Do I have to take the Michigan master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?

Yes. Michigan requires the trade exam on this path.

What does it cost to get a Michigan master HVAC technician license from New York?

Published fees on this path total $450, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in Michigan?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Michigan's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Michigan to New York?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Michigan to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

New York to Michigan: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

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

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

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

Michigan has no reciprocity agreement with any state and no endorsement route; LARA's Out-of-State License Verification form states that Michigan 'does not reciprocate with any other state for licensing' and that the applicant is 'required to take and pass an examination'. An out-of-state licensee files the standard Application for Mechanical Contractor Examination & Licensing with the $300 fee, selects the classifications wanted, and documents 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in each classification with statements signed under penalty of perjury by each present or former mechanical contractor employer; applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved by LARA before PSI will let them schedule. The applicant then passes each classification exam at PSI within one year of eligibility (HVAC Equipment: 150 questions, open book, 3 hours, $100; other classifications: 55 questions, 60 minutes, $50; 75% to pass, unlimited retakes within the year). There is no separate law or business exam, but every exam includes questions on the Skilled Trades Regulation Act and the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act. The license runs on a 3-year cycle expiring August 31 and the fee is prorated for mid-cycle applicants.

Whether experience documented by an out-of-state employer that is not a Michigan 'contractor of record' is accepted as the 'equivalent experience acceptable to the board' under MCL 339.5807(1)(a) is decided by LARA case by case; the out-of-state form only says such applicants must be approved to sit. Exam fees listed are per classification; an applicant seeking several classifications pays each.

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 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in each work classification applied for, verified by perjury statements from each employing contractor (MCL 339.5807(1)(a)); a completed 2-year HVAC program is credited up to 1 year or 2,000 hours.
Good moral character and the general requirements of Article 2 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (MCL 339.5807(1)).

What you'll do to get licensed in Michigan

1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Mechanical contractor application and license fee for the 3-year cycle ($100 per year under MCL 339.5813, prorated for mid-cycle applicants; waived for eligible veterans); additional classifications $300/$200/$100 by cycle year.
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. PSI Michigan Mechanical Contractor examination for each classification sought (HVAC Equipment: 150 questions, open book, 3 hours; Refrigeration, Ductwork, Hydronic and specialty exams: 55 questions, 60 minutes, open book; heating and refrigeration/air conditioning service exams: 55 questions, closed book); 75% to pass.
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI exam fee for the HVAC Equipment (includes ductwork and gas piping) classification; non-refundable, valid one year.
4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($50). PSI exam fee for each other classification (hydronic, ductwork, refrigeration, limited/unlimited heating service, limited/unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service, fire suppression, specialty).
5Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. LARA's mechanical pages are silent on it; it is a federal requirement, not a Michigan licensing prerequisite.

Published fees on this path total $450, 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 · $100
Exam fee · $50
Other

How Michigan licenses master HVAC technicians

Michigan master HVAC technician · “Mechanical Contractor (classified: HVAC Equipment, Refrigeration, Ductwork, Heating/Refrigeration Service, etc.)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes, Board of Mechanical Rules

Michigan's HVAC credential is the Mechanical Contractor license issued by LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under Article 8 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407). Although called a contractor license, it is issued to an individual who qualifies by examination, so this file treats it as the master level: a business performs mechanical work by designating a licensed individual as its contractor of record (MCL 339.5809, 339.5815). The license is classified; an HVAC business typically holds HVAC Equipment (which includes ductwork and gas piping), Refrigeration and the heating and refrigeration/air conditioning service classifications. For each classification the applicant documents 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience with statements signed under penalty of perjury by each employing contractor of record (a 2-year HVAC program may be credited up to 1 year or 2,000 hours), is approved by LARA, and passes the PSI exam for that classification (75% to pass; the HVAC Equipment exam is 150 questions, open book, 3 hours, $100; other classification exams are 55 questions, 60 minutes, $50). The license fee is $300 for the 3-year cycle ($100 per year, prorated), licenses expire August 31 every third year, and municipalities may not impose their own licensing (MCL 339.5811). Michigan has no reciprocity with any state and no licensure by endorsement: LARA's out-of-state form states that Michigan 'does not reciprocate with any other state for licensing' and that out-of-state applicants must be approved to sit for the examination, so an out-of-state HVAC or mechanical contractor's experience counts toward eligibility but the Michigan exams must be passed. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is separately required to handle refrigerants.

