Do I have to take the Ohio master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Alabama?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Alabama.

What does it cost to get a Ohio master HVAC technician license from Alabama?

Published fees on this path total $25, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Alabama to Ohio: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

Reciprocity· Exam waivedVerified September 15, 2026· 9 sources

Ohio has a reciprocity agreement with Alabama: a Alabama master HVAC technician can get a Ohio license without retaking the trade exam.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Reciprocity with Alabama (HVAC and Refrigeration)

A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.

OCILB lists Alabama for HVAC and Refrigeration reciprocity without a Business and Law exam flag. An applicant who currently holds an Alabama master HVAC or refrigeration contractor license issued by the Alabama Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Board after passing Alabama's examination receives the Ohio HVAC or Refrigeration Contractor license without examination. Applicants who obtained the Alabama license by grandfathering or reciprocity must instead apply to take the Ohio exam and the Ohio Business and Law exam. The applicant files the Alabama reciprocity application with a $25 non-refundable fee per trade, has the Alabama board complete its Certification Request Form verifying the license and exam, provides a $500,000 certificate of liability insurance naming the Ohio Construction Licensing Board, and assigns the license to a contracting company.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Agreement: Active

What you must already have

Your Alabama license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Alabama license must be active and in good standing.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.

What you'll do to get licensed in Ohio

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Reciprocity application fee, non-refundable, one application and one fee per trade (HVAC, Refrigeration).
2Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Certificate of liability insurance with complete operations coverage of at least $500,000, certificate holder Ohio Construction Licensing Board.
3Other. Verification of the current Alabama license via the Alabama board's Certification Request Form submitted with the application.
4Other. Assignment of the license to a contracting company (R.C. 4740.01).
5Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.

Published fees on this path total $25, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance · $500,000

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.

Other

How Ohio licenses master HVAC technicians

Ohio master HVAC technician · “HVAC Contractor / Refrigeration Contractor (OCILB state license)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce

Ohio has no license called 'master HVAC'; its top person-held HVAC credential is the statewide HVAC Contractor license (with a separate Refrigeration Contractor license for refrigeration work) issued by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) to an individual who qualified by examination (R.C. 4740.01(A)), who then assigns it to a contracting company. Other states' reciprocity forms pair this license with their master HVAC or mechanical contractor licenses, so it is treated here as the master level. A new applicant must be 18, a citizen or legal alien, have five years as a tradesperson in the trade immediately before applying (or be an Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), pass BCI and FBI background checks, pass both sections of the PSI-administered examination (trade and Business & Law), carry $500,000 of contractor liability insurance in one company name, and pay a $25 application fee and $25 license fee per trade; licenses expire annually and renew with 8 hours of continuing education (24 for three-year renewals). OCILB's published reciprocity list covers HVAC licenses from Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia (refrigeration from Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee), with the Ohio Business and Law exam still required for Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee licensees. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is required of anyone handling refrigerants but is not part of the OCILB application.

Moving to Ohio Leaving Ohio

Common questions

Do I have to take the Ohio master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Alabama?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Alabama.
What does it cost to get a Ohio master HVAC technician license from Alabama?: Published fees on this path total $25, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

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.
OCILB - Contractors & Contracting Companies (state license requirements, reciprocity list, document checklists) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy because com.ohio.gov returned 404 to the fetcher. States that OCILB issues state licenses to commercial contractors in five trades: Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing and Refrigeration. Requirements: age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), no disqualifying offense, pass the trade examination, $500,000 contractor liability coverage, fees; BCI and FBI background checks after board approval and before the exam. Fees: $25 application per trade, $25 licensing fee per trade, $60 annual escrow renewal. 'Reciprocity with other states' section: Ohio offers reciprocity only to applicants who passed the state-recognized test; Tennessee accepts Ohio grandfathered licensees; where noted the Business and Law (B&L) exam is required. List: Alabama - HVAC and Refrigeration; Arkansas - Plumbing; Kentucky - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration; Louisiana - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration - B&L; Mississippi - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing - B&L; North Carolina - Electrical; South Carolina - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing - B&L; Tennessee - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing, Hydronics - B&L; West Virginia - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing; Virginia - Electrical; Texas - Electrical. Reciprocity applicant checklist: notarized reciprocity application, OCILB verification form signed by the other state's board, $25 application fee per trade. The page says nothing about a journeyman, technician or individual HVAC license and nothing about EPA Section 608.
OCILB Examination Application (PDF) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 15, 2026Standard route: last five consecutive years of tax documents plus one of: a permit for each of the last five years obtained by the licensed contractor employer, an active journeyman's card in the trade, an apprenticeship completion certificate (Ohio- or US DOL-approved), or 40 hours of live/virtual code continuing education from an OCILB training agency; or an Ohio registered professional engineer with three years of business experience; or five years as an Ohio government inspector in the trade. $25 application fee; exam types Hydronics, Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Refrigeration.
OCILB - Testing Application (form DIC 3524) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Lists the trades licensed (Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing, Hydronics) and links the Testing Application PDF (DIC 3524); last reviewed March 2020.
OCILB - Reciprocity Application - Alabama (EL, HV, RE) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Covers Electrical, HVAC and Refrigeration: applicant must hold a current Alabama master HVAC, refrigeration or electrical contractor license and provide proof that it was issued by exam. Links the Alabama reciprocity form PDF. Last reviewed November 15, 2024.
OCILB Alabama Reciprocity Application (PDF) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 15, 2026Types: HVAC, RE, EL. Applicant must currently hold an Alabama license obtained by testing with Alabama; applicants who obtained the Alabama license by grandfathering or reciprocity must apply to take the Ohio exam and the Ohio Business and Law exam. One application and one $25.00 non-refundable fee per trade, payable to Treasurer State of Ohio; $500,000 certificate of liability insurance with complete operations coverage naming the Ohio Construction Licensing Board; verification of the current Alabama license by a Certification Request Form from the Alabama Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors Board (hacr.alabama.gov); license must be assigned to a contracting company under R.C. 4740.01.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.01 - Construction industry licensing board definitions · R.C. 4740.01(A), (C), (E) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'License' means a license the board issues to an individual as a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning contractor, refrigeration contractor, electrical contractor, plumbing contractor, or hydronics contractor. 'Tradesperson' means an individual employed by a contractor who performs the work without assuming responsibility for the means, method or manner of the work; tradespersons are not licensed under the chapter. 'Contracting company' is a company in the construction industry working on construction projects. Effective September 17, 2014.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.06 - License application; qualifications for examination · R.C. 4740.06(B), (C), (F), (H) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(B) age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or registered engineer with three years' business experience), contractor's liability insurance. (C) alternative qualification for holders of a substantially similar out-of-state license: at least five building authorizations and a tax return showing income under that license. (F) the specialty section authorizes the license within 90 days of the application once the applicant qualifies and passes the exam. (H) renewal without re-examination with continuing education. Effective September 30, 2025 (H.B. 96, 136th General Assembly).
Ohio Revised Code 4740.08 - Reciprocity · R.C. 4740.08 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026When a written reciprocity agreement between the states exists, an individual licensed in the other state who submits a copy of the agreement and pays the licensure fee is licensed without examination if the specialty section finds the other state's requirements substantially equal and that it extends similar reciprocity to Ohio licensees; the section may withdraw authorization for good cause before issuance. Effective December 29, 2023.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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