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

Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.

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

Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?

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

Pennsylvania to Rhode Island: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

Pennsylvania 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 the Class II license, an applicant from a state without an equivalent limited class 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. No continuing-education requirement was found for mechanical trades on official pages. 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 Pennsylvania 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. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.

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

How Rhode Island licenses journeyman HVAC technicians

Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician · “Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (RJ1, unlimited)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

Issued by Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Workforce Regulation and Safety, Professional Regulation (Board of Examiners of Mechanical)

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.

Moving to Rhode Island Leaving Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?: Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman HVAC technician license from Pennsylvania?: Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island DLT - Trade License Exam Information · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026DLT Professional Regulation administers the mechanical trade exams itself; exams are given first come, first served with limited space; accommodations and interpreters are available on notice. Passing score and fees are not on this page (they are on the application form and in R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17).
Rhode Island DLT - Rhode Island Licensed Occupations · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026The state's list of DLT-licensed trade occupations includes Refrigeration Mechanic, Pipefitter, Sheet Metal Worker and Oil Burnerperson; there is no occupation titled 'HVAC technician' or 'HVAC contractor'.
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 15, 2026Non-refundable $75 application processing fee; notarized application with a copy of government ID and a separate notarized employer statement on company letterhead listing all work-related experience. Verbatim: 'A valid copy of your out-of-state Mechanical Trade License and an Official License Verification from your respective state for all applicants applying for a comparable Mechanical License exam in RI.' Fee table (application / two-year license): Master Mechanical Contractor MMA no test / $480; Contractor Master Refrigeration CMR $75 / $240; Refrigeration Master 1 RM1 $75 / $240; Refrigeration Master 2 RM2 $75 / $96; Pipefitter Master 1 $75 / $240; O/B Serviceman Journeyperson II PJF Limited $75 / $144; and under the heading 'OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE HOLDERS': Refrigeration Journeyperson I RJ1 (code 006) $75 / $72, Refrigeration Journeyperson II RJ2 (code 007) $75 / $60, Pipefitter Journeyperson I/II and Sheet Metal Journeyperson I/II. Footnote: 'Individuals who achieve a passing score of 70 or greater will be invoiced for the License Fee.' Rhode Island-indentured apprentices instead attach the DLT Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship.
Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Professional Regulation licenses, tests, registers and disciplines over 30,000 people in 67 trade occupations, administering exams itself for electricians, hoisting engineers, pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, fire protection sprinkler fitters, sheet metal workers, plumbers and telecommunication installers. The mechanical trades (pipefitting, refrigeration, sheet metal, sprinkler fitting) fall under the Board of Examiners of Mechanical; contact is the Chief Investigator of Mechanical, (401) 462-8535.
Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Mechanical Trade application (English and Spanish), the Mechanical Corporation application and the Apprentice Completion and Application for Examination form; there is no separate refrigeration-only form, the mechanical application covers pipefitter, refrigeration, sheet metal and sprinkler fitter exams.
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 15, 2026§2.12 Refrigeration Master Class I (unlimited, may be self-employed): must have held a Rhode Island Refrigeration Journeyperson I license for one year or a Refrigeration Master II license for one year; §2.12.C verbatim: 'An out of State Master Class I Refrigeration license will allow the applicant to be tested for the Refrigeration Master Class I Rhode Island license. A copy of the license shall be attached to the application. In the event a State does not have a Refrigeration Master Class I license available, a notarized resume showing six (6) years' experience, one of which is as a contractor, shall accompany the application.' §2.13 Refrigeration Master Class II (limited to 20-ton comfort cooling, 3-ton product cooling or 1 hp freezing): three years as a Rhode Island Journeyperson Class II; §2.13.C: an out-of-state Master Class II license allows testing, or a notarized resume showing six years' experience, three as a contractor. §2.14 Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I (unlimited, cannot be self-employed): minimum 10,000 hours OJT and 144 hours of trade-related schooling per year, with up to two years of accredited schooling deductible; §2.14.C: 'An out of State Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I license will allow the applicant to be tested for the Refrigeration Journeyperson Class I Rhode Island license. A copy of the license shall be attached to the application.' §2.15 Journeyperson Class II (limited): 4,000 hours OJT and 288 hours of schooling; §2.15.C: out-of-state Class II license allows testing, or a notarized resume showing five years' experience as a refrigeration journeyperson. The regulation contains no passing score, continuing-education or EPA certification provisions.
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 15, 2026No journeyperson test application is accepted unless the test fee is paid, the license fee is paid on passing, and the applicant shows by affidavit (i) apprenticeship hours meeting §§ 28-27-4.1 and 28-27-4.2, or (ii) two academic years in a recognized trade program plus three years of registered apprenticeship employment, or (iii) verbatim, 'a certificate of license issued under the laws of another state specifying that person as a journeyperson'. Applications must be filed at least 15 days before the examination date.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 - Examinations · R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-14 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026The department conducts examinations of applicants three times each year, administered by the division of professional regulation with the board's assistance, at places within the state convenient to applicants; test materials are preserved for three months.
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 15, 2026Fee table (test / license / renewal): Contractor Master $75 / $240 / $240; Refrigeration Master I $75 / $240 / $240; Refrigeration Master II $75 / $96 / $96; Refrigeration Journeyperson I $75 / $72 / $72; Refrigeration Journeyperson II $75 / $60 / $60; Pipefitter Master I $75 / $240; Pipefitter Journeyperson I $75 / $72. Licenses expire on the licensee's birthday every two years (odd birth years in odd years, even in even) and renew on payment of the fee.
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 15, 2026Verbatim: 'any person who has completed an appropriate ten thousand (10,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a refrigeration technician examination and who does work in refrigeration/air conditioning subject to provisions of this chapter'. Amended effective June 25, 2024.
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, 2026Creates the P.J.F. limited journeyperson II oil burnerperson's license: cannot be self-employed, limited to domestic oil burner service, burner, tank and oil line installation, must be employed by a master pipefitting contractor class II; $72 fee. Cited only to show the adjacent heating-side 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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