South Dakota to New Mexico: journeyman HVAC technician license reciprocity
South Dakota 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(p))
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 Dakota has nothing to transfer
South Dakota journeyman HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
South Dakota has no statewide HVAC license at any level. The Department of Labor & Regulation's list of occupational licensing agencies includes Plumbing and Electrical Commissions but no mechanical, HVAC or refrigeration board, and the only state program touching heating equipment is the State Fire Marshal's boiler inspection program, which certifies boilers rather than the people who install them. Journeyman-level licensing exists only where a city ordinance creates it. Rapid City issues a Mechanical Installer (MI) license to individuals with four years of verifiable experience who pass the city exam and work under a licensed mechanical contractor; Sioux Falls issues no journeyman or technician license for mechanical work, so HVAC technicians there work as employees of a city-licensed Mechanical or Refrigeration Contractor without a personal license. Neither city publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for out-of-state journeyman licenses: Sioux Falls states that it does not reciprocate any license, and Rapid City's code allows recognition of other agencies' licenses only for Class A and B general building contractors. An out-of-state HVAC journeyman therefore needs no state credential to work in South Dakota, must check each city where work will be done, and should expect to take Rapid City's installer exam if working there. EPA Section 608 certification remains a federal requirement for anyone handling refrigerants.
How local licensing works in South Dakota
How local licensing works. South Dakota has no state HVAC or mechanical licensing statute, so each city decides whether to license mechanical work under its building code ordinances. Outside the cities that do, no license is required beyond a building permit and federal EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant work. Boilers are inspected and certificated by the State Fire Marshal's Office (Department of Public Safety), which does not license installers.
Sioux Falls. Chapter 150 of the city code licenses Mechanical Contractors, Refrigeration Contractors, Fireplace Contractors and Master Mechanics; there is no journeyman, installer or apprentice license for mechanical work (the city's journeyman and apprentice licenses are only for electrical and plumbing). Technicians work as employees of a licensed contractor whose master mechanic supervises the work. The city's FAQ states it does not reciprocate any licenses.
Rapid City. Chapter 15.26 of the municipal code creates the Mechanical Installer (MI) license for any person who installs, lays out, alters or repairs mechanical or HVAC systems, requiring four years of verifiable experience (an 18-24 month mechanical program counts as one year, a 9-12 month program as half a year) and approval by the Building Official; installers work under the direction of a licensed Mechanical Contractor, and Mechanical Apprentices (MA) work under the immediate supervision of an installer. Licenses are issued under chapter 15.04, which requires the city's examination, runs trade licenses for three years, and requires six hours of continuing education per license period for Mechanical Code licenses; exam and license fees are set by council resolution and could not be confirmed from a published page. Nothing in the code recognizes an out-of-state installer or journeyman license.
Out-of-state holders. No South Dakota city page found publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for an out-of-state HVAC journeyman license. In Sioux Falls there is nothing to transfer to; in Rapid City the installer applicant documents experience on the work record portion of the application and takes the city exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Mexico journeyman HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?
- 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 Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $143.88, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my South Dakota 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 Dakota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to South 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, 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.
- Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 (as of July 1, 2021) · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-14, 60-13-38 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. 60-13-14(B)(8): a license applicant must have had four years, within the ten years before application, of practical or related trade experience in the type of construction applied for. 60-13-14(C): 'The division, with the consent of the commission, may enter into a reciprocal licensing agreement with any state having equivalent licensing requirements.' 60-13-38: no person may work as a journeyman without a certificate of competence; categories include journeyman sheet metal worker and journeyman pipe fitter; applicants take an examination on rules and technical knowledge; eligibility requires two years' experience in the trade or the equivalent, or an approved vocational course.
- 14.6.4 NMAC - Certification of Journeymen (Construction Industries Division) · 14.6.4.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Passing score is 75% or higher; retakes allowed but not more than twice in any 30-day period; all certification requirements must be met within six months of the application or fees are forfeited. The only reciprocity/expedited provision is 14.6.4.8(D) for military service members, spouses, dependents and veterans certified in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements. Continuing education: 16 hours per renewal (8 on the enforced code) applies to mechanical journeymen JSM, JS and JR among others.
- 14.6.6 NMAC - Classification and Scope of Licenses and Certificates (mechanical and plumbing) · 14.6.6.10 and 14.6.6.11 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning: four years of experience; scope is to 'install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air handling and refrigeration equipment and piping, including fans, coils, condensing units, self-contained packaged air conditioning or heating units, evaporative cooling units, and ductwork' plus controls at 24 volts or less. MM-98 Mechanical (four years) covers MM-1 through MM-4 and the MS-3, MS-6, MS-12 and MS-14 specialties. Journeyman classifications: JR Journeyman Refrigeration (two years; 'must demonstrate compliance with environmental protection agency (EPA) recovery requirements before certificate may be issued'; works under MM-3, MM-4, MM-98 or JSM) and JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal (two years; works under MM-3 or MM-98).
- 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 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. States that mechanical work must be performed by or under the supervision of a certified journeyman even when a contractor's license is held. Experience table: JR Journeyman refrigeration and JSM Journeyman sheet metal require two years (4,000 hours); experience must have been gained while employed by a contractor licensed in the trade or be 'legal work in the state in which the work was performed'. Application fee $75.00 per classification, paid to PSI; notarized application and work experience affidavits; certificate active three years. Question 3(c) limits the reciprocity program to 'Electrical Journeyman (EE98J ONLY)'; question 3(p): a Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) applicant 'must attach proof of your EPA certification for refrigerant recovery'. Reciprocity applicants must have held the license at least one year in the state where they tested.
- State of New Mexico Journeyman Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. Fee table: JR Journeyman Refrigeration $68.88 (single exam); JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal Written $68.88 and Practical $68.88, combination $137.76; fees are charged per attempt and are not refundable. JR exam: 50 questions, 120 minutes, 75% (38 points) to pass, open book on the 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code (14.9.2 NMAC), 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. JSM written: 70 questions, 185 minutes, 75%; JSM practical: 100 points, 120 minutes, 75%. Candidates must be pre-approved by PSI before testing.
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Section 'Reciprocal Journeyman in New Mexico': 'The only journeyman classification reciprocated in New Mexico is EE-98J, residential and commercial electrical'; no mechanical or refrigeration journeyman classification is reciprocated. Section 'Becoming a Qualifying Party': QP applicants need the required years of experience within the 10 years before application, must pass the classification exam(s) and a Contractor's Business and Law exam, must be pre-approved to schedule exams, and pay a $36 QP application and work-experience affidavit fee; the company license application fee is $36 plus license fees. No reciprocity is mentioned for qualifying parties or contractors.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.