)(A): an unlimited journeyman's license requires a bona fide apprenticeship including not less than four years' experience and passing the state licensure examination. §20-335: initial license fee $150 for a contractor's license and $120 for any other license; licenses expire annually; renewal $150 contractor / $120 other. The page returned a TLS certificate error to the fetch tool on 2026-09-15 and was downloaded directly with curl to read the section text.
Connecticut DCP - Heating, Cooling and Sheet Metal Work Licenses (application paths, fees, renewal) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Landing page for the heating, piping and cooling trades. Lists the three contractor paths (2+ years as a journeyperson, equivalent experience and training, equivalent out-of-state license) and the three journeyperson paths (Connecticut apprenticeship completion, equivalent experience and training, equivalent out-of-state license). Application fee: contractor $150, journeyperson $90, non-refundable; renewal contractor $150, journeyperson $120; licenses expire annually on August 31. States that DCP licenses individuals only, that every individual applicant must take an exam with separate fees due to the exam vendor, that the department does not pre-approve applications, and, verbatim, 'Connecticut does not have reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction.'
Connecticut DCP - Heating Journeyperson: Equivalent Experience and Training · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fallback path when an out-of-state license is not found equivalent. Same hour table as the out-of-state page (S-2 8,000 OJT / 576 classroom, D-2 4,000/432, B-2 2,000/288). Accepted proof: transcripts, degrees and diplomas matching the Exhibit A courses, notarized employer letters with dates and detailed work descriptions, and out-of-state apprenticeship completion certificates with hours. Not accepted: continuing-education or manufacturer certificates, non-equivalent classes, payroll records, W-2s, tax returns or letters that are not notarized. Both the classroom hours and the OJT hours must be proven.
Connecticut DCP - Heating Journeyperson: Equivalent Out of State License · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Defines an equivalent out-of-state license as one that required the same number of classroom hours, an equivalent classroom curriculum and the same on-the-job training hours as the Connecticut license applied for. Table: S-2 8,000 OJT hours and 576 classroom hours; S-4 8,000/576; S-8 8,000/576; S-10 6,000/576; D-2 4,000/432; D-4 4,000/396; B-2 2,000/288; B-4 4,000/360; G-2 1,000 OJT. Required documents: copy of the out-of-state license, license verification, the laws and regulations showing the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work. Verbatim: 'DO NOT SUBMIT DOCUMENTS FOR MORE THAN ONE OUT OF STATE LICENSE. ONLY ONE LICENSE WILL BE REVIEWED FOR EQUIVALENCY.' and 'APPLICATION FEES ARE NONREFUNDABLE.' The page itself does not restate the exam requirement.
Connecticut DCP - Heating, Piping, Cooling and Sheet Metal Work Examining Board · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Twelve-member board (contractors, journeypersons and public members) that advises DCP on licensing and examination of heating, piping, cooling and sheet metal contractors and journeypersons under CGS 20-330 et seq.
Connecticut DCP - Heating, Piping and Cooling License Types and Scope of Work · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026S-1 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Contractor: all heating, piping and cooling work as defined in CGS 20-330. S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Journeyperson: same scope, working for a licensed contractor. Also defines the limited classes: D-1/D-2 Limited Warm Air, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (no oil burner servicing), D-3/D-4 Limited Cooling, B-1/B-2 Limited Gas and Oil Burner (domestic and light commercial, up to 5 gal/hr or 500,000 BTU), B-3/B-4, G-1/G-2 gas piping, S-3/S-4, S-7/S-8, S-9/S-10 (heating and cooling up to 35 tons in buildings of 3 stories or less), PP-1/PP-2 and OE-2.
Connecticut DCP Occupational Licensing - Heating, Piping and Cooling Trades Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 2/4/2026) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection / PSI Services LLC · Other · verified September 15, 2026Eligibility for examination is determined by the State (DCP approves the application, then PSI schedules); eligibility is valid for one year from State approval. Fee: $59 per examination portion, not refundable or transferable. S-1 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Contractor: 80 questions, 3 hours, 70%, open book. S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling Journeyperson: 70 questions, 3 hours, 70%, open book. D-1: 70 questions, 3 hours; D-2: 60 questions, 2 hours; B-1: 50 questions, 2 hours; B-2: 40 questions, 1.5 hours; all 70%, open book. Business and Law (all contractors): 50 questions, 2 hours, 70%, open book, based on the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut 6th edition. References include the 2015, 2018 and 2021 International Codes, NFPA 54 (2012), NFPA 31 (2006/2011) and NFPA 58 (2014). The PDF was opened on 2026-09-15 through a text-extraction proxy because the direct fetch returned unreadable binary content.
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.

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

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