North Dakota to Massachusetts: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
North Dakota does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Refrigeration Technician by examination with out-of-state license and experience credit (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An HVAC or refrigeration technician licensed in any other state applies to OPSI for the Refrigeration Technician examination through the MyLicenseOne portal, submitting a copy of the out-of-state refrigeration technician, master technician or equivalent license together with employer documentation showing work experience and certifications equivalent to the Massachusetts prerequisites (6,000 hours plus 250 schooling hours, or the other combinations allowed until November 9, 2026). The form lets the applicant certify that all experience was obtained outside Massachusetts in place of holding a Massachusetts apprentice license, and 528 CMR 11.07(1) lets the applicant petition the Bureau in writing to accept the out-of-state license, including the experience and education obtained for it, as substantially equivalent; approval requires a majority vote of the Bureau, which may grant the request in whole or in part or deny it, and gives no credit for work done in a jurisdiction that does not license the trade. Every applicant also submits a high-school diploma or GED, a copy of a Universal EPA Section 608 certification, a 2x2 photo and the $75 non-refundable fee. Because the Bureau has no reciprocity agreement with any state, the Massachusetts exam is never waived; applicants are told of their eligibility about four to eight weeks after receipt, test first come first served, and must score 70% or better. The license renews for $50.
528 CMR 11.07(1) conditions licensure without examination on a reciprocity agreement with the origin jurisdiction; no such agreement is published on any Bureau page or in 528 CMR, so every state is treated the same. The Refrigeration Technician how-to page and application list only the $75 application fee; no separate exam fee or initial license fee is published (M.G.L. c. 146, § 85 leaves fee amounts to the commissioner of administration). The ten-ton threshold means technicians working only on smaller residential and light-commercial systems need no Massachusetts license at all, but EPA Section 608 still applies.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your North Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.6,000 work hours plus 250 hours of schooling (or 4,000 plus 500, or 2,000 plus 1,000) for applications filed before November 9, 2026; a 450-hour approved course plus 6,000 hours afterwards. Out-of-state hours are documented by the employer and accepted only if the Bureau finds them substantially equivalent (528 CMR 11.07).
- High-school diploma or equivalency certificate
- Approval by a majority vote of the Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters that the out-of-state credentials are substantially equivalent
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Non-refundable Refrigeration Technician application fee (Valor Act reductions for active military, spouses and veterans).
- 2Other. Copy of the out-of-state license, employer documentation of work hours and certifications, copy of the high-school diploma or GED, and a 2x2 passport-style photo, filed through MyLicenseOne.
- 3Other. EPA Section 608 Universal technician certification to handle refrigerants (copy required with the application under 528 CMR 11.03; federal, does not expire).
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician examination administered by OPSI; 70% or better required; a failing candidate must reapply.
Published fees on this path total $75, 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
- Trade exam
How Massachusetts licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
Massachusetts journeyman HVAC technician · “Refrigeration Technician (Journeyman Refrigeration Technician)”
Statewide license
Massachusetts has no general HVAC license. The state credential that functions as the journeyman-level HVAC license is the Refrigeration Technician license (called 'journeyman refrigeration technician' in M.G.L. c. 146, § 81), issued by the Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters within the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI); it is required of anyone who performs refrigeration work on systems of ten tons or more in the aggregate, which covers commercial air conditioning and refrigeration. Heating-side work is licensed separately as pipefitting (OPSI) and oil burner service (Department of Fire Services), and residential systems under ten tons require no state refrigeration license beyond federal EPA Section 608 certification. A new technician needs a high-school diploma, an EPA Section 608 Universal certification, and either 6,000 hours as a licensed Massachusetts refrigeration apprentice plus 250 hours of approved schooling (rising to a 450-hour course plus 6,000 hours for applications filed on or after November 9, 2026), then must pass the OPSI-administered exam at 70%. The application fee is $75 and the license renews for $50. Under 528 CMR 11.07 a technician licensed in another state may petition the Bureau to treat that license, with its experience and education, as substantially equivalent, but every applicant must pass the Massachusetts exam unless a reciprocity agreement exists, and the Bureau publishes none.
Why North Dakota has nothing to transfer
North Dakota journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts journeyman HVAC technician license from North Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my North Dakota work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to North Dakota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to North Dakota, 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
- 528 CMR 11.00 - Prerequisites for Examinations for Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters (Mass. Register #1534, 11/08/2024) · 528 CMR 11.03, 11.07 · Massachusetts Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for an Oil Burner Technician or Apprentice Certificate (Department of Fire Services) · 527 CMR 1.00 · Massachusetts Department of Fire Services · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 81 - Definitions (pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, sprinkler fitters) · M.G.L. c. 146, § 81 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 84 - Licenses required · M.G.L. c. 146, § 84 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 85 - Applications for licenses; fees; expiration · M.G.L. c. 146, § 85 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 86 - Classification and limitation of refrigeration licenses · M.G.L. c. 146, § 86 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Journeyman Pipefitter License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Refrigeration Technician License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for or Renew a Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technician or Sprinkler Fitters License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Massachusetts OPSI - Refrigeration Technician Application (form) · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Renew your Pipefitter, Refrigeration Technician, or Sprinkler Fitter License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.