Do I have to take the New Mexico master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?

Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.

What does it cost to get a New Mexico master HVAC technician license from Indiana?

Published fees on this path total $273.76, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Indiana work hours count in New Mexico?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to Indiana?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to Indiana, the mechanism is not applicable.

Indiana to New Mexico: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Indiana does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Mexico'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.

Out-of-state master HVAC or mechanical contractor (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An out-of-state master HVAC technician or mechanical contractor receives no exam waiver in New Mexico. The applicant files the qualifying party application with PSI ($36) and a notarized work-experience affidavit showing four years of experience in the MM-3 classification within the past ten years (out-of-state experience is accepted), then must pass the 100-question MM-3 trade exam ($68.88, 75% to pass) and the Contractor's Business and Law exam ($68.88) or complete a commission-approved business and law course in its place. Once the certificate of qualification is issued, the individual or business applies for the MM-3 contractor's license ($30 application; $50 per year or $100 for the two-year term, or $100 per year for MM-98) and must carry workers' compensation coverage. Anyone who personally services refrigerant-containing equipment also needs federal EPA Section 608 certification, which CID requires of JR journeymen.

CID's pages describe no substantial-equivalence or endorsement review for contractors from any state; the statutory reciprocity authority in NMSA 60-13-14(C) has not been exercised for mechanical classifications as far as any official page shows. A qualifying party may also obtain the parallel JR journeyman certificate without new work-verification forms.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

Four years of practical or related trade experience in the MM-3 classification within the ten years immediately before application (NMSA 60-13-14(B)(8); 14.6.6.10 NMAC)

What you'll do to get licensed in New Mexico

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($36). Qualifying party application and work-experience affidavit fee paid to PSI.
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. MM-3 Heat, Vent and Air Conditioning exam administered by PSI: 100 questions, 245 minutes, open book, 75% to pass.
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the MM-3 trade exam, first attempt or retake.
4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Contractor's Business and Law exam (required of all new candidates) or a commission-approved business and law course.
5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license ($30). MM-3 contractor's license application fee, non-refundable (14.5.5.8 NMAC); the RLD page lists the company license application at $36.
7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). MM-3 contractor's license fee, $50 per year or $100 for the two-year term; MM-98 is $100 per year or $200 for two years (14.5.5.8 NMAC).
8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities.
9Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire; required of anyone who personally services refrigerant circuits.

Published fees on this path total $273.76, 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 · $68.88
Law / code exam
Exam fee · $68.88
Other

Liability insurance

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

Insurance

How New Mexico licenses master HVAC technicians

New Mexico master HVAC technician · “MM-3 HVAC Contractor (qualifying party certificate of qualification)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by New Mexico Construction Industries Division (Regulation and Licensing Department), Mechanical Bureau; applications and exams through PSI

New Mexico has no 'master HVAC' license. Its highest heating and cooling credential is the MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning contractor classification (install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air-handling and refrigeration equipment, piping and ductwork, with controls at 24 volts or less); the broader MM-98 Mechanical classification covers MM-3 plus plumbing, gas fitting and process piping. CID issues the contractor's license to the contracting entity and a personal, non-transferable certificate of qualification to the qualifying party, the individual who passed the MM-3 trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam, so this site maps the MM-3 qualifying party to the master level. A qualifying party needs four years of experience in the classification within the ten years before application. Even with an MM-3 license the hands-on work must still be done by or under a certified JR or JSM journeyman. CID publishes reciprocity only for EE-98J electrical journeymen; no reciprocity or exam waiver is published for mechanical qualifying parties or contractors, although NMSA 60-13-14(C) allows the division to enter into reciprocal agreements with states having equivalent requirements.

