Illinois to Alaska: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Alaska'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.
Mechanical Administrator license by credentials (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Alaska publishes no state-by-state reciprocity list for mechanical administrators; every out-of-state applicant uses licensure by credentials under AS 08.40.270(b) and 12 AAC 39.022 (form 08-4904, also filed online through MY LICENSE). The department must waive the examination when the applicant holds a current, active mechanical administrator or equivalent license in another state (verification sent directly by every jurisdiction where the applicant is or was licensed), has that state verify on form 08-4904a, with the exam content outline, that the applicant passed an examination equivalent to Alaska's, and meets the experience qualifications for the category applied for (for example 12 AAC 39.242 for Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal or 12 AAC 39.262 for Unlimited Refrigeration). CBPL warns that passing an exam in another state does not guarantee qualification, and transcripts must come directly from the school if education is used to qualify. The fee is $150 (nonrefundable application) plus $200 (license), $350 in total, and paper applications take several weeks. An applicant who cannot document an equivalent exam applies by examination instead (form 08-4903) and must score at least 70% on the PSI mechanical administrator exam within the 12 months before licensure; a licensee may later add categories under 12 AAC 39.025 by passing that category's exam.
The division does not publish which states' HVAC contractor, master mechanical or refrigeration exams it accepts as equivalent; each is reviewed against the exam content outline. Whether a state HVAC contractor license that is issued to a business rather than a person counts as 'licensed as a mechanical administrator or the equivalent' is not addressed on any official page. The PSI examination fee for the by-examination route is $150 per attempt. A journeyman-level HVAC license alone is not an administrator equivalent, but 12 AAC 39.992(4) counts an equivalent journeyman certificate from another jurisdiction toward the category experience requirement.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Illinois that the destination considers comparable.
- Meets the category qualifications in 12 AAC 39.222-39.332 (e.g. Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal: journeyman or field-superintendent experience in HVAC and sheet metal work for four of the last six years; Unlimited Refrigeration or Residential HVAC: journeyman experience for two of the last four years); a year of experience is at least 1,500 hours in 12 consecutive months
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Alaska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Nonrefundable application fee (12 AAC 02.245).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Biennial license fee; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years (12 AAC 02.245).
- 3Other. Verification of licensure from every jurisdiction where the applicant holds or has held a mechanical administrator license, sent directly to the division; verification of the equivalent examination on form 08-4904a; official transcripts sent by the school if education is used to qualify.
- 4Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification to handle refrigerant; federal law requires it, but it is not a condition of this state license (if applicable).
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. For renewal: one eight-hour Uniform Mechanical Code workshop (or approved equivalent) per HVAC-related category each biennium (12 AAC 39.410); renewal fee $200.
Published fees on this path total $350, 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.
- Other · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Alaska licenses master HVAC technicians
Alaska master HVAC technician · “Mechanical Administrator”
Statewide license
Alaska has no master HVAC license; its highest person-held HVAC credential is the Mechanical Administrator license issued under AS 08.40.210-08.40.490 by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL), which is treated here as the master level. It is a supervisory license: a person may not act as a mechanical administrator without it, every registered mechanical contractor must hold or employ one, and the administrator is responsible for all mechanical work done under the contractor's license (AS 08.40.260, 08.40.280; 12 AAC 39.902). The license is issued in categories; the HVAC-related ones are Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal (UHVCS), Residential HVAC (RHVC), Unlimited Refrigeration (UR), Heating, Cooling and Process Piping (HCPP) and Mechanical Systems Temperature Control (CNTL), with plumbing categories (UCIP, RPHH) alongside. Qualification is by experience (for example four of the last six years as a journeyman or field superintendent in HVAC and sheet metal work for UHVCS, or two of the last four years as a journeyman for UR and RHVC, where a year means at least 1,500 hours) plus a PSI-administered examination passed at 70% within the prior 12 months, or by credentials for administrators licensed in another state. Fees are $150 to apply plus $200 for the license ($350); the license is biennial, expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years, and renews for $200 with an eight-hour Uniform Mechanical Code workshop per category. The administrator license does not by itself let the holder install fuel gas piping (that needs a DOLWD Plumber Gas certificate) or original control wiring (that needs an Electrical Administrator), and anyone handling refrigerants needs federal EPA Section 608 certification.
