Moving to New Mexico as a journeyman HVAC technician: every state's rule
New Mexico has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
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.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Alaska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Georgia | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Minnesota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Montana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Jersey | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Utah | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wisconsin | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in New Mexico from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how New Mexico issues a journeyman HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
JR Journeyman Refrigeration certificate by examination
New Mexico issues the JR Journeyman Refrigeration certificate of competence to an applicant at least 18 years old who documents two years (4,000 hours) of refrigeration experience gained within the ten years before applying and passes one PSI exam. You apply to PSI, which handles licensing for the Construction Industries Division (CID), with a notarized Journeyman Certificate Application, a notarized Mechanical/Plumbing Work Experience Affidavit from each employer or supervisor, proof of EPA Section 608 refrigerant recovery certification and the $75 fee. Once approved, you schedule and pass the open-book JR exam with a score of at least 75%. There is no separate law exam; New Mexico Mechanical Code questions are part of the trade exam. Ductwork and air-distribution work is covered by a separate JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal certificate with the same two-year experience requirement.
The JR exam has 50 questions in 120 minutes covering refrigerants and refrigeration, refrigeration and hydronic piping, components, controls and valves, tests and inspections, safety and general requirements; allowed references include the 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code, the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Experience counts only if it was gained with a contractor licensed in the trade or was legal work where it was performed; PSI reviews military, out-of-country and homeowner experience case by case. After approval you must pass the exam and submit the score report within six months, you may not take the same exam more than twice in 30 days, and passing scores are valid for one year. The JSM certificate needs its own $75 application and a written and a practical exam ($68.88 each). The application asks about child support compliance and disqualifying felony convictions (14.6.3.8(F) NMAC), which can be grounds for denial. A journeyman may work only when employed by a contractor licensed for that work, such as an MM-3 or MM-98 licensee.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 75%
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
- Continuing education
- 16 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- 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); 14.6.6.11 NMAC), within the ten years immediately before application (14.6.4.8(C) NMAC), verified on notarized work experience affidavits.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Accredited technical training plus experience
Technical training from an accredited college, university, technical-vocational institute, manufacturer's program or apprenticeship program counts toward the experience requirement. Each year of training counts as half a year of experience, and training may cover no more than half of the total, so at least one year (2,000 hours) must be work experience. The same application, EPA certification, exam and fees apply.
- Accredited technical training in the refrigeration or HVAC trade, credited at half a year of experience per year of training, up to half of the two-year requirement
- You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Within the ten years before application.
- Be at least 18 years old.
State-approved vocational course in the trade
The Construction Industries Licensing Act also makes a person eligible for the journeyman exam after successfully completing a course in the trade approved by the vocational education division of the state public education department (NMSA 60-13-38(G)). The PSI application does not describe how this route is documented, so ask PSI at (877) 663-9267 before applying. The EPA certification, exam and fees still apply.
- Completion of a refrigeration or HVAC trade course approved by the vocational education division of the New Mexico public education department
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Journeyman application and certificate fee for the JR classification, paid to PSI with the notarized application and work experience affidavits; returned if the application is rejected.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. JR Journeyman Refrigeration exam by PSI: 50 questions, 120 minutes, open book, 75% to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the JR exam, charged for each attempt.
- 4Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification for refrigerant recovery (Type I, II, III or Universal) and attach proof to the application; CID will not issue the JR certificate without it (14.6.6.11 NMAC).
Published fees on this path total $143.88, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 3 years with 16 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $75 renewal fee.
16 hours of CID-approved continuing education in each three-year period: at least 8 hours on the current code enforced for the classification and 8 hours of other industry-related instruction. Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal application, or the certificate is not renewed. CID publishes the approved course list on its continuing education page.
The certificate expires three years after issuance, on the last day of the month it was issued. A late renewal costs an extra $25, and a certificate not renewed within six months of expiration is cancelled.
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- 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 Renew a Journeyman Certificate · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Form · 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
- New Mexico Licensing Fees (CID contractor, qualifying party and journeyman fee schedule) · PSI Services for the New Mexico 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
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - CID Continuing Education · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026