Moving to New Mexico Leaving New Mexico

Why Indiana has nothing to transfer

Indiana master HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 14 sources

Indiana has no statewide master HVAC, mechanical contractor or HVAC contractor license and no state HVAC board; the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's list of regulated professions contains no heating, air conditioning or refrigeration trade, and Indianapolis's exam information states that licensing is at the discretion of each municipality. The master-level credential exists only locally and under varying names: Indianapolis/Marion County licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors (Air Conditioning A, B, D, Refrigeration and High Pressure Steam) whose craft license holder passed the Prov exam, Allen County (Fort Wayne) issues an HVAC Supervisors License (Air Conditioning A or B, Sheet Metal C), Evansville licenses Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers and Master Refrigeration Installers by local examination, South Bend registers HVAC contractors on proof of a passing ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam, and Terre Haute issues a Mechanical license to contractors employing a NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior or Indianapolis-certified person. An out-of-state master HVAC or mechanical contractor license carries no state-level recognition in Indiana. Indianapolis is the only jurisdiction with a published reciprocity procedure, and it turns on the exam rather than the state: a license earned on a Prometric/Experior or Prov exam with a 70% score, certified by the issuing agency, can be accepted by the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners. Elsewhere a master must apply in each city or county where they will pull permits, which in practice means holding an ICC or Prov national exam score or passing the local exam, then meeting that jurisdiction's bond and insurance rules. EPA Section 608 certification is required for refrigerant work in every jurisdiction.

How local licensing works in Indiana

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state HVAC or mechanical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license HVAC contractors and master-level installers, and there is no statewide portability rule. Prov (Indianapolis) and ICC/Prometric (South Bend, Terre Haute) national exams are the most portable credentials inside the state.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors in five types: Air Conditioning A (unrestricted), Air Conditioning B (25 tons cooling / 500,000 BTU heating, boilers to 15 psig steam), Air Conditioning D (5 tons / 300,000 BTU), Refrigeration, and High Pressure Steam. A craft license holder submits an exam packet ten business days before the monthly Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners meeting: application, resume, employer letters verifying five years of HVACR experience (education may substitute in part), three industry reference letters, EPA certification card, driver's license; after a board interview the applicant sits the Prov exam and needs 70%. The business then files a $5,000 surety bond (obligee the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, expiring 12/31/2027), a $500,000/$100,000 (or $500,000 combined) liability certificate naming the City-County as additional insured, and workers' compensation proof. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (Jan-Jun) or $283 (Jul-Dec), new business license $247 or $185 (none for sole proprietors), renewals $247 each; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years. Reciprocity: the board may accept a comparable license from any municipality or government agency if the issuing agency certifies directly to the Department that the license is current and unsuspended, the license was issued on a standardized Prometric (formerly Thomson Prometric / Experior / Block) or Prov exam passed with at least 70%, and the vendor verifies the exam is equivalent to the Indianapolis exam; the applicant still documents five years of experience, three references and EPA certification, appears before the board, and then licenses with bond, insurance and fees.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's HVAC Supervisors License (Air Conditioning A without BTU limit, Air Conditioning B up to 500,000 BTU heating and 25 tons cooling, or Sheet Metal C) requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman in the same line of work (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; hydronic and low-temperature refrigeration work is reserved to Non-Sanitary Piping licensees. The supervisor qualifies an HVAC Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers (forced-air heating, air conditioning up to five tons with field piping or fifteen tons packaged, ventilation, ductwork and sheet metal; boilers and steam or hot-water systems require the Master Steam Fitter license) and Master Refrigeration Installers. Applicants prove four years of experience with three notarized letters on letterhead (EMC 5.70.060), are approved to test by the Board of Examiners of HVAC, Steam Fitters, and Refrigeration Installers, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% on each part of the master mechanical, sheet metal, ventilation or refrigeration exam, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and the $25,000 surety bond required by EMC 5.70.070; renewal is $125 ($225 for two years) with board-set continuing education. The ordinance notes the master HVAC license does not permit air conditioning work without EPA certification.

South Bend. The Building Department registers HVAC contractors (including refrigeration and hood installers) after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, journeyman and contractor experience (education may substitute for part of four years), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (F29-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department's Mechanical license is issued to a contractor that employs at least one full-time employee certified by NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior Assessment, the City of Indianapolis HVAC Air Conditioning Class A, or an equivalent, with a $10,000 bond ($25,000 for right-of-way work), $500,000 general liability ($1,000,000 for right-of-way work) and workers' compensation or a WCE-1 exemption; $350 original registration, $175 annual renewal.

