Minnesota to South Carolina: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Minnesota does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is South Carolina'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.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (states without a waiver agreement)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A contractor from a state (or classification) not on the Board's waiver list is told plainly: 'you are not eligible for waiver/reciprocity. You will be required to take the SC exams.' The applicant passes the South Carolina technical exam for each classification wanted (Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration or Packaged Equipment) through PSI and the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, then files the Qualifying Party application (Doc. 168) with proof of at least 2 years of full-time work experience performed within the past 5 years in each classification, which may have been earned in any state and should primarily reflect commercial work (a PHCC Academy of North Carolina heating and air-conditioning apprenticeship certificate is an alternative). The business files the Mechanical Contractor license application with the $350 licensure fee and a financial statement (or surety bond) meeting the group limit it wants. Section 40-11-290 separately allows the Board to exempt the technical exam for an applicant who verifies passing an essentially identical exam in another state even without a reciprocal agreement, but the Board's published waiver list and instructions do not describe a process for invoking it outside the listed states. A licensee who only wants residential work can instead apply to the Residential Builders Commission for the Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer license (one year of residential HVAC experience within the past five, residential technical exam at 65% and Business Management and Law exam, $135 application and $220 license fees, $10,000 bond for work over $5,000).
PSI exam fees are paid directly to PSI and are not published on LLR's pages. The Board's licensure page shows a $350 licensure fee but no separate qualifying-party application fee. Whether the NASCLA accredited examinations are accepted for the HVAC classifications is not stated on the pages opened (Doc. 168 mentions NASCLA transcripts generally). The current Mechanical Group financial thresholds on the licensure page (Group 2: $100,000 per job, $10,000 working capital or $15,000 net worth, $15,000 bond) differ from the 2019 waiver document's table; the web page is treated as current. EPA Section 608 certification is not mentioned on the Board's pages but is required by federal law.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- At least 2 years of full-time work experience in each classification applied for, performed within the past 5 years, documented on Work Experience Affidavits (Doc. 167); out-of-state experience is accepted
What you'll do to get licensed in South Carolina
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. South Carolina Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration and/or Packaged Equipment technical examination(s) through PSI, one per classification.
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors examination (PSI), required of all applicants.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fees paid directly to PSI at registration (amounts not published by LLR).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($350). Mechanical Contractor licensure fee (license issued to the entity the qualifying party certifies).
- 5Other. Financial statement dated within 12 months showing working capital of $10,000 or net worth of $15,000 for Mechanical Group 2 (higher groups require more), or a surety bond in lieu.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($15,000) (if applicable). Surety bond accepted in lieu of the financial statement for Mechanical Group 2 (larger bonds for higher groups).
- 7Other. Qualifying Party initial application (Doc. 168) with exam score sheets, Work Experience Affidavits, ID, Social Security card and notarized Verification of Lawful Presence.
- 8Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire; not listed on LLR's pages but required by federal law.
Published fees on this path total $350, 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
- Law / code 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 · $15,000 · if applicable
How South Carolina licenses master HVAC technicians
South Carolina master HVAC technician · “Mechanical Contractor, Air Conditioning (AC) / Heating (HT) / Refrigeration (RG) classification - Qualifying Party certification”
Statewide license
South Carolina has no 'master HVAC' license. The highest person-held HVAC credential is the Contractor's Licensing Board's Qualifying Party certification in the Air Conditioning (AC), Heating (HT), Refrigeration (RG) or Packaged Equipment (PK, up to 25 tons and 500,000 BTU per unit) classification of the Mechanical Contractor license: the individual passes the South Carolina technical exam for each classification through PSI and the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, documents two years of experience within the past five (or a PHCC Academy of North Carolina heating and air-conditioning apprenticeship), and is certified as the qualifying party for a licensed entity (which may be a sole proprietorship); the certification stays with the person, who 'is not a licensed contractor' alone. The license itself is issued to the business, with a $350 licensure fee and a financial statement or surety bond sized by license group (Mechanical Group 2, jobs to $100,000: working capital $10,000 or net worth $15,000, or a $15,000 bond). A residential-only alternative is the Residential Builders Commission's Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer license ($135 application, $220 license), issued to the individual after one year of residential HVAC experience and the residential technical plus Business Management and Law exams. South Carolina has technical-exam waiver agreements, listed in the Board's Reciprocity/Waiver Agreements document, covering HVAC classifications for Georgia (Un-Restricted Conditioned Air), Louisiana (Statewide Mechanical), Ohio (HVAC, packaged equipment only), Tennessee (CMC and CMC-C), Texas (Class A and Class B ACR) and Utah (S350, S353, S351, S360), plus the MASC/CAGC HARV Master Mechanical card; Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina licenses waive only the residential license's technical exam. Every waiver applicant must still pass the South Carolina Business Management & Law exam. Licensees from other states take the South Carolina technical exam. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.
