Tennessee to Alabama: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Alabama has a reciprocity agreement with Tennessee: a Tennessee 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 Tennessee (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 Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors as a reciprocal board. A Tennessee 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 Tennessee board with exam type, score, date and disciplinary history, and the VL-2 affidavit); Tennessee 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.
The Board's older New License Application page states a waiting period of at least three years of Tennessee licensure; the current How to Get Licensed page lists no waiting period. Confirm with the Board before filing.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Tennessee license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 3 years.Waiting period stated on the Board's older New License Application page only; not repeated on the current How to Get Licensed page.
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 Tennessee board) and VL-2 affidavit, copy of the license, proof of citizenship, and a letter of good standing plus a copy of Tennessee'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. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.
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
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.
Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer
Tennessee master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by Local code enforcement offices (Nashville, Memphis/Shelby County, Chattanooga, Knoxville and other exempt jurisdictions); the state issues only the CMC / CMC-C contractor license to businesses
Tennessee does not issue a master HVAC license. The state-level HVAC credential is a contractor license with the CMC (full mechanical: plumbing and HVAC) or CMC-C (HVAC/refrigeration) classification from the Board for Licensing Contractors, which is issued to a business that names a qualifying agent and is required for any project of $25,000 or more. The qualifying agent passes the Tennessee Business & Law exam and the CMC or CMC-C trade exam (Prov from July 1, 2026; CMC candidates need Board pre-approval, $50), and the business files a reviewed or audited financial statement (or, from July 1, 2026, a surety bond of at least half the requested limit) that sets its monetary limit, proves general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and pays $250 ($200 biennial renewal). The Board's trade-exam-waiver agreements let a contractor licensed in Alabama (HVAC), Louisiana (mechanical), Mississippi (mechanical), Ohio (HVAC), South Carolina (HVAC) or West Virginia (mechanical) skip the trade exam but not the Business & Law exam or any other requirement; North Carolina's and NASCLA's waivers do not cover HVAC. Master-level licenses issued to individuals exist only locally: Nashville's Master Mechanical (six years) and HVAC&R (four years) certificates, Memphis/Shelby County's First-Class and Third-Class Mechanical Contractor licenses, and Chattanooga's Master Mechanical Contractor license. A master HVAC license from another state has no state-level recognition in Tennessee; its holder either registers a business for the CMC-C license or applies for the local master card where they will work. EPA Section 608 certification is required federally to handle refrigerants.
How local licensing works in Tennessee
State contractor route (CMC / CMC-C). Required statewide for projects of $25,000 or more and accepted by the cities as a substitute for their own master cards for permit purposes (Nashville registers CMC/CMC-C firms for $100 with a $40,000 bond and $300,000 liability certificate; Memphis/Shelby County registers state mechanical licensees for $150). Requirements: Business & Law exam plus the CMC-C or CMC trade exam ($50 pre-approval for CMC), $250 application fee, reviewed or audited financial statement or a surety bond of at least 50% of the monetary limit (from July 1, 2026), general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Trade-exam waiver, on verification by the other board that the qualifying agent passed a comparable exam: Alabama HVAC (CMC-C), Louisiana Mechanical (CMC), Mississippi Mechanical (CMC), Ohio HVAC (CMC-C), South Carolina HVAC (CMC-C), West Virginia Mechanical (CMC). The Board stresses the waiver applies only to the trade exam, cannot be used by applicants with discipline, open complaints or felony convictions, and does not allow another state's license to be used in Tennessee.
Nashville (Davidson County). The Board of Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Examiners and Appeals issues the Master Mechanical certificate (six years' experience) and HVAC&R certificate (four years); a mechanical engineering degree may substitute. The application asks for licenses held in other cities or states, employer confirmations and a recommendation letter; the Chief Mechanical Inspector approves, Prov administers the exam (70% to pass, 30-day retest wait). The certificate holder then registers the firm as a Metropolitan Mechanical Gas Contractor with a Davidson County business license, $40,000 permit bond and $300,000 liability certificate. No exam waiver for out-of-state licenses is published.
Memphis and Shelby County. First-Class Mechanical Contractor (age 21, 4 years of full-time installation or design experience, unlimited scope) and Third-Class Mechanical Contractor (2 years, equipment up to 15 tons or 15 hp) after a written exam set by the Mechanical/Gas Code Board; $150 registration, $110 annual renewal, licenses expire December 31, $25,000 continuous permit bond. The mechanical code has no reciprocity provision for mechanical contractors.
Chattanooga. Master Mechanical Contractor license from the Board of Mechanical Examiners: three or more years as a Journeyman Mechanic Class 1 or 2, or a current or previously held unrevoked Master Mechanical Contractor or equivalent license from Chattanooga or any other governmental agency, or a Tennessee PE license, or acceptable education and experience; $415 per two-year cycle including the exam fee. A license from elsewhere establishes eligibility for the exam but is not stated to waive it.
Knoxville. Permits are pulled under a State Contractor Registration (CMC/CMC-C) or the other registration types on the city's permit page; the city's own mechanical license classes and fees could not be confirmed from an official page, so contact Plans Review & Inspections (865-215-4311).
