LicensebyState

Moving to Iowa as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule

Iowa has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Iowa master HVAC technician · “Master HVAC-Refrigeration”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)

Iowa's highest person-held HVAC credential is the Master HVAC-Refrigeration license issued by the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (DIAL); a Master Mechanical license, which adds sheet metal and hydronic work, is issued to anyone who passes both the master HVAC-refrigeration and master hydronic exams. A new master applicant must have previously been a licensed journeyperson in the discipline with at least two years of journey-level experience, or have been licensed as a master in the discipline in another state or local jurisdiction, and must pass the Iowa master exam (75%) through Kirkwood Community College. The separate Contractor license is a business credential: a sole proprietor or firm that contracts for HVAC work must hold or employ a master in each discipline, carry $500,000 liability insurance and a $5,000 surety bond (out-of-state contractors add a $25,000 chapter 91C bond), and register as a contractor with DIAL on the same application. Iowa has no HVAC reciprocity agreement with any state and states plainly that there is no reciprocity for contractor licenses. An out-of-state master may sit the Iowa master exam directly on the strength of the out-of-state license; Iowa residents may use licensure by verification but the board still requires the Iowa exam. Licenses run three years and require eight hours of continuing education per term.

Every origin state

Endorsement 23No credit 27
Every state's path into Iowa
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-15
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-15
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-15
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MontanaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
NebraskaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
North DakotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
OhioEndorsement2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-15
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
South DakotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
VermontNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
West VirginiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Iowa from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Iowa issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 11 sources

Master HVAC-Refrigeration license by examination

An Iowa journeyperson becomes a master by gaining at least two years of journeyperson experience in HVAC-refrigeration and passing the Iowa Master HVAC/Refrigeration with Gas exam. The process matches the journeyperson route: an exam approval application to the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, an open-book exam scheduled and paid for with Kirkwood Community College (75% to pass), then a post-examination licensure application and the master license fee. The master license is held by you personally; to contract for HVAC work, a business also needs the separate Contractor license, for which you can serve as master of record. There is no separate law or business exam.

The exam has 100 questions in 4 hours covering HVAC terms, principles and administration, installation, venting, duct and combustion air, gas piping, HVAC electrical, boilers, exhaust and fire protection, and refrigeration; the allowed references are the same as for the journeyperson exam (Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 21st edition; 2024 International Mechanical Code; 2024 NFPA 54). A passing score expires if you do not apply for the license within two years. Anyone who passes both the master HVAC-refrigeration and master hydronic exams may be issued a Master Mechanical license. The Contractor license, held by a sole proprietor or firm, requires an active master of record, $500,000 of public liability insurance, a $5,000 surety bond, a permanent place of business, an unemployment insurance number and DIAL contractor registration ($250 license plus $150 registration for a full period).

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Kirkwood Community College
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
75%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
8 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Iowa Journeyperson HVAC-Refrigeration (or Mechanical) license for at least 2 years first.At least two years of journeyperson experience in the HVAC-refrigeration discipline (Iowa Code 105.18(2)(c); 481 IAC 429.2(3), 429.6(3)(i)).
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Previously licensed as a master in HVAC-refrigeration

An applicant who has previously held a master license in the same discipline, including one issued by another state or a local jurisdiction, may sit for the Iowa master exam without first holding the journeyperson license. The same exam and fees apply.

  • Previously licensed as a master in the HVAC-refrigeration discipline, in Iowa, another state or a local jurisdiction
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). Exam approval application fee, per discipline exam; approval is valid for one year.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Iowa Master HVAC/Refrigeration with Gas exam given by Kirkwood Community College: open book, 100 questions, 4 hours, 75% to pass.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($119). Kirkwood Community College examination fee, paid to Kirkwood for each attempt; non-refundable.
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check. Disclose every criminal conviction on the application and attach the complete criminal record and a personal statement for each one. The board reviews felony convictions to decide eligibility. You may optionally ask the board for an eligibility determination before applying, for a $25 fee..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($240). Master license fee for a full three-year period, prorated by one-sixth for each six-month period already elapsed when the license is issued (for example $120 in the second half of year two). A 30% discount applies when two or more journeyperson, master or contractor licenses are bought in one transaction..
  6. 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25) (if applicable). Paper application fee for the post-examination licensure application if it is not filed through the online portal.

Published fees on this path total $394, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $240 renewal fee.

Eight hours per three-year license period for a single HVAC/Refrigeration license: 2 hours of mechanical code, 4 hours of HVAC/R discipline and 2 hours of Iowa occupational safety and health. Holding two or more mechanical-discipline licenses raises this to 14 hours, and a plumbing license plus a mechanical license to 16. Only board-approved courses taught by approved instructors count, and up to half of the hours may be online.

All licenses expire June 30 at the end of the three-year period regardless of issue date (the current period ends June 30, 2029), and renewal opens May 1 of the final year. There is a one-month grace period; a $60 late fee applies from August 1 and $100 from September 1, when the license can no longer be used. A license lapsed more than a year must be reinstated by retaking the exam or completing the missed 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.

  • Trade exam
  • Exam fee · $119

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. Iowa Code Chapter 105 - Plumbers, Mechanical Professionals, and Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code 105.2, 105.17, 105.18, 105.19, 105.20, 105.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. DIAL - Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor License · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. DIAL - Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Examination · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. DIAL - Plumbing & Mechanical Systems License Period & Fees · 481 IAC ch. 428 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. DIAL - Master Level License (plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal, hydronic) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. DIAL - PMSB Continuing Education & Training · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. DIAL - Post-Examination Licensure · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Iowa Administrative Code 481 Chapter 428 - Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Licensure Fees · 481 IAC 428.1 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Iowa Administrative Code 481 Chapter 429 - Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Application, Licensure, and Examination · 481 IAC 429.2, 429.6 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Iowa Administrative Code 481 Chapter 432 - Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Continuing Education · 481 IAC 432.2 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  11. Kirkwood Community College - State Disciplines (Iowa plumbing and mechanical examinations) · Kirkwood Community College, the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board's contracted exam provider · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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