LicensebyState

Minnesota to District of Columbia: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

Minnesota does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is District of Columbia'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 or HVAC contractor-level licensee (any state)

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

The Board of Industrial Trades publishes no reciprocity for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, so a master-level HVAC licensee from any state applies through the DLCP online portal as a new applicant: passport-style photo, government ID, the $65 application fee, tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic documenting 5 consecutive years of experience on systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower (or smaller systems for the limited license), and a CFC Universal certification, followed by the open-book master exam scheduled with PSI and the $110 license fee. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b) directs boards to waive the exam for an applicant licensed in good standing in a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits DC licensees in a like manner, and § 47-2853.08(2) lets the Board find another state's standards substantially equivalent and license by reciprocity or endorsement; an applicant may ask the Board to apply those provisions, but the Board's pages describe no such process for this trade. The national-certification substitute in § 47-2853.202(d) is written for the journeyman designation only. No District-law exam is published for master mechanics. A master who will serve as the designated master for a contractor company must post a $5,000 bond.

The Board's fee page refers exam fees to '§ 3500.3' without stating an amount; the PSI fee for the DC master refrigeration exam could not be confirmed from an official page. Whether experience verified by an out-of-state master mechanic satisfies § 47-2853.202(b), and which states the Board has listed as equivalent under § 47-2853.12(d), were not confirmed from an official page.

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 5 years of qualifying work experience.Five consecutive years immediately preceding the application installing, maintaining, repairing and replacing refrigeration and air conditioning systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower (or under 25 hp for the master limited license), verified in writing by a master mechanic (D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(b)-(c)).

What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable), paid online with the DLCP application.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. DC Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic examination (regular or limited) administered by PSI, open book on the 2012 International Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; schedule at psiexams.com after Board pre-approval.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, amount set by 17 DCMR § 3500.3 (not stated on the Board page).
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($110). Mechanic license fee for a term ending September 30 of the next even-numbered year (renewal $155).
  5. 5Other. Tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic detailing 5 consecutive years of experience, uploaded with the online application.
  6. 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000) (if applicable). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning bond of $5,000 required only if the master is designated to a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractor company (the company posts a separate $5,000 bond).
  7. 7Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. DLCP requires a 'CFC Universal Certification' card with the master application and D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(c) requires proof of chlorofluorocarbon certification for the master mechanic limited license.

Published fees on this path total $175, 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
  • Other

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $5,000 · if applicable

How District of Columbia licenses master HVAC technicians

District of Columbia master HVAC technician · “Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)

The District's highest person-held HVAC credential is the Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic license issued by the Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP); a Master Mechanic Limited license covers systems of 25 compressor horsepower and below. A Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractor license is a separate business credential that must name a designated DC-licensed master mechanic, and a master designated to a contractor must post a $5,000 bond (the company posts another $5,000). Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(b) a master applicant must show 5 consecutive years immediately before applying installing, maintaining, repairing and replacing refrigeration and air conditioning systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower, verified in writing by a master mechanic (the limited license requires 5 years on smaller systems plus chlorofluorocarbon certification); DLCP also requires tax records and a CFC Universal certification, and the applicant passes the PSI-administered open-book master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 mechanic license fee; licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years and renew for $155. The Board publishes no reciprocity for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.

Moving to District of ColumbiaLeaving District of Columbia

Why Minnesota has nothing to transfer

Minnesota master HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 15 sources

Minnesota issues no master HVAC, master refrigeration or HVAC contractor license. The only statewide requirement is the $25,000 mechanical contractor bond that a business files with the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) under Minn. Stat. 326B.197 ($100 filing fee, valid two years) before contracting for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning or refrigeration work; DLI states that there is no state license for mechanical contractors or their employees and that cities may require licensure or a competency card. The master-level credential therefore exists only at the city level: Minneapolis issues Master Warm Air Ventilation and Master Refrigeration Certificates of Competency (four years of experience and education plus an ICC exam) and requires a master card holder behind each HVAC Class A or Refrigeration Systems Installer contractor license; Saint Paul issues Master Warm Air, Ventilation and Refrigeration competency cards and requires one for each Warm Air/Ventilation business trade license; Rochester licenses individual HVAC Master Installers after a city certificate of competency; Bloomington licenses mechanical contractors on a Minneapolis or Saint Paul card or its own test. An out-of-state master HVAC or mechanical contractor license has no state-level recognition and none of these cities publish a path that accepts it; Minneapolis and Saint Paul recognize each other's master cards. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is separately required of anyone handling refrigerants.

