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

Yes. Kentucky requires the trade exam on this path.

What does it cost to get a Kentucky journeyman HVAC technician license from Pennsylvania?

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

Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Kentucky?

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

Does it work the other way, from Kentucky to Pennsylvania?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Kentucky to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.

Pennsylvania to Kentucky: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Kentucky'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 journeyman HVAC mechanic without a reciprocity agreement (examination with experience credit)

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

An HVAC journeyman or technician licensed in a state without a Kentucky reciprocity agreement applies on Form HVAC 2 as a new applicant. KRS 198B.658(2)(c)2 expressly accepts two years of HVAC work performed 'in a jurisdiction other than Kentucky' when shown by verifiable documentation, and 815 KAR 8:010 Section 5 lists a copy of a current out-of-state journeyman HVAC license (or, for states that do not license, documentation of the work performed) among the acceptable proofs, alongside W-2s, a supervising master's affidavit or a DD 214; one year of experience means at least 1,500 hours in a continuous twelve-month period. The applicant must pass the Journeyman HVAC examination with at least 70%, either the Prov computer-based open-book exam ($80) or the department-administered exam registered on Form HVAC-4 ($50); 815 KAR 8:010 Section 4(8) requires DHBC to recognize another examination as equivalent when the applicant or a testing agency demonstrates it covers the same material at the same level, and a passing score is valid for three years. The $50 twelve-month application fee is prorated by birth month to between seven and eighteen months ($29.17 to $75), a passport-sized color photo is required, and the application stays open for one year while requirements are completed. There is no separate law or business exam for the journeyman license.

Whether a previously passed out-of-state or national journeyman HVAC exam will be accepted under 815 KAR 8:010 Section 4(8) is decided by the department case by case; no list of recognized exams is published. The Prov bulletin (2020) states $80 per exam while Form HVAC-4 and the regulation state $50 for the department's own journeyman exam; both routes were confirmed from DHBC documents.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

You must document at least 3,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Two years of HVAC work (KRS 198B.658(2)(c)); 815 KAR 8:010 Section 5(2) defines a year as at least 1,500 hours in a continuous twelve-month period. One academic year of approved HVAC training may substitute for one year.
At least 18 years of age and a United States citizen or resident alien authorized to work (KRS 198B.658(2)(a)-(b))

What you'll do to get licensed in Kentucky

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Journeyman HVAC Mechanic initial license fee for twelve months (Form HVAC 2), prorated by birth month to $29.17-$75.00; payable to Kentucky State Treasurer, non-refundable.
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Kentucky Journeyman HVAC examination, open book, 70% to pass (Prov computer-based exam or department-administered exam via Form HVAC-4); a passed Master HVAC exam also satisfies this requirement.
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Prov examination fee per attempt (Candidate Information Bulletin); the department-administered journeyman exam registered on Form HVAC-4 is $50.
4Other. Passport-sized color photograph taken within six months, employment history, and proof of experience (out-of-state license copy, W-2s, master's affidavit or DD 214).
5Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire; not part of the DHBC application.

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.

Trade exam
Exam fee · $80
Other

How Kentucky licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Kentucky journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman HVAC Mechanic”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Division of HVAC / Licensing Branch

Kentucky issues a statewide Journeyman HVAC Mechanic license through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) under KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689; a journeyman performs HVAC work under the supervision, direction and responsibility of a licensed Master HVAC Contractor and supervises registered apprentices on site. A new applicant must be 18, a citizen or authorized resident alien, have two years of HVAC experience (at least 1,500 hours per year) either under a master HVAC contractor or as verifiable HVAC work in Kentucky or any other jurisdiction, pass the open-book Journeyman HVAC exam with at least 70% (offered through Prov for $80, or by the department for $50 on Form HVAC-4), and file Form HVAC 2 with a $50 twelve-month fee prorated by birth month ($29.17 to $75) and a passport photo. Licenses renew annually at $50 with continuing education. KRS 198B.666 and 815 KAR 8:010 Section 3 provide for licensure by reciprocity where an agreement exists with the licensing state, and the application form has a reciprocity checkbox, but DHBC's HVAC pages publish no list of partner states; every other out-of-state journeyman documents their hours and takes the Kentucky exam. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is required for refrigerant work but is not part of the DHBC application.

Moving to Kentucky Leaving Kentucky

Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer

Pennsylvania journeyman HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 16 sources

Pennsylvania has no statewide HVAC license at any level: none of the Department of State's 29 licensing boards covers heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration or mechanical work, and the only state-level credential touching the trade is the Attorney General's Home Improvement Contractor registration, which registers businesses doing residential work and involves no exam. Journeyman-level HVAC licensing exists only where a city ordinance creates it, and most cities do not: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh license no HVAC journeyman (Philadelphia's only person-held HVAC-related license is the Sheet Metal Technician license for ductwork, and Pittsburgh's Mechanical/HVAC Trade License is a master-level credential under which employees work unlicensed). Reading issues a Journeyman Mechanical Installer license based on a four-year apprenticeship and the ICC Journeyman Mechanical exam, and Erie's ordinance defines a mechanical journeyman by completion of the ICC Journeyman Certificate Exam. An out-of-state HVAC journeyman license has no state-level recognition in Pennsylvania; Reading will issue a reciprocal journeyman license ($150) to holders of an equivalent license from a first-, second- or third-class city with standards equal to its own, and otherwise the technician works as an employee of whatever contractor holds the local license. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is required everywhere in the state for anyone who handles refrigerants.

