Moving to Oklahoma as a journeyman HVAC technician: every state's rule
Oklahoma has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
Oklahoma journeyman HVAC technician · “Mechanical Journeyman (HVAC/R Unlimited or Limited)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), Mechanical Division
Oklahoma issues statewide mechanical journeyman licenses through the Construction Industries Board (CIB) under the Mechanical Licensing Act. The HVAC/R Unlimited category has no size limit; HVAC/R Limited covers cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 500,000 Btu/h per appliance; both include refrigeration, sheet metal, natural gas and related process piping, and stand-alone Refrigeration, Sheet Metal, Natural Gas Piping and Process Piping journeyman categories also exist. A new applicant needs three years (6,000 hours) of verifiable experience in the category while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor, with approved trade-school hours substituting for up to two years, pays $75 ($25 application plus $50 initial license) and passes the PSI exam with 70% ($92 per portion). CIB's rules allow written reciprocity agreements and a case-by-case exam equivalency for licensees of jurisdictions whose exam the Board has approved, but CIB publishes no list of mechanical reciprocity partners or approved jurisdictions. Journeymen must work under a licensed mechanical contractor, renew annually in their birth month, and complete six hours of continuing education every 36 months.
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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| District of Columbia | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Endorsement | 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 Mexico | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Endorsement | 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 |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| West Virginia | Endorsement | 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 Oklahoma from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Oklahoma issues a journeyman HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
Mechanical Journeyman (HVAC/R Unlimited) by examination
The Construction Industries Board (CIB) issues the HVAC/R Unlimited Mechanical Journeyman license to applicants 18 or older who document three years (6,000 hours) of verifiable HVAC/R experience and pass the state journeyman exam. Experience counts only if it was gained while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor, and hours worked in Oklahoma count only while you held a CIB apprentice registration; for the Unlimited category your experience must be certified on equipment above 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu/h of heating. You file the notarized Application for Mechanical Examination with a notarized experience affidavit from each certifier and $75. Once CIB approves the application, you schedule the open-book exam with PSI, and you need 70% to pass. There is no separate law exam for journeymen.
The HVACR Journeyman Unlimited exam has 70 questions in 180 minutes. You bring your own references, including the 2018 International Mechanical Code and 2018 International Fuel Gas Code with Oklahoma revisions; they may be highlighted and permanently tabbed but not written in. If you fail, you may retest after 30 days, and after 90 days following each later failure; PSI charges $92 for every attempt. Apprentice registration is open to anyone 16 or older employed by a licensed mechanical contractor or enrolled in a CIB-recognized school, must be renewed every year with the contractor's signature, and costs $25 ($5 application plus $20 registration). CIB also issues an HVAC/R Limited journeyman license (cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 500,000 Btu/h per appliance) under the same experience rules, a Limited Residential Journeyman license for new one- and two-family homes, and separate Refrigeration, Sheet Metal, Natural Gas Piping and Process Piping journeyman licenses. Journeymen must work for a licensed mechanical contractor. The state license does not include EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification, which federal law requires separately for anyone who handles refrigerants.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every year
Who can apply
- You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Three years of verifiable experience in the HVAC/R category at 2,000 hours per year, obtained while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor (OAC 158:50-9-1(b)(1)(A)). Oklahoma hours count only while registered with CIB as an apprentice; experience lawfully obtained elsewhere may count.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Approved mechanical education plus one year of experience
An associate degree or vocational diploma from a formal mechanical program of 1,000 hours or more at a school approved by the Committee of Mechanical Examiners replaces two of the three years, leaving one year (2,000 hours) of verifiable experience. Shorter approved programs replace less: 500 hours replaces one year, 375 hours three-quarters of a year, 334 hours two-thirds of a year, and 250 hours half a year. Attach an official transcript and the diploma or certificate of completion; CIB publishes its list of approved schools with the application.
- Complete at least 1,000 hours of classroom or related instruction.
- You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.One year of verifiable experience in the mechanical trade.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Military experience
Equivalent, verifiable mechanical experience earned while serving in the U.S. military can satisfy the experience requirement. The exam and fees still apply.
- Equivalent, verifiable experience in the mechanical trade while serving in the U.S. military
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Journeyman application fee, non-refundable and forfeited if you do not meet the exam qualifications (OAC 158:50-9-1(a), 158:50-9-2(b)).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Initial journeyman license fee, submitted with the application.
- 3Other. Notarized Application for Mechanical Examination with a notarized experience affidavit from each certifier, school transcripts if claiming education, and a notarized Affidavit Verifying Lawful Presence in the United States.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Oklahoma HVACR Journeyman Unlimited exam administered by PSI: 70 questions, 180 minutes, open book, 70% to pass.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($92). PSI fee per examination attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling; non-refundable.
Published fees on this path total $167, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year and a $75 renewal fee.
Six hours of Committee-approved continuing education in the 36 months before the license expires, not every year. Courses cover the codes adopted by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission and other approved trade topics such as the Mechanical Licensing Act and CIB rules. You are exempt for three years from the date you passed your current licensing exam.
Licenses expire each year on the last day of your birth month. A license renewed more than 30 days late also owes the $25 journeyman late fee.
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 · $92
Sources for this section
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Industry · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Application Information and Application for Mechanical Examination · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Apprentice · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Journeyman · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma Mechanical Licensing Act, 59 O.S. §§ 1850.1 et seq. · 59 O.S. §§ 1850.6, 1850.7, 1850.8, 1850.8A · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- OAC Title 158, Chapter 50 - Mechanical Industry Regulations (permanent rules effective 10/1/2020) · OAC 158:50-5-2, 158:50-5-3, 158:50-9-1, 158:50-9-2, 158:50-9-4.1, 158:50-9-6, 158:50-9-7 · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- State of Oklahoma Electrical, Mechanical, Roofing and Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026