Louisiana to Massachusetts: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Louisiana does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Refrigeration Contractor by examination with out-of-state license credit (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master HVAC technician or HVAC/refrigeration contractor licensed in any other state applies to OPSI for the Refrigeration Contractor examination online through the My License portal or by mail. The Massachusetts prerequisites are 2,000 hours held and used under a Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician license plus 100 hours of post-apprenticeship refrigeration training at an approved school; the application form lets the applicant instead certify 'I held and used a refrigeration license in another jurisdiction for not less than 2000 hours' and that the 100 hours of additional training were taken at an institution in another jurisdiction, with employer and school documentation, and states that such an application may be forwarded to the Bureau, which may allow the candidate to sit for the examination. Under 528 CMR 11.07(1) the Bureau decides whether the out-of-state license and its underlying experience and education are substantially equivalent and may grant partial credit or deny the petition. The applicant also submits proof of age (18+) and a 2x2 photo with the $150 non-refundable fee, is notified about four to eight weeks after receipt, and must pass the contractor exam at 70% (a failing candidate reapplies). The exam is not waived for any state because the Bureau has no reciprocity agreement; the license renews for $75.
528 CMR 11.03 states the master prerequisite as 2,000 hours 'as a Massachusetts Journeyman Refrigeration Technician', while the Bureau's own contractor application accepts 2,000 hours under a refrigeration license from another jurisdiction if the Bureau agrees; the form governs in practice but the outcome is at the Bureau's discretion. The Bureau's published materials do not say whether it may instead require the applicant to obtain the Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician license first. No separate business or law examination is published for this license. The contractor how-to page and form list only the $150 application fee; no separate exam fee or initial license fee is published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Louisiana license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.2,000 hours held and used under a refrigeration technician-level license, documented by the employer; out-of-state hours are subject to the Bureau's substantial-equivalence review (528 CMR 11.07).
- 100 hours of additional (post-apprenticeship) refrigeration training from an approved school, or an equivalent course at an institution in another jurisdiction, documented by the school
- At least 18 years of age; Bureau approval to sit for the examination on out-of-state credentials
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Non-refundable Refrigeration Contractor application fee, payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Valor Act reductions for military).
- 2Other. Employer documentation of the 2,000 hours, school documentation of the 100-hour training, proof of age and a 2x2 passport-style photo (or RMV photo release).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Refrigeration Contractor (Master Refrigeration Technician) examination administered by OPSI; 70% or better required; a failing candidate must reapply.
- 4Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Universal) to handle refrigerants; required of every Massachusetts refrigeration technician under 528 CMR 11.03 and federal law; does not expire.
Published fees on this path total $150, 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
- Other
How Massachusetts licenses master HVAC technicians
Massachusetts master HVAC technician · “Refrigeration Contractor (Master Refrigeration Technician)”
Statewide license
Massachusetts' highest personal HVAC-type credential is the Refrigeration Contractor license, which M.G.L. c. 146, § 81 calls the 'master refrigeration technician' and 528 CMR 11.03 the 'Master Refrigeration Technician/Contractor'. It is issued by the Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters (OPSI) to an individual who has held and used a Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician license for at least 2,000 hours and completed 100 hours of additional Bureau-approved refrigeration training; it allows the holder to establish a refrigeration business and employ licensed technicians and apprentices, and the license number must appear on vehicles and invoices. The applicant pays a $150 non-refundable application fee and must pass the OPSI contractor exam at 70%; the license renews for $75. There is no general HVAC or mechanical contractor license in Massachusetts; hydronic heating contractors hold a Master Pipefitter license and oil-burner firms are certified by the Department of Fire Services. The contractor application lets an out-of-state applicant substitute 2,000 hours under a refrigeration license held in another jurisdiction and 100 hours of training taken elsewhere, subject to the Bureau agreeing to let the candidate sit the exam; the exam itself is never waived because the Bureau has no reciprocity agreements.
Why Louisiana has nothing to transfer
Louisiana master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Louisiana does not issue a statewide master HVAC or master mechanic license. The state-level credential for HVAC work is the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) commercial license in the Mechanical classification (major classification 6, or subclassification 6.1 Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work and Refrigeration), mandatory for any mechanical project of $10,000 or more; it is a contractor license issued to the business (or a sole proprietor) and qualified by a natural person, the qualifying party, who passed the trade exam through PSI, so it is treated here as a business license rather than a person-held master credential. Master mechanic licenses exist only at the local level: New Orleans issues a Class 'A' Master Mechanical Contractor License ($110 per year) to an applicant who passed the ICC G29 Master Mechanical exam directly or through LSLBC state testing, carries $500,000 of general liability insurance, and is the only Class 'A' holder for the company; Jefferson Parish issues a $200 parish trade contractor license built on the state license. For the state contractor license the LSLBC waives the trade exam for any applicant who passed a comparable classification exam in any other state without waivers, exemptions or grandfathering, with no partner-state list since October 23, 2024, but the Business and Law course/exam, the financial statement and the other licensing requirements are never waived. No parish or city page reviewed publishes reciprocity for out-of-state master licenses. Federal EPA Section 608 certification applies to anyone who handles refrigerants.