Out-of-state holders. The only published recognition in Tennessee is the state Board's trade-exam waiver for contractors from AL, LA, MS, OH, SC and WV, which still requires the Business & Law exam and a full contractor application. The local master cards in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga treat an out-of-state master license as evidence of experience or exam eligibility, not as a substitute for their own examinations.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alabama master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Tennessee.
- How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Alabama master HVAC technician license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Does it work the other way, from Alabama to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Alabama to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
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 15, 2026Eligibility proof: notarized employer affidavits (EA-4) that the applicant worked in heating and air conditioning and/or commercial refrigeration for at least two years within the past five years with W-2 forms, and/or certificates of at least 3,000 hours of HVAC or refrigeration training, or graduation from an approved curriculum (Alabama, Georgia, Florida and other southeastern programs are listed). The EA-4 affidavit has a 'Licensing State' field for the supervising licensee, so out-of-state supervised experience is accepted. Exam fee $175 per exam ($350 for both); open-book exams referencing the 2021 IRC/IMC, ACCA Manuals D and J, the 2020 NEC, the Board's 2024 law book and the NASCLA business-law guide. The form still quotes an older version of §34-31-28 that allowed eligibility by two years of Board apprentice registration.
- 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 15, 2026Defines the two certifications (Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor; Refrigeration Contractor); examination fee $175; active certification $220 per year with a business name and a $20,000 performance bond, inactive $110 per year with no bond. Step 3 lists the reciprocal boards: Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, South Carolina Residential Building Commission, South Carolina Contractor's Board, Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation, West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board and Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors; the applicant must have passed an equivalent exam with a score of at least 70% and hold a current and valid license; reciprocal applications cannot be filed online; reciprocity processing fee $220; $20,000 performance bond in the business name; foreign corporation registration with the Secretary of State. No business and law exam is mentioned.
- 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 15, 2026§34-31-18 defines Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor and Certified Refrigeration Contractor ('any person engaged in the business of ...'), 'responsible charge' and 'regularly employed person'. §34-31-24(a): no person may advertise, bid, obtain permits or perform the function of a certified contractor unless the person in responsible charge is a certified contractor. §34-31-28(c): eligibility to sit for the exam requires 3,000 hours of work experience as defined by the Board or graduation from an approved curriculum; (d) counties and municipalities are prohibited from requiring further local testing of certified contractors. §34-31-29(d): the Board may enter into reciprocity agreements with other states; the provision recognizes the contractor as having passed the exam but all certification fees must be paid. §34-31-30: performance bond up to $25,000. §34-31-26: annual renewal by December 31, inactive status at half fee, four hours of continuing education per year (first year exempt). Rule 440-X-3-.04(2): certification by reciprocity requires a current and valid license in a qualifying reciprocal state with no previous or pending disciplinary action; (5) all new applicants must provide a $20,000 performance bond; (6) an entity is certified through its person in responsible charge and the certificate is issued in that person's name with the business name. Rule 440-X-3-.10 (effective October 14, 2024): written exam $175, practical exam $375, active certification and renewal $220, inactive $110, late fee $250. Rule 440-X-3-.16: exam waiver for military members, spouses and federal personnel holding an HVAC, refrigeration or mechanical license in another state. No rule lists the reciprocal states or waiting periods; no journeyman, technician or apprentice license appears anywhere in the chapter.
- Alabama HACR Board - New License Application (licensure by examination and by reciprocity) · Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Older page still published alongside 'How to Get Licensed'. Examination route: Board-issued Apprentice Certificate for the previous two years, graduation from an approved curriculum, or 3,000 hours (18 months) of work experience under supervision of a HACR licensee proven by W-2 forms and employer affidavit. Reciprocity route: 'current and valid HVAC license with the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission for at least 5 years; Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors for at least 3 years; Mississippi Board of Contractors for at least 1 year; Louisiana or West Virginia where there are no waiting periods'; forms AL-1, AL-2, VL-1, VL-2, BF-1. Its fees ($150 exam, $190/$95 certification, $15,000 bond) are superseded by rule 440-X-3-.10 effective October 14, 2024 and by the current page.
- 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, 2026Form AL-1 (method of licensure 'Reciprocal' uses AL-1, AL-2, VL-1 and VL-2): active HVAC or refrigeration contractor $220, inactive $110; active contractors must submit a $20,000 performance bond in the business name, corporation documents or certificate of foreign authority; a letter of good standing and a copy of the state's rules must be sent directly from each listed jurisdiction's board to the Alabama Board; proof of citizenship; 4% card fee. Form VL-1 is completed by the origin board with license title, issue and expiration dates, exam type, score and date, and disciplinary history. Form VL-2 is a notarized affidavit that the applicant is licensed under a reciprocal agreement, has taken an equivalent exam with a passing score of at least 70%, and will comply with Alabama law. The package also carries the Secretary of State foreign corporation registration ($150). The AL-2 sheet still quotes the pre-2024 $190/$95 fees.
- State of Alabama HACR Contractor Board Examinations - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, July 3, 2025) · Prov, Inc. (testing vendor contracted by the Alabama HACR Board) · Other · verified September 15, 2026The Board 'has contracted with Prov, Inc. to develop, and administer their licensing examination program'; exams are (HAC) Heating and Air Conditioning (115 questions, 5 hours) and Refrigeration (115 questions, 4 hours), open book, passing score 70%; the exam fee is paid to the State and Prov charges nothing; the Board approves the candidate before scheduling.
- 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.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.