Missouri to Texas: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Texas'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 or municipal contractor license without a reciprocity agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A contractor licensed in a state other than Georgia or South Carolina (or by a municipality) files the standard Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Application with the $115 fee, a copy of the current license, a list of the requirements met to obtain it and proof of its issue date and duration. TDLR reviews whether those requirements were substantially equivalent to Texas's and counts qualifying experience toward the 48-month requirement, but its out-of-state page warns that 'depending on the requirements of your current license, you may be required to complete some or all of the Texas requirements for licensure, including taking a licensing examination.' Applicants should therefore expect to take the PSI exam for the class and endorsement they want, and must file proof of Texas-compliant liability insurance after passing before the license issues.
TDLR does not publish which states it has found substantially equivalent or the criteria for waiving the exam; the FAQ says only that experience from states or municipalities with substantially equivalent requirements is accepted. Texas has no separate business or law exam for ACR contractors.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Missouri license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 48 months of qualifying work experience.48 months of practical ACR experience within the past 72 months under a licensed contractor (Occupations Code §1302.255 as applied by 16 TAC §75.20); out-of-state experience under a substantially equivalent license counts
What you'll do to get licensed in Texas
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($115). Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license application fee (non-refundable, 16 TAC §75.80); renewal $65 per year.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. PSI contractor exam for the class and endorsement applied for (Environmental Air or Commercial Refrigeration, Class A or B; 70% to pass; 2024 IFGC/IMC/UMC from September 1, 2026) unless TDLR finds the origin license substantially equivalent.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($74). PSI exam fee per Class A exam ($60 per Class B exam), paid to PSI.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Commercial general liability insurance from a Texas-authorized insurer: Class A $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, $300,000 products/completed operations; Class B $100,000 / $200,000 / $100,000 (16 TAC §75.40).
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. 8 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education each year for renewal.
- 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).
Published fees on this path total $189, 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 · $74
- Other · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Texas licenses master HVAC technicians
Texas master HVAC technician · “Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Class A or Class B)”
Statewide license
Issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Texas's highest HVAC credential is the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license issued to an individual by TDLR, so it is mapped here to the master level. The license comes in Class A (units of any size) and Class B (cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 1.5 million Btu/h) with Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating endorsements. A new applicant must be 18, document 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor in the past 72 months (or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months of experience, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses and military training), pay a $115 application fee, pass the PSI exam for each class and endorsement ($74 Class A, $60 Class B, 70% to pass) within one year of filing, and file proof of commercial general liability insurance ($300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate for Class A; $100,000/$200,000 for Class B). The license is valid one year, renews for $65 and requires 8 hours of continuing education a year; a company must employ a licensed contractor at each permanent location. TDLR has reciprocity agreements with Georgia and South Carolina only; licensees from every other state or municipality apply under TDLR's substantial-equivalence review and may be required to take the Texas exam.
Why Missouri has nothing to transfer
Missouri master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri does not issue a master HVAC license or a statewide mechanical contractor license; the Division of Professional Registration licenses no HVAC or mechanical profession, and unlike the electrical trade there is no voluntary statewide contractor license for HVAC. The master-level credential exists only at the local level under names that vary by jurisdiction: Springfield certifies Master Mechanical craftsmen (4 years as a certified journeyman or 10 years of experience, ICC exam, $50), Kansas City issues a mechanical certificate of qualification to the supervisor who qualifies a licensed mechanical contractor (Prometric or ICC exam, $60 application, $181 four-year renewal), and St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis license mechanical contractors through their boards of examiners. An out-of-state master HVAC license carries no state-level recognition in Missouri, and none of these jurisdictions publish a reciprocity path for it; Springfield accepts an identical ICC, Prometric, Experior or Block exam score in place of retesting and Kansas City may accept a comparable exam it deems equivalent. A master arriving from another state should expect to qualify in each jurisdiction separately and then obtain that jurisdiction's mechanical contractor license to pull permits. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. Missouri has no state HVAC license and no statute standardizing local HVAC licensing; each city or county sets its own master, supervisor and contractor requirements.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Master Mechanical craftsmen: 4 years as a certified journeyman in the trade or 10 years of satisfactory experience, documented on notarized employer forms and approved by the Building and Trades board; ICC master mechanical exam through Pearson Vue (about $125), 75% to pass; certification card $50 with $50 annual renewal. 'Reciprocation' applicants submit copies of their other-state licenses and an identical-exam score of 75% or better from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC; otherwise they test.
Kansas City. City Planning and Development licenses mechanical contractors ($55 application, $181 issuance, $181 renewal every four years) whose scope covers heating, duct and ventilation systems, refrigeration maintenance, gas piping to burners and control wiring. Every licensed contractor must employ a full-time supervisor who holds a Kansas City certificate of qualification in the mechanical trade; the certificate requires an application with notarized references and a passing score from a recognized agency such as Prometric or ICC ($60 application, first four-year certificate free, $181 renewal), and the city may accept a comparable exam from another jurisdiction if it deems it equivalent or superior.
St. Louis County. The Board of Examiners for Mechanical Licensing certifies mechanical contractors (a certified contractor list is published) and requires a licensed mechanical contractor bond and, for some applicants, a financial responsibility bond; applications and renewals go through the Accela portal. Master-level exam and experience details are not published on the pages that could be opened.
City of St. Louis. The Mechanical Contractors Board of Examiners (Ordinance 62579, City Code 25.10) reviews each applicant's qualifications for a Mechanical Contractor's license issued by the Building Division; the license is required to pull mechanical permits for boilers, furnaces, exhaust systems and ventilation. Contractors also need the city's graduated business license.
Out-of-state holders. No reciprocity or endorsement path for another state's master HVAC license was found in any of these jurisdictions. The practical route is to present an identical ICC or Prometric master mechanical score where accepted (Springfield; Kansas City case by case), document experience, and apply for the local master certificate and contractor license in each jurisdiction where work will be performed.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Texas master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Texas master HVAC technician license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $189, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri work hours count in Texas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Texas to Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Missouri, 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
- TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation / PSI Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- 16 TAC §75.20 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: Application and Experience Requirements · 16 TAC §75.20 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 16 TAC §75.22 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: General · 16 TAC §75.22 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 16 TAC §75.80 - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Fees · 16 TAC §75.80 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Apply for a New Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Renew an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors FAQs · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Out of State Applicants · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Licensing Reciprocity · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.