Ohio to Alabama: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Alabama has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio: a Ohio master HVAC technician can get a Alabama license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Ohio (HVAC/refrigeration contractor)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board lists the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board as a reciprocal board. An Ohio HVAC or refrigeration contractor licensee who passed an equivalent exam with a score of at least 70% and holds a current and valid license applies by mail or email with the notarized reciprocity package (AL-1 marked 'Reciprocal', AL-2, VL-1 completed by the Ohio board with exam type, score, date and disciplinary history, and the VL-2 affidavit); Ohio must send a letter of good standing and a copy of its rules directly to the Alabama Board. The processing fee is $220, a $20,000 performance bond in the business name is required for active status, and an out-of-state entity registers as a foreign corporation first. No Alabama trade exam or business and law exam is required; there must be no previous or pending disciplinary action.
Ohio appears only on the current How to Get Licensed page; the older New License Application page does not list it and no waiting period is published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Ohio license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Ohio license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Alabama
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($220). Reciprocity processing fee (equals the active certification fee), non-refundable; inactive status $110.
- 2Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($20,000). Performance bond of $20,000 in the business name naming the Board as obligee (form BF-1), required for active status.
- 3Other. Notarized forms AL-1, AL-2, VL-1 (completed by the Ohio board) and VL-2 affidavit, copy of the license, proof of citizenship, and a letter of good standing plus a copy of Ohio's rules sent directly by that board.
- 4Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Foreign corporation registration with the Alabama Secretary of State ($150) if the business entity was formed outside Alabama.
- 5Other. 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 $220, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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 · $20,000
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license · if applicable
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.
- Other · if applicable
How Alabama licenses master HVAC technicians
Alabama master HVAC technician · “Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor (or Certified Refrigeration Contractor)”
Statewide license
Issued by Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors
Alabama's HVAC credential is the Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor certification (with a parallel Certified Refrigeration Contractor certification for commercial refrigeration) issued by the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. It is treated here as the master level because it is earned personally by examination: under rule 440-X-3-.04 an individual must satisfy every requirement, and when a partnership, corporation or LLC is certified the certificate is issued in the name of the person in responsible charge together with the business name. A new applicant must show 3,000 hours of work experience (the exam application asks for notarized employer affidavits covering at least two years within the past five years, with W-2 forms) or graduation from an approved HVAC or refrigeration curriculum, then pass the open-book Prov exam ($175; 115 questions, 70% to pass). Active certification costs $220 per year and requires a business name and a $20,000 performance bond; inactive status is $110 with no bond; four hours of continuing education are required each year after the first, and renewal is due by December 31. The Board accepts licenses by reciprocity from Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina (Residential Building Commission or Contractor's Board), Texas, West Virginia and Louisiana when the applicant passed an equivalent exam with at least 70%; there is no business and law exam, and §34-31-28(d) prohibits counties and municipalities from requiring further local testing of certified contractors.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alabama master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Ohio.
- What does it cost to get a Alabama master HVAC technician license from Ohio?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Alabama HACR Board - HVAC/Refrigeration Examination Application (forms EA-1 to EA-7) with approved curricula and exam references · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors - How to Get Licensed (examination, licensure, reciprocity) · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Code of Alabama 1975, §34-31-18 et seq. and Alabama Administrative Code Chapters 440-X-1 to 440-X-4 (Board compilation, October 17, 2024) · Ala. Code §§ 34-31-18, 34-31-24, 34-31-25, 34-31-26, 34-31-28, 34-31-29, 34-31-30; Ala. Admin. Code 440-X-3-.04, 440-X-3-.10, 440-X-3-.16 · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama HACR Board - New License Application (licensure by examination and by reciprocity) · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Alabama HACR Board - Reciprocity Application Package (forms AL-1, AL-2, VL-1, VL-2, BF-1) · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- Alabama Board of HACR - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, AL CIB 2026.10.12) · Prov, Inc. (testing vendor contracted by the Alabama HACR Board) · Form · verified October 12, 2026
- 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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.