South Carolina to New Mexico: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
South Carolina does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Mexico'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 HVAC or refrigeration journeyman (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
No state has a mechanical or refrigeration journeyman reciprocity agreement with New Mexico; CID's application materials state that the reciprocity program is for the EE-98J electrical journeyman only, and 14.6.4 NMAC contains no general endorsement provision (only an expedited path for military service members, spouses and veterans). An HVAC technician from any other state therefore files the standard notarized Journeyman Certificate Application with PSI for the JR classification (and JSM if ductwork is involved), documents two years (4,000 hours) of experience on notarized work-experience affidavits, attaches proof of EPA Section 608 certification, and must pass the JR exam. Experience from another state counts if it was gained while employed by a contractor licensed in the trade or was legal work in the state where it was performed. New Mexico has no separate law exam for journeymen; state code questions are part of the trade exam. All requirements must be completed within six months of the application or the fee is forfeited.
A person who already holds an active New Mexico qualifying-party certificate in a parallel classification (for example MM-3) can apply for the journeyman classification without work-verification forms (application question 3(b)). A JSM applicant pays a second $75 application fee and takes the separate JSM written and practical exams ($137.76).
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 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Two years of experience in the refrigeration trade (NMSA 60-13-38(G); 14.6.6 NMAC), verified by notarized affidavits from employers, supervisors or contractors.
- Proof of EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification attached to the JR application (14.6.6 NMAC; PSI application question 3(o))
What you'll do to get licensed in New Mexico
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Journeyman Certificate Application fee paid to PSI, per classification (JR); returned only if the application is rejected.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. JR Journeyman Refrigeration exam administered by PSI: 50 questions, 120 minutes, open book (2015 NM Mechanical Code, 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning), 75% to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI examination fee for the JR exam, charged per attempt and non-refundable.
- 4Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire; CID requires proof with the JR application.
Published fees on this path total $143.88, 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 · $68.88
- Other
How New Mexico licenses journeyman HVAC technicians
New Mexico journeyman HVAC technician · “JR Journeyman Refrigeration (certificate of competence)”
Statewide license
New Mexico has no license called 'HVAC technician'. Heating, cooling and refrigeration work must be performed by, or under the supervision of, a person holding a Construction Industries Division (CID) journeyman certificate of competence in the applicable mechanical classification, and this site maps the JR Journeyman Refrigeration certificate to the journeyman level; the JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal certificate covers ductwork and air distribution, and a technician who does both usually holds both. Each requires two years (4,000 hours) of trade experience, a $75 application per classification filed with PSI, and a PSI exam passed at 75% (JR is one open-book exam; JSM is a written plus a practical exam). A JR applicant must attach proof of EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification before the certificate is issued. CID reciprocates only the EE-98J electrical journeyman classification, so an out-of-state HVAC or refrigeration license gives no exam waiver, although out-of-state hours count toward the experience requirement. Certificates are active for three years and JR and JSM holders complete 16 hours of continuing education per renewal.
Why South Carolina has nothing to transfer
South Carolina journeyman HVAC technician · “Journeyman HVAC trade certification card (CAGC SC Trades Certification, formerly MASC) - not a state license”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by Local building departments, using the CAGC SC Trades Certification (formerly MASC) journeyman card
South Carolina has no state journeyman HVAC license. The LLR Contractor's Licensing Board licenses mechanical contractors (entities qualified by an individual qualifying party) for air-conditioning, heating and refrigeration work over $10,000, and the Residential Builders Commission licenses Residential HVAC Installers and Repairers for residential work over $500; neither chapter of the contractor law creates a journeyman or technician credential, so an HVAC technician who is not a contractor works under one of those licensees with no state license. The journeyman-level credential that does exist is the trade certification card of the SC Mechanical Trades Certification Program, run since 1965 by the Municipal Association of South Carolina (the association of the state's cities) and, since January 1, 2026, by the Carolinas AGC Foundation; the program's own page says the card is not a license and must not be represented as one. No reciprocity or out-of-state acceptance is published for the journeyman card, so an arriving technician should expect to apply to CAGC ($35 application, PROV exam) if a local jurisdiction or employer requires a card. EPA Section 608 certification is federal and required of everyone handling refrigerants regardless of any South Carolina card.
How local licensing works in South Carolina
How local licensing works. State law licenses contractors, not technicians: S.C. Code § 40-11-30 requires a Contractor's Licensing Board license (Mechanical Contractor with the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration or Packaged Equipment classification) for mechanical contracting work whose total cost exceeds $10,000, and Chapter 59 requires a Residential Builders Commission license for residential heating and air-conditioning work over $500. Employees of those licensees need no state credential. The Contractor's Licensing Board home page lists no journeyman license, and the Residential Builders Commission licenses the Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer, not a journeyman.
The trades certification card. The SC Mechanical Trades Certification Program was created in 1965 by the Municipal Association of South Carolina to give municipalities a common examination and certification for the mechanical trades. MASC handed the program to the Carolinas AGC Foundation on January 1, 2026; cards issued by MASC remain valid until the expiration printed on them, and CAGC now issues verification letters. CAGC charges a $35 application fee ($35 to re-test), uses PROV as its exam provider, and states that the card 'should not be confused with' the LLR mechanical contractor or residential specialty licenses and that a holder will not represent the card as evidence of a license. The master-level HVAC card, the HARV (Master Mechanical) certification issued by exam by MASC between September 7, 2013 and December 2025 or by CAGC after January 1, 2026, is accepted by LLR as a technical-exam waiver for the Mechanical Contractor Air Conditioning and Heating classifications and for the Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer license, which is the card's main statewide use. Technicians should ask the local building department where they will work.
Out-of-state holders. Neither CAGC nor MASC publishes reciprocity for journeyman licenses from other states, and LLR's waiver agreements apply only to contractor-level exams. An out-of-state journeyman or HVAC technician can work for a licensed South Carolina contractor without any state credential and, if a card is required locally, applies to CAGC.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Mexico journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in South Carolina?
- Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Mexico journeyman HVAC technician license from South Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $143.88, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Carolina work hours count in New Mexico?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to South Carolina?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to South Carolina, 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
- Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 (RLD compilation as of July 1, 2021) · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-3, 60-13-14, 60-13-14.1, 60-13-23, 60-13-49 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- 14.6.4 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Journeyman Certification · 14.6.4.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 14.6.6 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Classifications and Scopes of Work · 14.6.6.8 and 14.6.6.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- NM CID / PSI - How to Obtain a Journeyman Certificate and Application for Journeyman Certificate (updated Aug 2025) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- State of New Mexico Journeyman Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 4/13/2023) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · 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.