LicensebyState

Louisiana to Wisconsin: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Louisiana does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Wisconsin'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 HVAC contractor or master (all states; no Wisconsin reciprocity)

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

Wisconsin has no reciprocity or endorsement path for HVAC credentials from any state; an applicant licensed elsewhere applies for the HVAC Qualifier certification exactly as a new candidate. Out-of-state experience counts: DSPS accepts at least 1,000 hours per year for four years of experience supervising or performing the design, installation, servicing or maintenance of HVAC systems without limiting it to Wisconsin, documented on the Trades Experience Form (Form 8168) that the applicant's witnesses sign off, or four years of HVAC-related education, or a combination. The applicant applies in the LicensE portal, pays the $15 application fee and exam fee, is made eligible to test, and must pass the open-book DSPS HVAC Qualifier exam (70% passing score, 4-hour seat time, $95 at Pearson VUE) before paying the $60 certification fee. Wisconsin has no separate law or business exam for the qualifier. A business that will contract for HVAC work must also hold the HVAC Contractor registration ($15 application plus $160 registration fee), which requires no exam.

SPS 305 Table 305.02 lists a $25 examination fee, while DSPS's Pearson VUE schedule lists $95 payable to Pearson VUE for the 4-hour HVAC Qualifier exam; DSPS's trades exam page says exams at Pearson centers carry a marginally higher fee than DSPS-administered sittings. Both figures are recorded. The qualifier certification runs four years under both SPS 305 Table 305.06 and DSPS's renewal schedule.

At a glance

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least 1,000 hours per year for at least 4 years of experience in supervising or performing the design, installation, servicing or maintenance of HVAC systems or equipment; four years of HVAC-related schooling, or a combination of experience and education, is accepted instead (SPS 305.71(3)).

What you'll do to get licensed in Wisconsin

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). HVAC Qualifier application fee (SPS 305 Table 305.02), paid in LicensE.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($25). HVAC Qualifier examination fee under SPS 305 Table 305.02 (DSPS-administered sitting).
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($95). Total candidate fee payable to Pearson VUE for the 4-hour computer-based HVAC Qualifier exam (DSPS trade exam fee schedule).
  4. 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin HVAC Qualifier examination (open book, 70% to pass, 4 hours; references limited to SPS 320-325/341/345, SMACNA, ASHRAE Fundamentals, NFPA 54, IBC, IECC, IMC, IFGC and IEBC with Wisconsin amendments).
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($60). HVAC Qualifier certification fee after passing the exam (SPS 305 Table 305.02); renewal $60 every 4 years.
  6. 6Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification to handle refrigerant; federal law requires it, but it is not a condition of this state license (if applicable).
  7. 7Business license. Obtain a business license ($175) (if applicable). HVAC Contractor registration for the business that contracts for HVAC work ($15 application fee plus $160 registration fee; renewal $160 every 4 years); no exam.

Published fees on this path total $195, 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.

  • Exam fee · $25
  • Exam fee · $95
  • Trade exam
  • Other · if applicable

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license · $175 · if applicable

How Wisconsin licenses master HVAC technicians

Wisconsin master HVAC technician · “HVAC Qualifier”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), Division of Industry Services

Wisconsin's highest person-held HVAC credential is the HVAC Qualifier certification issued by DSPS under Wis. Stat. 101.178(3) and SPS 305.71, which this file treats as the master level. It is issued to an individual who documents at least 1,000 hours per year for four years of experience supervising or performing the design, installation, servicing or maintenance of HVAC systems (or four years of HVAC-related schooling, or a combination) and passes the open-book DSPS exam (70% to pass, 4 hours, $95 at Pearson VUE); the credential is renewed every four years for $60 with no continuing education. Certification is voluntary: the mandatory credential is the business-level HVAC Contractor registration, but a business that employs a qualifier is a 'certified HVAC business' that no city or village may require to obtain a local certification, license or other approval. DSPS publishes no reciprocity agreements and no licensure-by-endorsement route for HVAC qualifiers; the experience requirement is not restricted to Wisconsin, so out-of-state work counts toward eligibility, but every applicant takes the Wisconsin exam. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is separately required to handle refrigerants.

Moving to WisconsinLeaving Wisconsin

Compare: getting a Wisconsin license from scratch

Why Louisiana has nothing to transfer

Louisiana master HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 16 sources

Issued by Parish and municipal building departments (no state master license); Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors licenses mechanical contractors only

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.

Moving to LouisianaLeaving Louisiana

Common questions

Do I have to take the Wisconsin master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes. Wisconsin requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Wisconsin master HVAC technician license from Louisiana?
Published fees on this path total $195, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Louisiana work hours count in Wisconsin?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Wisconsin's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Wisconsin to Louisiana?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Wisconsin to Louisiana, 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, 2026
  2. Wisconsin DSPS - HVAC Contractor: New Licensure · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.70 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - HVAC Qualifier: Licensure by Examination · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.71 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
  4. Wisconsin DSPS - HVAC Qualifier (profession page) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.71; Wis. Stat. 101.178(3) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
  5. Wisconsin DSPS - Credential Fees and Renewal Dates · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
  6. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Exam and Continuing Education Information (exam fee schedule) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
  7. Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Wis. Stat. 101.178 - Heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractors (registration and certification) · Wis. Stat. 101.178(2), (3) · Wisconsin State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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

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