Moving to Michigan Leaving Michigan

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York master HVAC technician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 22 sources

New York issues no statewide master HVAC, mechanical or HVAC contractor license; the Department of State licenses none of the construction trades, so the master-level credential exists only where a city or county has created one, and most have not. The only examined, person-holdable HVAC license in the state is Buffalo's Heating Contractor license from the Board of Heating Examiners (age 21, two years of heating installation experience, a quarterly written exam, a $10,000 bond, $1,000,000 liability insurance, $50 exam fee and $500 a year), which covers heating and process systems but not air-conditioning-only work. New York City has no HVAC or mechanical contractor license at all (the DOB licenses oil burner installers and the FDNY certifies refrigerating system operating engineers, but installation and service of HVAC systems needs no license), and the suburban counties regulate the trade through home improvement contractor licensing of the business: Westchester has required 'all HVAC professionals' to hold its home improvement license since July 1, 2025 ($750 application, no exam), Nassau's home improvement license ($650 for two years plus $50, five years of experience, no exam) covers central heating and air-conditioning work, and Suffolk's ($200 application and $200 a year, $500,000 insurance, no exam) covers HVAC ductwork. An out-of-state master HVAC license has no state-level recognition and none of these jurisdictions publishes reciprocity for it; a contractor from another state obtains the local business license (or, in Buffalo, sits the heating contractor exam) in each jurisdiction where they will work.

How local licensing works in New York

How local licensing works. With no state HVAC board, each jurisdiction that regulates the trade does so under its own code, usually as a business license with insurance and experience requirements rather than a trade exam. Buffalo is the exception with an examined heating contractor license.

New York City. The Department of Buildings issues no HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration contractor license; mechanical work is done under permits without a trade license, and the general contractor registration ($300 for three years) applies only to builders of one- to three-family homes. Oil-fired equipment must be installed by a DOB-licensed Oil Burner Equipment Installer (Class A or B; written exam $585, practical exam $530, $100 license for three years), and any refrigerating system that needs an FDNY permit must be supervised by a holder of the FDNY Q-01 Refrigerating System Operating Engineer Certificate of Qualification (EPA Universal certification, a 200-hour course or one year of qualifying experience or a boiler engineer, marine engineer or PE license; $60 plus $225 exam fees; three-year renewal $15). Neither recognizes out-of-state HVAC licenses.

Buffalo. City Code Chapter 238 makes it unlawful for any person to install, erect, alter, repair, service, reset or replace any heating or process system without a license from the Board of Heating Examiners; the separate City contractor license 'does not allow for plumbing, heating, cooling or electrical work'. Applicants must be at least 21 and have two years of practical experience installing heating equipment, a recognized school course plus one year, or be a graduate engineer; they submit photo ID, employer letters and a list of twenty completed installations to the Office of Fuel Devices, and if approved sit the Heating Contractor's Examination (offered roughly every three months, covering local ordinances and ASHRAE material). Classes: I (oil, gas or solid fuel), II (gas or solid fuel), III (wood-burning fireplaces and stoves). Fees: $50 non-refundable testing fee, $500 license, $500 annual renewal; a $10,000 bond to the City and certificates of $1,000,000 general liability and workers' compensation insurance are required. The license may be held by an individual, partnership or corporation. No reciprocity provision.

Rochester. Licenses stationary engineers and refrigeration operators (plant operation), electricians and plumbers; no HVAC contractor license.

Westchester County. The June 2025 amendment to the Consumer Protection Code requires 'all HVAC professionals' to be licensed through the Department of Consumer Protection as of July 1, 2025; the vehicle is the county Home Improvement Contractor license ($750 application fee effective January 1, 2026, $100 optional expedite, roughly 60 business days of document verification and background investigation, no exam). The county's examined trade licenses cover only plumbers and electricians.

Nassau County. Contractors installing or replacing 'central heating or air conditioning systems' in residential property need the county Home Improvement license: five years of recent verifiable experience, an establishment in New York State, liability, property damage and workers' compensation insurance, $650 for a two-year license plus a one-time $50 restitution fund contribution, $110 late renewal fee; no exam.

Suffolk County. Home improvement contracting expressly includes 'ductwork for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems'; the county Home Improvement license requires public liability and property damage insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence and workers' compensation, a $200 application fee and $200 annual license fee ($50 temporary 90-day license); employees of licensed contractors are exempt; no exam.