Why Illinois has nothing to transfer
Illinois master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Illinois does not issue a statewide master HVAC or mechanical contractor license and has no state mechanical board; the master-level credential exists only at the municipal level under names that vary by city. Springfield issues a Mechanical License to individuals who document 5 years (residential) or 7 years (commercial) of practical mechanical experience and pass the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (G29); Peoria licenses HVAC contractors on an ICC contractor certificate from the 2018 code cycle or newer ($150 a year); Aurora and Elgin accept the ICC Master Mechanical certification or, in Elgin, a license from any Illinois city that gives a written exam; unincorporated Cook County registers HVAC contractors for a fee with $1,000,000 in liability insurance; and Chicago has no mechanical license at all, requiring a general contractor license to pull permits. None of these jurisdictions publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for another state's master HVAC license; Springfield's only grandfather clause is limited to licenses issued before October 2007. A master HVAC contractor arriving from another state should expect to pass the ICC Master Mechanical exam once and then license or register separately in each municipality where they will work. EPA Section 608 certification applies to anyone handling refrigerants.
How local licensing works in Illinois
How local licensing works. Illinois has no state HVAC license. Each municipality licenses or registers mechanical contractors under its own ordinance; the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (G29, formerly W29; residential W32) is the common denominator among testing cities.
Chicago. No HVAC or mechanical contractor license. Contractors obtain a General Contractor license from the Department of Buildings in Class A (unlimited project value, $3,500), B ($1,800), C ($1,300), D ($900) or E (projects up to $500,000, $300), each valid one year, with commercial general liability insurance from $1 million per occurrence (Class E) to $5 million (Class A) and a financial solvency statement, administered through Continental Testing Services; no trade exam.
Springfield. The Building and Zoning Department issues a person-held Mechanical License: Residential requires 5 years of practical experience in all types of mechanical work approved by the Mechanical Commission and proof of passing the ICC Master Mechanical Exam G29; Commercial requires 7 years and the same exam. Mechanical contractors also register with the city. A contractor licensed in another Illinois or out-of-state municipality with reciprocal testing may substitute that test only if the license was issued before 10/7/2007 (10/10/2007 in the earlier memo) and never lapsed; all others pass the ICC exam. Passing the exam does not itself guarantee a license.
Peoria. HVAC contractors must be licensed or registered ($150 non-refundable, calendar year) with an ICC contractor test certificate from the 2018 or newer code cycle; holders of current Normal or Pekin licenses register without retesting. Only the licensed contractor may pull permits and must attend inspections.
Aurora. Accepts a current ICC Master Mechanical certification (N29) in lieu of municipal testing; requires a certificate of insurance naming the City of Aurora as primary and non-contributory additional insured; registration through Development Services.
Elgin. Requires a mechanical contractor's license from any Illinois city that gives a written examination, or proof of passing the ICC Master Mechanical G29 exam, plus a $20,000 license and permit bond; the license is not required when an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer seals the plans and accepts responsibility.
Unincorporated Cook County. HVAC contractors register as 'all other trades' with the Department of Building and Zoning: $150 initial and $75 annual per trade, $1,000,000 general liability insurance naming the department; no exam.
Not verified. Naperville's contractor registration page was blocked when opened for this entry; Rockford publishes only electrical registration rules.
Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publishes reciprocity or endorsement for another state's master HVAC or mechanical license. The practical route is to pass the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (accepted by Springfield, Peoria, Aurora and Elgin), then license or register in each municipality where work will be performed, and obtain a Chicago general contractor license for work in Chicago.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alaska master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Alaska master HVAC technician license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $350, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Alaska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Alaska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Alaska to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Alaska to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Alaska CBPL - Construction Contractors (Mechanical Contractors) · AS 08.18 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Alaska CBPL - Mechanical Administrators: License Applications and Forms · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Form 08-4904 - Mechanical Administrator License by Credentials Application (new 08/30/2024) · 12 AAC 39.022; 12 AAC 02.245 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- Form 08-4903 - Mechanical Administrator License by Examination Application (new 08/30/2024) · 12 AAC 39.012; 12 AAC 02.245 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Alaska CBPL - Mechanical Administrators program page · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- Form 08-4296 - Mechanical Administrator License Renewal, January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2027 (rev. 10/23/2025) · 12 AAC 39.027; 12 AAC 39.410 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Statutes and Regulations - Mechanical Administrators (AS 08.40.210-08.40.490 and 12 AAC 39), April 2023 · AS 08.40.260, AS 08.40.270, AS 08.40.280, AS 08.40.290; 12 AAC 39.012, 12 AAC 39.022, 12 AAC 39.025, 12 AAC 39.027, 12 AAC 39.033, 12 AAC 39.202, 12 AAC 39.212, 12 AAC 39.302, 12 AAC 39.312, 12 AAC 39.410, 12 AAC 39.950, 12 AAC 39.992 · Alaska DCCED - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- PSI Services - State of Alaska Mechanical Administrators Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 8/20/2026) · PSI Services LLC for the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.