Why Minnesota has nothing to transfer
Minnesota master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
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).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Carolina master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Minnesota?
- Yes. South Carolina requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a South Carolina master HVAC technician license from Minnesota?
- Published fees on this path total $350, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Minnesota work hours count in South Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from South Carolina to Minnesota?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from South Carolina to Minnesota, 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, 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.
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 11 - Contractors · S.C. Code Ann. §§ 40-11-30, 40-11-290, 40-11-410(5)(a)-(c), (h) · South Carolina Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§ 40-11-30: no entity or individual may practice mechanical contracting where the cost of the work exceeds $10,000 without a license. § 40-11-290: the Board may license an applicant holding a license in good standing in another state with requirements 'equal to or greater than those required by this chapter' where it has authorized an exam waiver agreement, and may exempt the technical exam for an essentially identical exam passed elsewhere; such applicants may be required to pass the 'South Carolina Commercial Contractors Business, Law and Project Management examination'. § 40-11-410(5) defines the mechanical subclassifications: (a) Air Conditioning ('installation, replacement, alteration, and repair of air conditioning equipment and systems'), (b) Heating (steam, vapor and hot water systems), (c) Packaged Equipment (combined air conditioning, ventilation and duct work limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating per unit), (h) Refrigeration. The chapter has no journeyman license.
- General and Mechanical Contractors - Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) and Qualifying Party (QP) Initial Application, Doc. 168 (12/31/2025 v2.3) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF. Methods: PSI technical exam or NASCLA transcript, exam waiver/reciprocity, or CAGC/MASC trades certification; all require the SC Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam and 'at least 2 years of full-time work experience, performed within the past 5 years in the license classification(s)' (primarily commercial), or a PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship certificate (Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing). 'A current HARV (Master Mechanical) Certification that was issued by examination between September 7, 2013, and December 2025, from MASC, or issued after January 1, 2026, by Carolinas AGC (CAGC). Corresponding licensure classifications: Air Conditioning and Heating.' Waiver applicants have the SC Examination Waiver form completed by the origin board ('Copies of your license or exam results are not accepted'); licenses obtained by waiver or grandfathering are not eligible; 'If your state is listed but your trade/classification is not listed, you are not eligible.' The certified qualifying party 'is not a licensed contractor'; the entity holds the license. Classifications on the form include Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration and Packaged Equipment.
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board - Licensure (classifications, exams, waiver/reciprocity, fees) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Mechanical Contractor classifications with a PSI technical exam include Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration, Packaged Equipment, Lightning Protection, Electrical and Process Piping (register at test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon). 'All individuals must pass the S.C. Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam' regardless of how they qualify. Accepted trades certification: 'A current HARV (Master Mechanical) Certification ... from MASC, or issued after January 1, 2026, by Carolinas AGC (CAGC)' for the Air Conditioning and Heating classifications. Exam waiver applicants must hold 'a license in good standing in a jurisdiction' on the Technical Exam Waiver Agreement list. 'At least 2 years of work experience performed within the past 5 years' in the classification. Licensure fee $350. Mechanical group limits: Group 1 $35,000 per job (working capital $3,500 / net worth $7,000 / bond $7,000), Group 2 $100,000 ($10,000 / $15,000 / $15,000), Group 3 $200,000 ($20,000 / $30,000 / $30,000), Group 4 $400,000 ($40,000 / $60,000 / $60,000), Group 5 unlimited ($200,000 / $300,000 / $300,000).
