Do I have to take the Arkansas journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

What does it cost to get a Arkansas journeyman HVAC technician license from North Dakota?

Published fees on this path total $25, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my North Dakota work hours count in Arkansas?

No. Arkansas does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.

Does it work the other way, from Arkansas to North Dakota?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Arkansas to North Dakota, the mechanism is not applicable.

North Dakota to Arkansas: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

North Dakota does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Arkansas'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.

HVACR registration (required of everyone; no exam, no credential transfer)

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

An HVAC journeyman or technician arriving from any state who wants to work as an employee in Arkansas registers with the HVAC/R Section as an HVACR Registrant. The employer's designated license holder (Class A-E) signs the registrant application, the $25 registration fee is paid, and the registration is renewed every year; there is no exam, no experience requirement and no continuing education for registrants. An out-of-state journeyman license gives no advantage because nothing is waived and nothing is required beyond the registration itself. A journeyman who instead wants to contract independently, or who holds an out-of-state contractor-level license, applies for a Class A-E HVACR license under the master-level rules, where a substantially similar out-of-state license waives the exam.

Registrants may perform work only for the HVACR licensee who registered them (rule §III(19)). Low-income applicants may request a waiver of the initial fee (Act 725). Arkansas pages do not mention EPA Section 608; it is listed because it is a federal requirement.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Do not count

What you must already have

Employed by, and working under, an Arkansas Class A, B, C, D or E HVACR license holder who signs the registrant application (§17-33-303(c))

What you'll do to get licensed in Arkansas

1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). HVACR Registrant fee, submitted with the application and renewed annually (rule §VII(7); Ark. Code §17-33-204).
2Other. HVACR Registrant Application signed by the employer and its designated license holder, with license number.
3Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.

Published fees on this path total $25, 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.

Other

How Arkansas licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Arkansas journeyman HVAC technician · “HVACR Registrant”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (Department of Labor and Licensing, HVAC/R Section)

Arkansas has no journeyman HVAC license; the person-held credential for an employee who performs heating, air conditioning or refrigeration work is the HVACR Registrant registration issued by the Department of Labor and Licensing. Ark. Code §17-33-303(c) lets an individual perform HVACR work under a Class A, B, C, D or E license holder by registering with the department and paying an annual fee ($25), and every licensee is responsible for making sure each HVACR employee holds a current registration or license. Registration is not credential-based: the one-page application asks for no experience, education, exam or prior license and is signed by the employer's designated license holder, so it must be obtained by everyone regardless of any journeyman or technician license held in another state, and no out-of-state license shortens or replaces it. A registrant may work only for an HVACR licensee; under §17-33-104 a registered individual cannot be required to obtain any city or county license, though local permits and inspections apply. The Board has no reciprocal agreements with any state at any level. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is separately required of anyone who handles refrigerants.

Moving to Arkansas Leaving Arkansas

Why North Dakota has nothing to transfer

North Dakota journeyman HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 14 sources

North Dakota has no statewide HVAC or mechanical license for individuals. The state licenses electricians and plumbers through their own boards, but for HVAC work the only state credential is the Secretary of State contractor license, a business license required of anyone whose job exceeds $4,000 in value and issued on insurance, workers' compensation and an experience statement without any trade exam. Journeyman HVAC licensing is done by the larger cities under their own ordinances: Fargo (Journeyman Heating, 6,000 hours, exam), Bismarck (Class B Journeyman HVAC Installer, 7,600 hours, exam), Grand Forks (Journeyman Mechanical Installer, exam) and Minot (Journeyman Heating/HVAC Installer, exam). The cities participate in a North Dakota mechanical reciprocity program: an exam passed in a testing member city (Bismarck, Burleigh County, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Mandan or Dickinson) earns a certificate that the other licensing member cities accept in place of their own exam, but a license and fee are still required in each city where the person works. None of the city pages or the reciprocity rules recognize an out-of-state HVAC journeyman license; an arriving journeyman documents experience, passes one participating city's exam, and then licenses in each city. EPA Section 608 certification is a federal requirement for refrigerant work everywhere in the state.

How local licensing works in North Dakota

How local licensing works. North Dakota has no state mechanical board. Cities license HVAC installers under their building ordinances and share a mechanical reciprocity program (administrative rules published by Grand Forks): testing members are Burleigh County, Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Mandan and Dickinson, and licensing members add Jamestown, Valley City, Wahpeton, West Fargo and Williston. A journeyman certificate requires at least three years of practical experience (up to half from schooling) and a passing exam; a Reciprocity Eligibility Certificate is not a license, so each city still issues its own license and charges its own fee. Separately, any contractor whose job exceeds $4,000 needs the Secretary of State contractor license.

Fargo. Journeyman Heating license: at least 6,000 hours of practical experience shown by employer letter (education may cover up to half), then the open-book journeyman mechanical and fuel gas exams on the 2024 IMC and IFGC ($40 per appointment, scheduled individually at 701-241-1561); apply at permits.fargond.gov. The license costs $100 for three years and expires December 31; no insurance is required of journeymen. Fargo's page states that reciprocity exams are valid in all participating North Dakota jurisdictions but a license must be obtained in each jurisdiction employed.

Bismarck. Class B Journeyman HVAC Installer: four years (7,600 hours) as an apprentice under a licensed master or journeyman (or education equivalent to up to 3,800 hours plus 3,800 hours of work), or a journeyman license from a reciprocal jurisdiction; exam on the 2021 IMC and IFGC, $125, 75% to pass, offered monthly with applications due the first business day of the month, 90-day wait after a failure; $35 application fee and $75 annual license fee, expiring December 31, with four hours of continuing education per year. A Reciprocal Mechanical License Application accepts a valid reciprocal license or Certificate of Reciprocity from a reciprocal municipality (Grand Forks, Fargo, Minot).

