Alaska to Georgia: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Alaska. Your Alaska experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Georgia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (all states)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A licensee from any other state applies for licensure by examination in GOALS, the same as a first-time applicant, because the Board's FAQ says reciprocity 'is not offered at this time' and the Board's reciprocity form directs licensees who cannot reciprocate to 'submit an examination application'. The applicant documents the Rule 121-3-.04 experience on the experience record, listing each employer's licensee name and license number: for Class II, five years including two years of installation as a lead mechanic (at least one commercial), one year as a service technician or service supervisor and two years of commercial supervisory experience; for Class I, four years including two years of residential installation as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician and one year of residential supervisory experience. The application ($110) also requires a copy of the EPA Section 608 card showing Type II or higher, certificates for a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (Manuals J&D or AIR1060) and, for Class II, Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1-3, three notarized reference forms from a licensed conditioned air contractor, professional engineer, registered architect or inspector, a certified background check from local law enforcement, a Secure and Verifiable Document and the citizenship affidavit. Once the Board approves the application it issues an Exam Approval Letter (valid one year); the candidate registers and pays PSI, must score at least 70, and after two failures must complete a Board-approved review course before re-testing. Out-of-state licenses obtained by grandfathering, endorsement or conversion give no advantage beyond the experience credit.
Georgia gives a single PSI conditioned air examination for the class applied for; the Board's pages describe no separate law exam, and the PSI exam fee is not published on them. The $110 fee comes from the online how-to guide (the retired 2022 paper form listed $40). The Board's rule does not say whether the qualifying experience must have been under a Georgia licensee; the experience record asks for each employer's license number, so experience under an out-of-state licensed contractor is expected to count, although the Board's published materials do not say so expressly.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Class II: 5 years of experience under Rule 121-3-.04 (2 years installation as lead mechanic with 1 commercial year, 1 year service technician/supervisor, 2 years commercial supervisory); Class I: 4 years (2 years residential installation as lead mechanic, 1 year service technician, 1 year residential supervisory)
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($110). Conditioned Air Contractor Class 1 (Restricted) or Class 2 (Non-Restricted) licensure-by-examination application fee, paid in GOALS.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor Class I or Class II examination administered by PSI after Board approval; minimum score 70.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee paid directly to PSI at registration (amount not published on the Board's pages).
- 4Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification, Type II or higher (copy of the EPA card); federal, does not expire.
- 5Other. Certificate of a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (Manuals J&D or AIR1060); Class II applicants also Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1, 2 and 3.
- 6Other. Three notarized Reference Forms mailed directly to the Board by a licensed conditioned air contractor, professional engineer, registered architect or inspector.
- 7Background check. Complete a background check. Background check obtained from local law enforcement (or a private agency) submitted with the application.
- 8Other. Experience record listing each employer's licensee name, license number, dates and duties; Secure and Verifiable Document and citizenship affidavit.
Published fees on this path total $110, 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
- Other
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other
How Georgia licenses master HVAC technicians
Georgia master HVAC technician · “Conditioned Air Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted)”
Statewide license
Georgia has no 'master HVAC' license; its highest person-held HVAC credential is the statewide Conditioned Air Contractor license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Conditioned Air Contractors to an individual who documents experience and passes the PSI-administered exam with a score of at least 70. It comes in two classes: Class I (Restricted) covers systems up to 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling, and Class II (Non-Restricted) is unrestricted, so Class II is the master-level equivalent used here. A Class II applicant needs five years of experience under Rule 121-3-.04 (two years of installation as a lead mechanic with at least one commercial year, one year as a service technician or supervisor, two years of commercial supervisory experience), EPA Section 608 certification of Type II or higher, a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (Manuals J&D) plus Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1-3, three notarized references from licensed professionals, and a local law-enforcement background check; the exam application fee is $110 through the GOALS portal, and the PSI exam fee is paid to the vendor. The licensee then serves as the qualifying licensee for a registered conditioned air company. The Board's FAQ states that 'Reciprocity with other states is not offered at this time' and its online guide has no reciprocity application type; the Board's 2022 paper reciprocity form, which is no longer accepted, named Louisiana as the sole reciprocal state and recorded that South Carolina and Texas reciprocity stopped on April 15, 2022 pending renegotiation. An out-of-state HVAC contractor therefore applies by examination, with experience earned elsewhere documented on the experience record. Licenses renew by November 30 of odd-numbered years with 4 hours of continuing education per year; applications are generally processed within 20 business days.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Alaska?
- Yes. Georgia requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Georgia master HVAC technician license from Alaska?
- Published fees on this path total $110, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Alaska work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Georgia to Alaska?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Georgia to Alaska, the mechanism is endorsement.
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
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Applications and Examinations (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Licensing (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.01, 121-3-.02 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Conditioned Air Contractors - Application by Exam (Initial License or Reinstatement Lapsed 3+ Years), Revised 03/2022 · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.04 (cited on the form under its former number 121-2-.03); O.C.G.A. § 43-14-8(h)-(j) · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- Conditioned Air Contractors - Application for Licensure by Reciprocity (Class 2 Non-Restricted), Revised 03/22 · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.03 (cited on the form under its former number 121-2-.05); O.C.G.A. § 43-14-8(h)-(j) · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- Georgia State Board of Conditioned Air Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors) · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Board of Conditioned Air FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- How to Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards 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.