How local licensing works in Pennsylvania

How local licensing works. Pennsylvania licenses no HVAC workers at the state level, so each city decides for itself whether to license the trade, and licensing is done under local ordinances by city trade boards or code offices. Most municipalities require only a permit pulled by a contractor plus the statewide Home Improvement Contractor registration for residential work.

Philadelphia. No HVAC or mechanical license of any kind. Mechanical permits must be performed by a business holding L&I's general Contractor License ($126 a year, insurance and OSHA 30, no exam), and 'sheet metal work must be performed by a registered sheet metal technician or apprentice employed by the contractor'. The Sheet Metal Technician License ($189 for three years) is the only person-held HVAC-related credential; it requires a completed U.S. DOL or state-registered sheet metal apprenticeship (8,000 hours of work plus 800 hours of instruction) and has no exam and no out-of-state provisions.

Pittsburgh. No journeyman license. The Mechanical/HVAC Trade License is issued to an individual who passes an ICC master mechanical exam and shows four years of experience; other workers perform mechanical work as employees under a licensee.

Reading. Issues a Journeyman Mechanical Installer license ($50 a year). Applicants must be employed by a registered mechanical contractor and registered with the Pennsylvania apprenticeship bureau, complete a four-year approved apprenticeship with at least 216 hours of instruction per year (or eight years under a registered mechanical contractor), and pass the ICC F31-N Journeyman Mechanical exam or its successor. A reciprocal journeyman license ($150, including a one-time reciprocation fee) may be issued to the holder of an equivalent license from a first-, second- or third-class U.S. city issued by an equivalent board with standards equal to Reading's; the applicant attaches the other jurisdiction's current requirements. Reading's list names Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Scranton, Lancaster and Pittsburgh and 'most, if not all, surrounding states with a state license'.

Erie. The Bureau of Building Standards and Safety issues master licenses for Mechanical and HVAC Installers and a separate Refrigeration license, and the contractor licensing ordinance defines a journeyman as one qualified 'through formal apprenticeship, on-the-job experience and after successful completion of the International Code Council (ICC) Journeyman Certificate Exam', with apprentices completing 8,000 working hours and 800 classroom hours before testing. Fees, insurance and any reciprocity section of the ordinance could not be opened.

Allentown. Licenses electricians, plumbers and sheet metal workers only; no HVAC or mechanical license.

Harrisburg, Scranton and Altoona. Harrisburg posts electrical, plumbing and low-voltage license applications only. Scranton and Altoona license HVAC/mechanical contractors at the master or business level (see the master level) and have no journeyman license.

Out-of-state holders. No city publishes a reciprocity path for out-of-state journeyman licenses except Reading, whose reciprocal license depends on the origin credential coming from a city (or a state) with equivalent standards. Elsewhere a journeyman from another state simply works for a locally licensed contractor.