How local licensing works in Minnesota

How local licensing works. Minnesota has no state mechanical or HVAC license and no state HVAC board. Under Minn. Stat. 326B.197 a business contracting for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning or refrigeration work files a $25,000 bond with DLI ($100 biennial filing fee); the bond is 'in lieu of all other bonds to any political subdivision' but does not replace city licenses, and DLI tells contractors they 'must comply with local licensing requirements'. Whether an individual must hold a master-level card depends on the city.

Minneapolis. Contractor licenses (HVAC Class A for installing, repairing or cleaning HVAC systems, HVAC Class B for cleaning only, Refrigeration Systems Installer, Gas Fitter) are issued by Business Licenses and Consumer Services and require the State of Minnesota $25,000 bond; the responsible person holds a Master Certificate of Competency under Minneapolis Code Chapter 278. Master Warm Air Ventilation and Master Refrigeration cards require four years (1,600 hours per year) of on-the-job experience and four years (576 hours) of trade-related education, eligibility approval by the Building Official (no fee), the ICC exam at Pearson VUE (80 questions, 75% to pass, $115; the refrigeration master exam is open book with a 3-hour limit) and a $30 card fee per trade. A Saint Paul card is accepted by reciprocity for $30 per trade. The city's contractor license fee is published on a fee page that could not be opened during verification.

Saint Paul. A Warm Air or Ventilation Business Trade License ($188 per year, expiring December 1) requires a current Saint Paul Master Warm Air and/or Ventilation Certificate of Competency or a current Minneapolis master card, the $25,000 DLI mechanical bond, a $500,000 certificate of insurance naming the city and workers' compensation proof; Refrigeration, Gas Burner, Oil Burner and Steam Fitting licenses follow the same pattern. Master competency exams for Warm Air/Ventilation are given in January and July; reciprocal master cards are issued on a current Minneapolis card for $24 per trade.

Rochester. An HVAC Contractor license ($125 per year) requires a full-time licensed HVAC Master Installer; the Master Installer license ($60 per year) is issued to the individual after a City of Rochester certificate of competency ($25 per area of competency).

Bloomington. Mechanical contractor licenses (HVAC, gas installer, hot water/steam, oil burner, refrigeration) require a Minneapolis or Saint Paul Certificate of Competency or passing Bloomington's $35 open-book mechanical test on the 2020 Minnesota Mechanical and Fuel Gas Code, plus the DLI bond and a Minnesota tax ID.

Duluth. No city mechanical license; permits are issued to DLI-bonded mechanical contractors.

Out-of-state holders. No Minnesota city reviewed here publishes reciprocity or endorsement for another state's master HVAC or mechanical contractor license. A master arriving from another state can contract statewide by filing the DLI bond, and in Minneapolis, Saint Paul or Rochester must additionally document four years of experience and education and pass that city's master exam (a Minneapolis card then reciprocates to Saint Paul and is accepted in Bloomington).