Grand Forks. Journeyman Mechanical Installer: pass the written mechanical exam (75%) scheduled with the mechanical inspector, $55 per year. The city requires the ND state contractor license, a $5,000 license and permit bond and a certificate of insurance of its licensed mechanical installers; the page does not say whether these apply to journeymen as well as masters.

Minot. Journeyman HVAC Installer (Journeyman Heating): the Heating & Air Conditioning Board examines applicants; a reciprocal license from an approved city substitutes for the Minot test but proof of the passed test is still required; tests are $75 each until passed; the license is $50 initially and $50 per year, and lapses require re-examination.

Out-of-state holders. No city page found offers reciprocity or endorsement for licenses from other states; the reciprocity program is confined to North Dakota jurisdictions. Out-of-state experience counts toward the hour requirements where verified by employer letter (Bismarck's ordinance accepts journeyman experience 'licensed by the City or some other governmental jurisdiction' for master eligibility), but the exam must be passed in a participating city.

Moving to North Dakota Leaving North Dakota

Common questions

Do I have to take the Arkansas journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
What does it cost to get a Arkansas journeyman HVAC technician license from North Dakota?: Published fees on this path total $25, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my North Dakota work hours count in Arkansas?: No. Arkansas does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
Does it work the other way, from Arkansas to North Dakota?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Arkansas to North Dakota, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing - HVAC-R (HVACR Licensing Board; contractor applications; reciprocity statement) · Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States that the department provides testing for HVACR contractors and issues the various types of HVACR licenses; exams are proctored by Prov after Board pre-approval; and that 'The Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing's State HVAC/R Board has no reciprocal licensing agreements with any other state licensing Boards for HVAC/R licensing at this time.' Links the contractor application and the HVACR organization registration. The page blocks non-browser fetches (Cloudflare) but opened normally through WebFetch.
Arkansas HVAC/R Law 2024 - Ark. Code Ann. Title 17, Chapter 33 (department compilation) · Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-33-101(16), 17-33-104, 17-33-204, 17-33-301, 17-33-302, 17-33-303 · Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, HVAC/R Section · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§17-33-101(16) defines a registrant; §17-33-104: a person licensed or registered under the chapter shall not be required to obtain a license from any city or county to perform HVACR work (local permits and inspections still apply); §17-33-204: default fees Class A $200, Class B, D and E $150, Class C $100, registration $25; §17-33-301: unlawful to engage in HVACR work without the appropriate license or registration; §17-33-302: applicants must be 18, apply on Board forms, meet the rules, pay fees and pass the Board's exams; §17-33-303(a): every individual who designs, installs, maintains, services or repairs an HVACR system shall obtain a Class A, B, C, D, E or L license; §17-33-303(c): an individual may perform HVACR work under a Class A-E license holder by registering with the department and paying an annual registration fee, and licensees must ensure all HVACR employees hold a current registration or license. The statute itself contains no reciprocity section; out-of-state recognition is entirely in the Board's rules.
Arkansas HVAC/R Section - HVACR Registrant Application ($25) · Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing · Form · verified September 15, 2026A one-page application with a $25 payment; the employer and its designated license holder (license number) must sign. It asks for no experience, education, exam or prior license, confirming that registration is not credential-based.
Administrative Rules Pertaining to the Licensing of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (rules effective June 3, 2022) · HVACR Board Rules §§ III(19), III(22), IV, V(A), V(C), VII, XIII, XVIII(4), XX, XXI · Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board / Department of Labor and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026§III(19) defines a Registrant as a person without a Class A-E license who may only work for an HVACR licensee and holds a current registration; §III(22) defines a 'substantially similar' license as one from a jurisdiction that has adopted a national model mechanical code and uses a comprehensive exam created and proctored by a national examination agency or equivalent. §IV defines Classes A (unlimited), B (15 tons / 1,000,000 BTUH / 15 hp), C (service and repair only), D (sheet metal ductwork), E (refrigeration) and L (lifetime). §V(A)(3): the Board shall approve an applicant currently licensed in a state with which it has no reciprocity but whose HVACR laws are substantially similar, if the license is in good standing, not revoked for bad faith or a violation, not suspended or on probation, the applicant is competent and pays the license fee, and apprenticeship, education or training may never be a condition; §V(A)(4): an exam is required only of applicants who hold no license in another state; §V(A)(5): applicants with no licensing background need two years of experience as an HVACR contractor or employee (education may substitute); §V(A)(6): employees of a designated license holder must be registrants; §V(C): 90-day temporary permits for out-of-state applicants. §VII: license fees Class A $200, B $150, C $100, D $150, E $150, registrant $25, exam minimum $55 written / $100 computerized. §XIII (License by Reciprocity): reciprocal applicants are not required to pass an exam or complete CE, training or apprenticeship; must hold a substantially similar license in good standing, never revoked, not suspended or on probation; submit a copy of the license, the origin board's form showing status, exams administered and mechanical code used, and a list of all states of licensure. §XVIII(4): $250,000 liability insurance. §XX: automatic licensure for uniformed service members, veterans and spouses. §XXI: four hours of continuing education per calendar year (two on the mechanical code). The §V(A)(3) text reads 'with examination' although §V(A)(4) and §XIII make clear no exam is required of out-of-state licensees.
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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