Moving to Pennsylvania Leaving Pennsylvania

Common questions

Do I have to take the Kentucky journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?: Yes. Kentucky requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Kentucky journeyman HVAC technician license from Pennsylvania?: Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Kentucky?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Kentucky's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Kentucky to Pennsylvania?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Kentucky to Pennsylvania, 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.
DHBC - Division of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. The Division of HVAC regulates and licenses the industry, ensures the skills of HVAC contractors and journeymen through continuing education, and administers KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689, which have required heating and air conditioning contractors to be licensed since July 1995; statewide HVAC permitting and inspection began January 1, 2011 and only properly licensed individuals may purchase an HVAC permit. Kentucky describes itself as one of 35 states with a licensing program specific to the trade.
DHBC Form HVAC 2 - Journeyman HVAC Mechanic License Application (April 2023), with fee chart · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Licensing Branch · Form · verified September 15, 2026Applicant marks either 'Official Examination Result Report enclosed' or 'Reciprocity: Include letter of standing from state licensing board'; records the employing company and master's name and number, current apprentice registration if any, the Kentucky master(s) under whom two years of experience were obtained if applicable, HVAC employers and dates, number of documented HVAC work hours, and HVAC certificates or degrees. Proof of experience: W-2s, affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, copy of an out-of-state journeyman HVAC mechanic license or equivalent, DD 214. Passport-sized color photo. Initial license prorated to seven to eighteen months by birth month; fee chart from $29.17 to $75.00 ($50 for twelve months), payable to Kentucky State Treasurer; annual renewal thereafter.
DHBC Form HVAC-4 - HVAC Examination Registration Form (March 2022) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of HVAC · Form · verified September 15, 2026Registers the applicant for the department-administered master HVAC contractor examination ($150.00 exam fee) or journeyman HVAC mechanic examination ($50.00), payable to Kentucky State Treasurer, with a passport-sized color photo. Division of HVAC contact 502-573-0395.
DHBC - Licensing Information (forms and documents, eServices portal, Prov HVAC testing information, exam scheduling) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched with curl (the default fetcher returned only a summary). Licensing contact 502-573-2002; links the forms and documents page, the licensing portal, the 'Prov HVAC Testing Information' candidate bulletin, 'Schedule Exam' (Pearson Vue/ICC) and Pearson Vue exam information. No HVAC reciprocity partner list is published on this page.
Commonwealth of Kentucky Division of HVAC - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, July 2020) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction / Prov, Inc. · Other · verified September 15, 2026The department has contracted with Prov to develop and administer its licensing examinations: Journeyman HVAC and Master HVAC. Exams are computer-based, open book and timed, cost $80.00 each, and are offered at twelve Prov testing centers in Kentucky and nationwide; results are available at the testing center. Registration at provexam.com or 866-720-7768; Prov does not decide which exam a candidate must take (call the Division at 502-573-0395).
815 KAR 8:010 - Licensing requirements for master HVAC contractors and journeyman HVAC mechanics · 815 KAR 8:010 Sections 1-5, 7, 8 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Section 1: the master supervises and is primarily responsible for all HVAC work of the company he or she represents; the journeyman is physically on site and responsible for apprentices. Section 2: master application on Form HVAC 1 with a $250 initial fee for a twelve-month license, proof of experience and proof of insurance (a company may supply the insurance); journeyman application on Form HVAC 2 with a $50 initial fee and proof of experience; initial fees prorated to seven to eighteen months expiring at the end of the birth month; proof of passing the Section 4 exam; passport photo; application void after one year. Section 3: an applicant for reciprocity shall comply with the requirements established in the reciprocity agreement between Kentucky and the state in which the applicant is licensed and with the Section 2 application requirements, paying the fee for each license sought. Section 4: exams developed, administered and scored by the department or its designee; the master exam tests codes, standards and practices plus the law and regulation of the HVAC business; the journeyman exam tests codes, standards and practices; a passed master exam also satisfies the journeyman exam; 70% to pass; department exams registered on Form HVAC-4 with a $150 (master) or $50 (journeyman) fee; passing scores valid three years; subsection (8) requires the department to recognize another examination as equivalent when a testing agency, national code group or applicant demonstrates it covers the same material at the same level. Section 5: proof of experience by W-2, affidavit of the supervising master, a copy of a current out-of-state master or journeyman HVAC license or equivalent, verifiable documentation of HVAC work in a state that does not license, or DD 214; one year of experience is at least 1,500 hours in a continuous twelve-month period. Section 7: annual renewal on Form DHBC L-1 at $250 (master) or $50 (journeyman) by the last day of the birth month with continuing education under 815 KAR 2:010 and, for masters, proof of insurance; late renewal within 60 days with a restoration fee. Section 8: restoration $125 (master) / $25 (journeyman), inactive status $20, reactivation $20, reinstatement within three years.
KRS 198B.650 - Definitions for KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689 · KRS 198B.650(2), (10), (13), (15) · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Served as a PDF. 'Journeyman heating, ventilation, and air conditioning mechanic' means an individual licensed by the department to perform HVAC work under the supervision, direction and responsibility of a master HVAC contractor. 'Master heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor' means an HVAC contractor licensed by the department to advertise and practice HVAC contracting in the Commonwealth. 'Apprentice' assists under the supervision of a master and a journeyman. 'Practice of HVAC contracting' means the installation, maintenance, altering, remodeling or repair of heating, ventilation, hydronic, burner-service or cooling systems. Effective April 8, 2022.
KRS 198B.658 - Qualifications for licensure and certification · KRS 198B.658(1)-(6) · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Served as a PDF. Master HVAC contractor: age 18; citizen or resident alien authorized to work; and either two years as a journeyman HVAC mechanic under a master HVAC contractor, two years engaged as a master HVAC contractor 'or equivalent thereof' in Kentucky or in a jurisdiction other than Kentucky shown by verifiable documentation, or two years licensed and employed as a mechanical engineer in Kentucky or another jurisdiction; pass the department's examination; pay the fee. Journeyman HVAC mechanic: age 18; citizen or resident alien; either two years in the HVAC trades under a master HVAC contractor or two years of HVAC work in Kentucky or in a jurisdiction other than Kentucky shown by verifiable documentation; pass the department's examination; pay the fee. One academic year of approved curriculum or professional training counts as one year toward the journeyman requirement, and one year of approved teaching counts as one year toward either license. Apprentices register free of charge. Effective July 1, 2022.
KRS 198B.660 - Application; examinations; procedures · KRS 198B.660 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Served as a PDF. Each application is accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee; examinations are given at least twice a year at times and places prescribed by the department; the exam fee must be paid before testing. Effective June 27, 2019.

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

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