New York to Rhode Island: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
New York 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 New York 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 New York has nothing to transfer
New York journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
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.
- New York City (Department of Buildings)
- New York City (FDNY Q-01 Refrigerating System Operating Engineer)
- Buffalo (Board of Heating Examiners, Office of Fuel Devices)
- Rochester (Licensed Trades)
- Westchester County (Department of Consumer Protection)
- Nassau County (Office of Consumer Affairs)
- Suffolk County (Consumer Affairs)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician license from New York?
- Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New York 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 New York?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island to New York, 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.