Tennessee to North Carolina: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
North Carolina has a specific endorsement rule for Tennessee master HVAC technicians.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Neighbor State License Recognition Act (Tennessee CMC / CMC-C qualifying agent, NC residents only)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
There is no reciprocity agreement with Tennessee, and Tennessee's trade-exam-waiver list with North Carolina covers only building and electrical work, but under G.S. 93B-15.3 and the Board's published checklist an individual who has established residence in North Carolina and has been licensed in Tennessee for at least one year may obtain the equivalent North Carolina heating contractor license without taking the North Carolina examinations. Because Tennessee's CMC and CMC-C licenses are issued to businesses, the applicant would be the qualifying agent who personally passed the Tennessee mechanical or HVAC trade exam, and the Board decides whether that credential is at the same or substantially equivalent practice level as the NC heating classification requested. The applicant files one package containing a copy of the NC driver's license, proof of a physical NC address and a matching utility bill, copies of every license held, a list of every jurisdiction ever licensed, verification from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors that the license was obtained by exam, the Board's experience forms documenting hours, a Castle Branch criminal background report and a notarized statement about surrenders and discipline, and then attends the Board's free four-hour Laws and Rules class. Tennessee residents cannot use this route.
Whether the Board treats a Tennessee CMC/CMC-C qualifying agent, or a Nashville/Memphis/Chattanooga master mechanical license, as equivalent to an NC heating contractor license is not published; the statute covers state licenses and the Board decides case by case. Fees are the amounts the Board's packet prints for licensure without examination.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 1 year.Tennessee licensure for a minimum of one year
- 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.
- Current North Carolina resident: active NC driver's license plus a physical-address document and matching utility bill
What you'll do to get licensed in North Carolina
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Application fee for licensure without examination as printed in the Board's 2026 application packet.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Annual license fee as printed in the Board's 2026 application packet.
- 3Background check. Complete a background check. Current criminal background report through Castle Branch.
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Attend the Board's free four-hour seated Laws and Rules class.
- 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 $180, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
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 North Carolina licenses master HVAC technicians
North Carolina master HVAC technician · “Heating Contractor (H1-I / H1-II, H2, H3-I / H3-II)”
Statewide license
Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
North Carolina has no 'master HVAC' license; its highest HVAC credential is the Heating Contractor license issued to an individual by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors under G.S. 87-21, in Heating Group 1 (steam, vapor and hot-water comfort heating), Group 2 (forced-air heating/cooling with more than 15 tons of cooling) and Group 3 (forced-air heating/cooling of 15 tons or less), each with Class I (any building) and Class II (single-family detached dwellings) except Group 2, which is Class I only. The license is earned personally by passing the 4-hour technical exam and the 1.5-hour Business and Law exam and belongs to the individual, who may list it in a firm name and add sub-licensees; that is why this site maps it to the master level. A new applicant needs 4,000 hours of hands-on experience (up to half from technical education), pays $150 per examination, submits a nationwide criminal background report and Social Security verification, and after licensure pays an annual license fee of $150. The Board states that it has no license reciprocity with any state; the only technical-exam waiver is with South Carolina, and North Carolina residents licensed in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia may ask for licensure without examination under the Neighbor State License Recognition Act. Commercial, industrial, transport and service refrigeration (not comfort cooling) requires a separate Class I-IV Refrigeration Contractor license from the State Board of Refrigeration Contractors ($100 exam, 4,000 hours, EPA 608 Type II or Universal required), which has no reciprocity but offers the same neighbor-state route to new NC residents. EPA Section 608 certification is required federally to handle refrigerants.
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 does not publish its own mechanical license classes and fees online, 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 North Carolina 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 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a North Carolina master HVAC technician license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $180, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee work hours count in North Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from North Carolina to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Carolina to Tennessee, 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
- N.C.G.S. 87-21 - Definitions; contractors licensed by Board; examination; posting license · N.C.G.S. 87-21(a), (b), (g) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- N.C.G.S. 87-58 - Refrigeration contractor license; classes; examination; reciprocity · N.C.G.S. 87-58 · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 - Licensure recognition for individuals licensed in neighboring states · N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 (S.L. 2025-61) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors - Applicant Information · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Application Packet for Persons Applying for Plumbing, Heating or Fuel Piping Contractor License (Form PHFP-1, 2026-06) · G.S. 87-21(g) · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Exam Information 2026 - exam durations · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- License Definitions - Contractor (2026-06) · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Neighbor State License Recognition for North Carolina Residents (Board checklist) · G.S. 93B-15.3 · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- NC State Board of Refrigeration Contractors - General FAQ · North Carolina State Board of Refrigeration Contractors · Faq · verified September 15, 2026
- Application for Refrigeration Examination (revised July 26, 2025) · 21 NCAC 60 .0207; G.S. 87-64 · North Carolina State Board of Refrigeration Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- Licensure Requirements for New Residents pursuant to G.S. 93B-15.3(b) - NC State Board of Refrigeration Contractors · G.S. 93B-15.3(b); 21 NCAC 60 · North Carolina State Board of Refrigeration Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- 21 NCAC Chapter 60 - Board of Refrigeration Contractors rules (periodic readoption) · 21 NCAC 60 .0207, .0209, .0211, .0213 · North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings / NC State Board of Refrigeration Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.