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board - Reciprocity/Waiver Agreements (Rev. 02/2019) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agreement Document · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF. 'THE SOUTH CAROLINA RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS ONLY WAIVE THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF THE EXAM.' Reciprocal states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Reading Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, plus MASC. HVAC-relevant exams accepted and the SC classifications issued: Georgia 'Un-Restricted Conditioned Air (if exam passed after 6/30/80)' = AC, HT; Louisiana 'Statewide Mechanical' = AC, HT; Ohio 'HVAC' = PK; Tennessee 'CMC' = AC, RG, PB and 'CMC-C' = AC, RG; Texas 'Class A Air Conditioning/Refrigeration, or, Class A Air Conditioning' = AC, HT, 'Class B Air Conditioning, or, Class B Air Conditioning/Refrigeration' = PK, 'Class A Air Refrigeration' = RG; Utah 'S350 HVAC' = AC, 'S353 Warm Air Heating' = HT, 'S351 Refrigerated Air Conditioning' = PK, 'S360 Refrigeration' = RG; MASC 'Master HVAC (if exam passed after 1/1/1990)' = AC, HT, PK, RG (page 1 says 'Master Mechanical/HVAC (if exam passed after 9/6/2013)'). Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and Reading PA have no HVAC exam listed. Grandfathered or waived-in licensees do not qualify; 'If your state is not listed, or if your state is listed but the exam you took is not listed, you are not eligible for waiver/reciprocity. You will be required to take the SC exams.' Every waiver applicant must pass the SC Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam and obtain a license verification showing the exam was taken. Page 3 defines AC = Air Conditioning, HT = Heating, PK = Packaged Equipment, RG = Refrigeration, and gives 2019 mechanical group limits (Group 2: $50,000 per job, $10,000 net worth, $20,000 bond).
- SC Residential Builders Commission - Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer License · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fees: application $135, license $220, renewal $220, late renewal $50, reinstatement $480. Technical exam waived for (1) a current SC Mechanical Contractor with the Air Conditioning (AC) or Packaged Equipment (PK) classification, active one year or longer and obtained by exam; (2) a current license from Alabama, Mississippi or North Carolina 'obtained by examination for one year or longer' (grandfathered licenses excluded); (3) a current HARV (Master Mechanical) certification issued by exam between September 7, 2013 and December 2025 by MASC or after January 1, 2026 by CAGC. 'Work experience requirements and the Business Management and Law portion of the exam are still applicable.' Links the application package.
- Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer License Application - Requirements and Instructions (Rev. 01/2026 v1.5) · S.C. Code Ann. § 40-59-250 (credit report) · South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (LLR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF. Licensure by exam requires 'a minimum of one year of residential HVAC experience performed within the past five (5) years' with W-2s/1099s and employer affidavits (EPA/NATE certifications may be included as supporting documentation); both the Business Management and Law and Residential HVAC technical portions must be passed within 12 months, three attempts. Exam waiver for a current SC Mechanical Contractor (AC or PK) licensed by exam for 1+ year, a current Alabama, Mississippi or North Carolina license obtained by exam for 1+ year (grandfathered licensees do not qualify; verification sent directly by the issuing state), or a HARV (Master Mechanical) certification (MASC 9/7/2013-12/2025 or CAGC after 1/1/2026); the Business Management and Law exam and experience still apply. $135 application fee; credit report within 30 days; a $10,000 surety bond in the individual's name before doing work over $5,000.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.