Indiana to Texas: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Indiana does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Texas'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 or municipal contractor license without a reciprocity agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A contractor licensed in a state other than Georgia or South Carolina (or by a municipality) files the standard Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Application with the $115 fee, a copy of the current license, a list of the requirements met to obtain it and proof of its issue date and duration. TDLR reviews whether those requirements were substantially equivalent to Texas's and counts qualifying experience toward the 48-month requirement, but its out-of-state page warns that 'depending on the requirements of your current license, you may be required to complete some or all of the Texas requirements for licensure, including taking a licensing examination.' Applicants should therefore expect to take the PSI exam for the class and endorsement they want, and must file proof of Texas-compliant liability insurance after passing before the license issues.
TDLR does not publish which states it has found substantially equivalent or the criteria for waiving the exam; the FAQ says only that experience from states or municipalities with substantially equivalent requirements is accepted. Texas has no separate business or law exam for ACR contractors.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 45 days
What you must already have
- Your Indiana license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 48 months of qualifying work experience.48 months of practical ACR experience within the past 72 months under a licensed contractor (Occupations Code §1302.255 as applied by 16 TAC §75.20); out-of-state experience under a substantially equivalent license counts
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($115). Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license application fee (non-refundable, 16 TAC §75.80); renewal $65 per year.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. PSI contractor exam for the class and endorsement applied for (Environmental Air or Commercial Refrigeration, Class A or B; 70% to pass; 2024 IFGC/IMC/UMC from September 1, 2026) unless TDLR finds the origin license substantially equivalent.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($74). PSI exam fee per Class A exam ($60 per Class B exam), paid to PSI.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Commercial general liability insurance from a Texas-authorized insurer: Class A $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, $300,000 products/completed operations; Class B $100,000 / $200,000 / $100,000 (16 TAC §75.40).
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 8 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education each year for renewal.
- 6Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. Not listed on TDLR's contractor pages but required of anyone servicing refrigerant-containing equipment.
Published fees on this path total $189, 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 · $74
- Other
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Texas licenses master HVAC technicians
Texas master HVAC technician · “Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Class A or Class B)”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Texas's highest HVAC credential is the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license issued to an individual by TDLR, so it is mapped here to the master level. The license comes in Class A (units of any size) and Class B (cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 1.5 million Btu/h) with Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating endorsements. A new applicant must be 18, document 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor in the past 72 months (or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months of experience, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses and military training), pay a $115 application fee, pass the PSI exam for each class and endorsement ($74 Class A, $60 Class B, 70% to pass) within one year of filing, and file proof of commercial general liability insurance ($300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate for Class A; $100,000/$200,000 for Class B). The license is valid one year, renews for $65 and requires 8 hours of continuing education a year; a company must employ a licensed contractor at each permanent location. TDLR has reciprocity agreements with Georgia and South Carolina only; licensees from every other state or municipality apply under TDLR's substantial-equivalence review and may be required to take the Texas exam.
Why Indiana has nothing to transfer
Indiana master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Texas master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Texas master HVAC technician license from Indiana?
- Published fees on this path total $189, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Indiana work hours count in Texas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 45 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Texas to Indiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas 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.
- TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation / PSI Services · Other · verified September 15, 2026Linked from the TDLR exam page. Exam fees: Environmental Air Class A $74 (120 items, 230 minutes), Class B $60 (100 items, 170 minutes); Commercial Refrigeration Class A $74, Class B $60; Certified Technician $60 (60 items, 112 minutes); passing score 70%. Effective September 1, 2026 the exams reference the 2024 IFGC, 2024 IMC and 2024 UMC.
- 16 TAC §75.20 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: Application and Experience Requirements · 16 TAC §75.20 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026To obtain a contractor license an applicant must file the application, satisfy Occupations Code §1302.255 as of the filing date, pass the examination, pay the fees, submit proof of insurance after passing the exam, and complete everything within one year of filing; experience must be documented as prescribed by the department.
- 16 TAC §75.22 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: General · 16 TAC §75.22 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026License term is one year and non-transferable; endorsement codes E (Environmental Air Conditioning), R (Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating) and C (combined); a Class B holder may upgrade an endorsement by passing the Class A exam.
- 16 TAC §75.80 - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Fees · 16 TAC §75.80 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Read on the Cornell Legal Information Institute mirror because the Texas Secretary of State's texreg site has moved to a new portal that could not be opened. Contractor application $115, renewal $65, endorsement addition $25; registered technician application and renewal $20; certified technician application $50, renewal $35; all application fees non-refundable.
- TDLR - Apply for a New Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Eligibility: age 18; 48 months of practical experience under a licensed ACR contractor in the past 72 months, or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months in the past 48 months, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses, military training and industrial process work; experience documented on the Experience Verification Form by the supervisor; $115 application fee; exam must be passed within one year of filing; commercial general liability insurance (Class A $300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate/$300,000 products; Class B $100,000/$200,000/$100,000); Class A any size, Class B up to 25 tons cooling and 1.5 million Btu/h heating; endorsements Environmental Air, Commercial Refrigeration, Process Cooling or Heating.
- TDLR - Renew an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Renewal fee $65 (1.5x if expired 90 days or less, 2x if more than 90 days); 8 hours of approved continuing education each year; adding an endorsement or upgrading a class costs a $74 exam fee plus a $25 change fee.
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI after TDLR approves eligibility; separate Environmental Air A/B and Commercial Refrigeration A/B contractor exams and a Certified Technician exam; failed exams may be retaken until the application expires one year after filing. Links to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors FAQs · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Faq · verified September 15, 2026States that Texas reciprocates only with South Carolina and Georgia, that experience from states or municipalities with substantially equivalent licensing requirements is accepted, that anyone performing non-exempt air conditioning work must hold at least a technician registration, that 'there is no exam required' for technician registration ($20, one-page application, criminal background check), and that all work must be provided through a Texas-licensed ACR contractor holding the required liability insurance.
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Out of State Applicants · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Says Georgia and South Carolina have reciprocity agreements with Texas and that all other out-of-state or municipal licensees may apply with the standard contractor application, a $115 fee, a copy of the current license, a list of the requirements met to obtain it and its issue date; TDLR reviews whether the requirements were substantially equivalent and 'you may be required to complete some or all of the Texas requirements for licensure, including taking a licensing examination'. Also states the Class A/B definitions, endorsements and insurance minimums.
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program home page. Lists the three credentials (Contractor License, Technician Registration, Certified Technician) and states that a company must employ an ACR contractor at each permanent location. Links to the out-of-state and reciprocity pages.
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Licensing Reciprocity · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Texas has ACR reciprocal licensing agreements with South Carolina and Georgia only. The out-of-state license must have been held for at least one year. Georgia Class II Conditioned Air (unrestricted) maps to Texas Class A Environmental Air; South Carolina Air Conditioning & Heating maps to Class A Environmental Air and Commercial Refrigeration, Air Conditioning only to Class A Commercial Refrigeration and Class B Environmental Air, Mechanical Contractor Refrigeration to Class A Commercial Refrigeration, and AC & Heating (packaged equipment) to Class B Environmental Air; South Carolina heating-only licenses do not qualify. Applicants submit a letter of good standing showing they passed the origin state's exam, the contractor application, a copy of the license, proof of insurance and the $115 fee; the license is valid one year. Notes that an exam may still be needed for a class or endorsement outside the mapped equivalency.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.