Moving to MinnesotaLeaving Minnesota

Common questions

Do I have to take the District of Columbia master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Minnesota?
Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a District of Columbia master HVAC technician license from Minnesota?
Published fees on this path total $175, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Minnesota work hours count in District of Columbia?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from District of Columbia to Minnesota?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from District of Columbia to Minnesota, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 - Powers of the boards (reciprocity and endorsement) · D.C. Code § 47-2853.08(2) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Each board may determine whether another jurisdiction's licensure standards, or a national certifying organization's certification, are substantially equivalent and authorize licensure by reciprocity or endorsement for an applicant licensed and in good standing in a state whose requirements were substantially equivalent at the time of licensure and which admits District licensees in a like manner.
  2. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(b) a board 'shall waive the requirements for passage of an examination or other proof of fitness' for a person licensed in good standing in a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits District licensees in a like manner, or who holds an acceptable national certification. (c)(4) an applicant for licensure as a journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic under § 47-2853.202 is exempt from any District-law examination. (d)-(d-1) each board must keep a list of states and national certifying organizations whose standards qualify, and the Board of Industrial Trades must update its list of national certifying organizations annually.
  3. D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 - Scope of practice for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics · D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic is a person who designs, installs, maintains or alters mechanical systems for refrigeration or air conditioning of any public or private building or vehicle.
  4. D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 - Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(a) apprentices are registered without examination and work only under the direct personal supervision of a licensed master mechanic. (b) master mechanic: employed installing, maintaining, repairing and replacing refrigeration and air conditioning systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower for at least 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the application, verified in writing by a master mechanic. (c) master mechanic limited: 5 consecutive years on systems under 25 compressor horsepower plus proof of chlorofluorocarbon certification. (d) the Board shall accept, in lieu of examination, experience or other tests of skill, a certificate from a national certifying organization (a nationally recognized trade organization, non-union sponsor or labor union registered with the federal Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, U.S. DOL or the DC Apprenticeship Council) that the applicant completed its apprenticeship, passed its exam, is designated a journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic and has not been disciplined.
  5. 17 DCMR Chapter 3 - Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Licensing (§§ 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310) · 17 DCMR §§ 303.6-303.7, 304, 306, 307, 309 · DC Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances (DCMR) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Section texts downloaded from the chapter listing (Word files). § 303.6: no person may engage in the mechanical work of installing, maintaining, repairing or replacing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment without first obtaining a Journeyman Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic's license, issued on the basis of a qualifying examination and test of skill; § 303.5: a person, firm or corporation in the business must hold a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractor, Master Mechanic or Master Mechanic Limited license. § 306 (master): 5 years on systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower immediately preceding the application plus an examination; § 307 (master limited): 5 years on systems of 25 hp or less plus an examination. § 309.3 still lists 1955-era exam and license fees ($35 contractor, $15 master, $10 master limited) that DLCP's current fee table supersedes. These rules derive from Commissioners' Order No. 55-2029 and predate the 1999 licensing statute.
  6. DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades (fees, renewal dates, board members) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Fee table for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics: application $65; license Mechanic $110 (up to 2 years), Contractor $120; renewal Mechanic $155, Contractor $180; late renewal $50; examination/re-examination 'See §3500.3'; reinstated or inactive Mechanic $155, Contractor $180; duplicate license $30; verification of records $30. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning licenses expire September 30 in even-numbered years. Board members include two Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics.
  7. DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades landing page (apply, items needed, examination, reciprocity) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy because dlcp.dc.gov returns 403 to direct fetches. Lists the items needed for a Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning application (certificate of completion, 'CFC Certification (Master ONLY)', employment verification letter, passport photo, government ID, card for fees), the online application portal (govservices.dcra.dc.gov/oplanewlicense), PSI exam scheduling (psiexams.com, 855-557-0616), the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning bond form for trade contractors, and a Reciprocity section that names only Maryland and Virginia electricians (and, via a linked bulletin, Maryland plumbers); no refrigeration or air conditioning reciprocity is published.
  8. DC DLCP - Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning License (Limited and Regular) Application Instructions - Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 15, 2026Published at dlcp.dc.gov/node/1634416 (Dec. 13, 2022). Licenses are offered for refrigeration and air-conditioning; limited licenses cover work at 25 compressor horsepower and below; all expire September 30 of even-numbered years. Table: Apprentice - no experience, employment verification or school enrollment; Journeyman by exam - 3 years' experience, tax records, employment verification letter, CFC Universal Certification; Journeyman by waiver - certificate of completion or official transcripts of an apprenticeship; Master by exam - 5 years' experience, tax records, CFC Universal Certification, employment verification letter. Employment letters must be signed by a master. A graduate of an approved apprenticeship (classroom work plus 8,000+ hours/4 years OJT under a master) may waive the journeyman exam only. The exam is open book on the 2012 International Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (2004).
  9. DLCP bulletin - Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic License Renewal Notice (July 27, 2026) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Board of Industrial Trades · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Renewal applications are due by the September 30, 2026 expiration through the DLCP online portal (Access DC account). If a master Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Mechanic is designated to a Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Contractor company, the Board requires a $5,000 bond for the master and a $5,000 bond for the contracting company (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Bond Form).
  10. 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.

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

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