Out-of-state holders. Only Indianapolis publishes a reciprocity procedure, and it accepts a license from any jurisdiction (municipal or state) that was earned on an equivalent Prometric/Experior or Prov exam, subject to board approval. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept national exam scores and industry certifications regardless of where they were earned; Evansville requires its own examination. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.

Moving to Indiana Leaving Indiana

Common questions

Do I have to take the New Mexico master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?: Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a New Mexico master HVAC technician license from Indiana?: Published fees on this path total $273.76, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Indiana work hours count in New Mexico?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to Indiana?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to Indiana, the mechanism is not applicable.

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.
Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 (as of July 1, 2021) · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-14, 60-13-38 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. 60-13-14(B)(8): a license applicant must have had four years, within the ten years before application, of practical or related trade experience in the type of construction applied for. 60-13-14(C): 'The division, with the consent of the commission, may enter into a reciprocal licensing agreement with any state having equivalent licensing requirements.' 60-13-38: no person may work as a journeyman without a certificate of competence; categories include journeyman sheet metal worker and journeyman pipe fitter; applicants take an examination on rules and technical knowledge; eligibility requires two years' experience in the trade or the equivalent, or an approved vocational course.
14.5.5 NMAC - Fees (Construction Industries Division) · 14.5.5.8 and 14.5.5.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Non-refundable contractor's license application fee $30.00; license fee $100.00 per year or $200.00 for two years for the GA-98, GB-2, GB-98, GF-98, EE-98 and MM-98 classifications and $50.00 per year or $100.00 for two years for all other classifications (including MM-3). Journeyman certificate renewal fee $25.00 per year (14.5.5.9).
14.6.6 NMAC - Classification and Scope of Licenses and Certificates (mechanical and plumbing) · 14.6.6.10 and 14.6.6.11 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning: four years of experience; scope is to 'install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air handling and refrigeration equipment and piping, including fans, coils, condensing units, self-contained packaged air conditioning or heating units, evaporative cooling units, and ductwork' plus controls at 24 volts or less. MM-98 Mechanical (four years) covers MM-1 through MM-4 and the MS-3, MS-6, MS-12 and MS-14 specialties. Journeyman classifications: JR Journeyman Refrigeration (two years; 'must demonstrate compliance with environmental protection agency (EPA) recovery requirements before certificate may be issued'; works under MM-3, MM-4, MM-98 or JSM) and JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal (two years; works under MM-3 or MM-98).
State of New Mexico Contractor (Qualifying Party) Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. Business and Law exam 'REQUIRED OF ALL NEW CANDIDATES' $68.88, or an approved Business and Law course may be taken instead; trade exams for MM-1, MM-2, MM-3, MM-4 and the MS specialties are $68.88 each, first time or retake. MM-3 Heat, Vent and Air Conditioning exam: 100 questions, 245 minutes, 75% (75 points) to pass, open book on the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; content covers motors/controls, piping, heating and cooling equipment, refrigerants and refrigeration, and ductwork/ventilation. No reciprocity or out-of-state exam waiver is described.
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 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. States that mechanical work must be performed by or under the supervision of a certified journeyman even when a contractor's license is held. Experience table: JR Journeyman refrigeration and JSM Journeyman sheet metal require two years (4,000 hours); experience must have been gained while employed by a contractor licensed in the trade or be 'legal work in the state in which the work was performed'. Application fee $75.00 per classification, paid to PSI; notarized application and work experience affidavits; certificate active three years. Question 3(c) limits the reciprocity program to 'Electrical Journeyman (EE98J ONLY)'; question 3(p): a Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) applicant 'must attach proof of your EPA certification for refrigerant recovery'. Reciprocity applicants must have held the license at least one year in the state where they tested.
NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Section 'Reciprocal Journeyman in New Mexico': 'The only journeyman classification reciprocated in New Mexico is EE-98J, residential and commercial electrical'; no mechanical or refrigeration journeyman classification is reciprocated. Section 'Becoming a Qualifying Party': QP applicants need the required years of experience within the 10 years before application, must pass the classification exam(s) and a Contractor's Business and Law exam, must be pre-approved to schedule exams, and pay a $36 QP application and work-experience affidavit fee; the company license application fee is $36 plus license fees. No reciprocity is mentioned for qualifying parties or contractors.

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

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