How local licensing works in Louisiana
State contractor license (not a master license). Under La. R.S. 37:2150.1(16) a mechanical contractor is anyone contracting for air conditioning, refrigeration, heating, plumbing, ventilation, boiler or piping work of $10,000 or more, and the LSLBC issues the commercial license to that person or business with a Mechanical classification (or the 6.1 Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work and Refrigeration subclassification) qualified by a designated qualifying party. Applicants file the online application with a financial statement (required of all applicants), Secretary of State registration for any business entity including out-of-state companies, the online Business and Law course/exam, and the PSI trade exam for the classification (PSI has administered all LSLBC trade exams since August 5, 2025); statutory fee caps are $50 per examination, $100 license and $100 renewal, plus a surcharge of up to $400 that the board may assess on a contractor not domiciled in Louisiana. Reciprocity for the state license: R.S. 37:2153(F)(5) directs the board to waive the trade portion of the exam for an applicant licensed in a comparable classification in another state on written certification that the applicant passed that classification's exam and is in good standing, and the Executive Director's October 23, 2024 letter extends this to any state: a classification exam passed in any other state 'with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering in effect' is accepted for the equivalent Louisiana classification, and all previous state-to-state agreements were declared null and void. The applicant has the origin board complete the Reciprocity Request form (license status, disciplinary history, and the name, exam developer, date and score of each person who passed the trade exam) and uploads it with the application; the exam/administrative fee is still charged, and the business law requirement 'shall not be waived'. Once licensed, R.S. 37:2156.1(I) exempts the contractor and its employees from any parish or city examination or certification.
New Orleans. The Class 'A' Master Mechanical Contractor License covers air conditioning and refrigeration (and, separately, gasfitters): the applicant submits a passing ICC Official Results Report for exam G29 Master Mechanical, obtained from ICC directly or through state testing with the LSLBC, plus certificates of general liability insurance of at least $500,000 and workers' compensation naming the City as certificate holder, a photo and ID; the license costs $110 per year active or $25 inactive, with a $10 per month delinquent fee, renews from 90 days before the holder's birthday, and only one Class 'A' holder is allowed per company. The city page states no experience requirement and no reciprocity.
Jefferson Parish. A parish trade contractor license ($200 new) is issued to a license holder/qualifying party for mechanical work and lists the state license, occupational license, sales tax registration, liability insurance and workers' compensation on its checklist; air conditioning and heating equipment may be installed or replaced only under a filing by a parish-licensed mechanical contractor.
Shreveport. Requires city contractor registration for anyone performing HVAC work and the state license for work over $10,000; master testing is referred to the ICC or the LSLBC.
Baton Rouge and Lafayette. No official page describing a master mechanic license was located for East Baton Rouge Parish or Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Out-of-state holders. A master HVAC contractor from another state who wants to contract in Louisiana applies for the LSLBC commercial license with the Mechanical classification and, if the origin license was earned by a trade exam, requests the trade-exam waiver by reciprocity; the Business and Law course and financial statement are still required. City licenses such as New Orleans Class 'A' can then be obtained on the ICC G29 exam or LSLBC testing.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts master HVAC technician license from Louisiana?
- Published fees on this path total $150, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Louisiana work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to Louisiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Louisiana, 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, 2026
- 528 CMR 11.00 - Prerequisites for Examinations for Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters (Mass. Register #1534, 11/08/2024) · 528 CMR 11.03, 11.07 · Massachusetts Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinkler Fitters · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for an Oil Burner Technician or Apprentice Certificate (Department of Fire Services) · 527 CMR 1.00 · Massachusetts Department of Fire Services · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 81 - Definitions (pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, sprinkler fitters) · M.G.L. c. 146, § 81 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 85 - Applications for licenses; fees; expiration · M.G.L. c. 146, § 85 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 146, Section 86 - Classification and limitation of refrigeration licenses · M.G.L. c. 146, § 86 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for a Refrigeration Contractor License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for or Renew a Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technician or Sprinkler Fitters License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Massachusetts OPSI - Refrigeration Contractor Application (form) · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Renew your Pipefitter, Refrigeration Technician, or Sprinkler Fitter License · Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.