Kentucky to New Mexico: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
New Mexico has no reciprocity agreement with Kentucky. Your Kentucky experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the New Mexico exam.
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)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
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
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Mexico master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
- 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 Kentucky?
- Published fees on this path total $273.76, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kentucky work hours count in New Mexico?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
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.