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

Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.

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

Published fees on this path total $189, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in Texas?

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

How long does the application take?

The board's published or typical processing time is about 45 days.

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

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

New York to Texas: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

New York 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
Typical processing: About 45 days

What you must already have

Your New York 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. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. Not listed on TDLR's contractor pages but required of anyone servicing refrigerant-containing equipment.

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

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

Verified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

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.

Moving to Texas Leaving Texas

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 Texas master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. Texas requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a Texas master HVAC technician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $189, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Texas?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
How long does the application take?: The board's published or typical processing time is about 45 days.
Does it work the other way, from Texas to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas 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.
TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation / PSI Services · Other · verified September 15, 2026Linked from the TDLR exam page. Exam fees: Environmental Air Class A $74 (120 items, 230 minutes), Class B $60 (100 items, 170 minutes); Commercial Refrigeration Class A $74, Class B $60; Certified Technician $60 (60 items, 112 minutes); passing score 70%. Effective September 1, 2026 the exams reference the 2024 IFGC, 2024 IMC and 2024 UMC.
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 15, 2026To obtain a contractor license an applicant must file the application, satisfy Occupations Code §1302.255 as of the filing date, pass the examination, pay the fees, submit proof of insurance after passing the exam, and complete everything within one year of filing; experience must be documented as prescribed by the department.
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 15, 2026License term is one year and non-transferable; endorsement codes E (Environmental Air Conditioning), R (Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating) and C (combined); a Class B holder may upgrade an endorsement by passing the Class A exam.
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 15, 2026Read on the Cornell Legal Information Institute mirror because the Texas Secretary of State's texreg site has moved to a new portal that could not be opened. Contractor application $115, renewal $65, endorsement addition $25; registered technician application and renewal $20; certified technician application $50, renewal $35; all application fees non-refundable.
TDLR - Apply for a New Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Eligibility: age 18; 48 months of practical experience under a licensed ACR contractor in the past 72 months, or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months in the past 48 months, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses, military training and industrial process work; experience documented on the Experience Verification Form by the supervisor; $115 application fee; exam must be passed within one year of filing; commercial general liability insurance (Class A $300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate/$300,000 products; Class B $100,000/$200,000/$100,000); Class A any size, Class B up to 25 tons cooling and 1.5 million Btu/h heating; endorsements Environmental Air, Commercial Refrigeration, Process Cooling or Heating.
TDLR - Renew an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Renewal fee $65 (1.5x if expired 90 days or less, 2x if more than 90 days); 8 hours of approved continuing education each year; adding an endorsement or upgrading a class costs a $74 exam fee plus a $25 change fee.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI after TDLR approves eligibility; separate Environmental Air A/B and Commercial Refrigeration A/B contractor exams and a Certified Technician exam; failed exams may be retaken until the application expires one year after filing. Links to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors FAQs · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Faq · verified September 15, 2026States that Texas reciprocates only with South Carolina and Georgia, that experience from states or municipalities with substantially equivalent licensing requirements is accepted, that anyone performing non-exempt air conditioning work must hold at least a technician registration, that 'there is no exam required' for technician registration ($20, one-page application, criminal background check), and that all work must be provided through a Texas-licensed ACR contractor holding the required liability insurance.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Out of State Applicants · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Says Georgia and South Carolina have reciprocity agreements with Texas and that all other out-of-state or municipal licensees may apply with the standard contractor application, a $115 fee, a copy of the current license, a list of the requirements met to obtain it and its issue date; TDLR reviews whether the requirements were substantially equivalent and 'you may be required to complete some or all of the Texas requirements for licensure, including taking a licensing examination'. Also states the Class A/B definitions, endorsements and insurance minimums.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program home page. Lists the three credentials (Contractor License, Technician Registration, Certified Technician) and states that a company must employ an ACR contractor at each permanent location. Links to the out-of-state and reciprocity pages.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Licensing Reciprocity · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Texas has ACR reciprocal licensing agreements with South Carolina and Georgia only. The out-of-state license must have been held for at least one year. Georgia Class II Conditioned Air (unrestricted) maps to Texas Class A Environmental Air; South Carolina Air Conditioning & Heating maps to Class A Environmental Air and Commercial Refrigeration, Air Conditioning only to Class A Commercial Refrigeration and Class B Environmental Air, Mechanical Contractor Refrigeration to Class A Commercial Refrigeration, and AC & Heating (packaged equipment) to Class B Environmental Air; South Carolina heating-only licenses do not qualify. Applicants submit a letter of good standing showing they passed the origin state's exam, the contractor application, a copy of the license, proof of insurance and the $115 fee; the license is valid one year. Notes that an exam may still be needed for a class or endorsement outside the mapped equivalency.

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

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