Out-of-state holders. No New York jurisdiction publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for out-of-state HVAC contractor or master licenses. Buffalo requires its own exam; the counties require their own business license regardless of any license held elsewhere; New York City requires no HVAC license at all.

Moving to New York Leaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the Michigan master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. Michigan requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Michigan master HVAC technician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $450, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Michigan?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Michigan's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Michigan to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Michigan to New York, 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.
City of Detroit BSEED - Mechanical Inspection Team (contractor registration) · City of Detroit · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026'Applicant must have a current and valid State of Michigan issued Mechanical License/Mechanical Contractors License before he/she can apply for Renewal/Registration with the City of Detroit.' Detroit registers state-licensed mechanical contractors for permitting (notarized application, same-day in person) and issues no license of its own and no worker-level credential.
Michigan LARA - Application for Mechanical Contractor Examination & Licensing · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026Application/license fee $300 (non-refundable; waived for eligible veterans); adding a classification costs $300, $200 or $100 depending on the year of the 3-year cycle; the exam fee is paid separately to PSI. Requires 'a minimum of 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in the work classification', documented by statements signed under penalty of perjury from each contractor employer describing the work (BTU ratings, venting and duct systems, fuels, refrigerants); a completed 2-year HVAC program may be credited up to 1 year or 2,000 hours. The applicant is an individual ('legal name must match government issued identification'). The form has no out-of-state or reciprocity section. Read through the r.jina.ai text proxy because michigan.gov returned 403.
Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Mechanical Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information · Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8 · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the mechanical contractor work classifications (hydronic heating and cooling and process piping; HVAC equipment; ductwork; refrigeration; limited and unlimited heating service; limited and unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service; fire suppression; specialty licenses for solar heating and cooling, solid fuel and vented decorative gas appliances, LP distribution piping, fuel gas piping, fuel gas piping and venting). 'Must have a minimum of 3 years experience in each of the work classifications applied for' and 'take and pass an examination for each work classification desired'; exams are given by PSI at centers across Michigan and all exam fees are paid to PSI. The page contains no journeyman or registration credential and no reciprocity statement. michigan.gov returned 403 to the fetcher; the page was read through the r.jina.ai text proxy.
Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Out-of-State License Verification form · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026Generic Bureau of Construction Codes form used for all skilled trades: 'The State of Michigan does not reciprocate with any other state for licensing. Therefore, you are required to take and pass an examination to receive a license in the State of Michigan.' and 'All applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved to sit for examination.' Read through the r.jina.ai text proxy because michigan.gov returned 403.
Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Mechanical contractor candidates must be approved by LARA before testing: 'Once your application has been reviewed and you've been approved to test, your information is sent to PSI', who contacts the candidate within 10 business days to pay and schedule. Links the Mechanical Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI bulletin 5423). Read through the r.jina.ai text proxy because michigan.gov returned 403.
Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8 - Mechanical Contractors (MCL 339.5801-339.5819) · MCL 339.5807, 339.5809, 339.5811, 339.5813, 339.5815 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026339.5807(1): exam eligibility requires good moral character and 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in the classification, shown by perjury statements from each contractor-of-record employer; military experience counts; a 2-year HVAC program is credited up to 1 year/2,000 hours. 339.5807(2): the ten classifications. 339.5809: no one may perform regulated mechanical work unless the person (if an individual) or an employee holds a mechanical contractor's license; a business designates a licensed individual as contractor of record. 339.5811: 'A municipality shall not establish or maintain local licensing requirements for the work classifications.' 339.5813: each classification exam fee is $100 or less; the license fee is $100 per year, licenses expire August 31 every third year and are prorated; lapsed licensees who renew within 3 years are not re-examined. 339.5815: 90 days to replace a departed contractor of record. Nothing in Article 8 provides for reciprocity or licensure by endorsement. Read with pdftotext after download.
PSI - Michigan Mechanical Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · Other · verified September 15, 2026Exam fees: HVAC Equipment (includes ductwork and gas piping) $100; every other classification (hydronic, ductwork, refrigeration, limited/unlimited heating service, limited/unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service, fire suppression, specialty) $50; fees are non-refundable and valid one year. HVAC Equipment exam: 150 questions, open book, 3 hours, 75% to pass; the other classification exams are 55 questions in 60 minutes (service classifications closed book), 75% to pass. All exams include questions on 2016 PA 407 and 1972 PA 230. Candidates must be approved by LARA first and must pass within one year of eligibility (unlimited retakes in that year). Read with pdftotext after download.

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

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