LicensebyState

Kansas to New Mexico: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

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

Kansas 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

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($36). Qualifying party application and work-experience affidavit fee paid to PSI.
  2. 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.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the MM-3 trade exam, first attempt or retake.
  4. 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.
  5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
  6. 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.
  7. 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).
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities.
  9. 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 MexicoLeaving New Mexico

Why Kansas has nothing to transfer

Kansas master HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

Kansas does not issue a master HVAC license; the master credential exists only at the county and city level under the framework in K.S.A. 12-1540 to 12-1544. State law requires a master heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanic certificate to rest on a journeyman certificate held for at least two years or four years of field experience, plus a 75% score on an ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard master mechanical exam, and makes a certificate earned on those exams valid proof of competency in every Kansas jurisdiction that licenses HVAC mechanics without additional examination. Sedgwick County/Wichita (MABCD) issues master mechanical certificates ($35) on ICC K9L/556 or the IAPMO master exam; Topeka licenses mechanical masters on the Standard Unlimited Air Conditioning Master exam; Lawrence certifies master mechanicals with four years of field experience or two as a journeyman ($20); Kansas City, Kansas requires mechanical masters to hold a master's license from Building Inspections; and Johnson County uses the ICC Standard Master Mechanical exam (556/KGL) to qualify the individual behind a Class DM mechanical contractor license ($100 application plus $225 license fee). None of these jurisdictions has a reciprocity agreement with another state (MABCD states it does not reciprocate with state testing), so an out-of-state master HVAC license transfers nothing except, in practice, a qualifying ICC, IAPMO or Prometric exam score that the applicant may already hold. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.

How local licensing works in Kansas

How local licensing works. K.S.A. 12-1540 defines a master heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanic as a person qualified to plan, lay out and supervise the installation and repair of mechanical HVAC systems, and K.S.A. 12-1542 lets a county or city issue a master certificate of competency only to someone who has held a journeyman certificate for two years or has four years of field experience and scores 75% on the ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard master exam (K.S.A. 12-1541). That certificate is valid proof of competency for licensure in any other licensing county or city without retesting; a license based on an alternative local exam is good only in the issuing jurisdiction (K.S.A. 12-1543). Each jurisdiction charges its own fee and requires 12 hours of continuing education biennially or 6 annually. Contracting is licensed separately by each jurisdiction and generally requires a master-level qualifying individual.

Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Mechanical master certificate ($35): must hold a mechanical journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a journeyman, or have four years of field experience, and score 75% on ICC K9L/556 Master Mechanical or the IAPMO master exam. MABCD 'does not reciprocate with state testing'. Contractors are licensed separately by MABCD.

Johnson County. Does not license individuals. The master-level credential is the qualifying individual of a Class DM (HVAC, mechanical and refrigeration) contractor license, who must present a verifiable ICC Standard Master Mechanical (556/KGL) score of 75% or higher; the contractor pays $100 application plus $225 per license type ($225 annual renewal, $75 late) and carries general liability and workers' compensation insurance.

Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government). Trade masters, including mechanical, must carry a master's license from Building Inspections, obtained through Prometric master testing; experience rules and fees for mechanical are not published on the page.

Topeka. Mechanical masters must meet the K.S.A. 12-1542 requirements and show a 75% score on the Standard Unlimited Air Conditioning Master exam from Block, NIA-Block, Experior, Thomson-Prometric or Prometric, with a notarized time-in-trade form and a $50 trade board review fee; six hours of continuing education a year (three in the trade), licenses expire December 14. TMC 5.63.080 lets the city register holders of trade licenses from other jurisdictions with equivalent requirements. A master must be the designated master for a licensed contractor to pull permits.

Lawrence. Master Mechanical license ($20) after certification: four years of practical field experience or two years as a journeyman (an engineering degree substitutes for 2.5 years and a vocational-technical program for one year), $50 exam application fee, 75% passing score, six hours of continuing education a year; a master may become a mechanical contractor under Chapter V, Article 15.

Out-of-state holders. No Kansas jurisdiction publishes reciprocity for another state's master HVAC license. The practical route is to present or earn a passing ICC, IAPMO or Prometric master mechanical score (Standard Master Mechanical 556/KGL is accepted by Johnson County and MABCD), document the required experience, and apply in each jurisdiction, then obtain the local contractor license if the master will pull permits.

Moving to KansasLeaving Kansas

Common questions

Do I have to take the New Mexico master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Kansas?
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 Kansas?
Published fees on this path total $273.76, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Kansas 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 Kansas?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to Kansas, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Report an error on this page

Related