Moving to New Mexico as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
New Mexico has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
New Mexico master HVAC technician · “MM-3 HVAC Contractor (qualifying party certificate of qualification)”
Statewide license
New Mexico has no 'master HVAC' license. Its highest heating and cooling credential is the MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning contractor classification (install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air-handling and refrigeration equipment, piping and ductwork, with controls at 24 volts or less); the broader MM-98 Mechanical classification covers MM-3 plus plumbing, gas fitting and process piping. CID issues the contractor's license to the contracting entity and a personal, non-transferable certificate of qualification to the qualifying party, the individual who passed the MM-3 trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam, so this site maps the MM-3 qualifying party to the master level. A qualifying party needs four years of experience in the classification within the ten years before application. Even with an MM-3 license the hands-on work must still be done by or under a certified JR or JSM journeyman. CID publishes reciprocity only for EE-98J electrical journeymen; no reciprocity or exam waiver is published for mechanical qualifying parties or contractors, although NMSA 60-13-14(C) allows the division to enter into reciprocal agreements with states having equivalent requirements.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Montana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Utah | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| West Virginia | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in New Mexico from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how New Mexico issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
MM-3 qualifying party certificate by examination
New Mexico's MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning credential is a qualifying party (QP) certificate held by the individual who qualifies a contractor's license, and it is earned by examination without first holding the JR or JSM journeyman certificate. An applicant at least 18 years old documents four years (8,000 hours) of MM-3 experience within the ten years before applying, on a notarized QP application with notarized work experience affidavits, and pays $36 to PSI. Once approved, the applicant passes the MM-3 trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam, both open book with 75% required (an approved Business and Law course may replace that exam). The certificate takes effect when it qualifies a contractor's license, which the business, or the QP as a sole proprietor, obtains with a $10,000 code bond, New Mexico tax registration, workers' compensation coverage and the license fees.
The MM-3 exam has 100 questions in 245 minutes covering motors, controls and low-voltage wiring, piping, heating and cooling equipment, refrigerants and refrigeration, and ductwork and ventilation; allowed references include the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, the 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code and SMACNA duct construction standards. Business and Law has 50 questions in 130 minutes. The trade exam and Business and Law must both be passed within one year, and all requirements must be met within six months of approval. Experience counts only if it was gained with a contractor licensed in the trade or was legal work where it was performed. The NASCLA exam waiver is limited to general building and electrical classifications, so it does not apply to MM-3. The broader MM-98 Mechanical license covers MM-1 through MM-4 and costs $300 per three-year term. Even under an MM-3 license, hands-on work must be done by or under a certified JR or JSM journeyman, and anyone who personally handles refrigerant needs federal EPA Section 608 certification. A QP certificate is cancelled if it goes two consecutive years without qualifying a license.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 75%
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
Who can apply
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Four years of practical or related trade experience in MM-3 work within the ten years immediately before application (NMSA 60-13-14(B)(8); 14.6.3.8(G) and 14.6.6.11 NMAC). Holding a JR or JSM journeyman certificate is not required.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Accredited technical training plus experience
Technical training from an accredited college, university, technical-vocational institute, manufacturer's program or apprenticeship program counts at half a year of experience per year of training, up to half of the four-year requirement, so at least 4,000 hours must be work experience.
- Accredited technical training in the HVAC trade, credited at half a year of experience per year of training, up to half of the four-year requirement
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.MM-3 work within the ten years before application.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Qualifying party application fee paid to PSI with the notarized application and work experience affidavits.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($6). Qualifying party certificate fee for the MM-3 classification.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. MM-3 Heat, Vent and Air Conditioning exam by PSI: 100 questions, 245 minutes, open book, 75% to pass.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the MM-3 exam, first attempt or retake.
- 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Contractor's Business and Law exam (50 questions, open book, 75% to pass), or a commission-approved Business and Law course instead.
- 6Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
- 7Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license ($30). MM-3 contractor's license application fee, non-refundable, plus a $6 certificate fee.
- 8License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). MM-3 contractor's license fee for the three-year license term; MM-98 is $300 (PSI fee schedule).
- 9Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($10,000). $10,000 contractor license code bond from a corporate surety authorized in New Mexico, covering the full license term.
- 10Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required of all licensees; a sole proprietor with no employees may be exempt.
- 11Business license. Obtain a business license. New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department registration certificate issued within the last 12 months, and Secretary of State registration for a corporation, LLC or partnership, in the exact name on the license application.
Published fees on this path total $323.76, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 3 years and a $150 renewal fee.
CID's continuing education rule applies to journeyman certificates, and the contractor license renewal instructions list no continuing education. A qualifying party who also holds a JR or JSM certificate owes 16 hours per cycle to renew that certificate.
The qualifying party certificate has no renewal of its own: it stays valid while it qualifies an active license and is cancelled if it goes two consecutive years without qualifying one. The MM-3 contractor's license is renewed every three years with the renewal fee and a new bond or continuation certificate; late fees are $1 per day for the first 30 days and one year's fee for 30 to 90 days, and the license is cancelled after 90 days.
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 · $68.88
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $68.88
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 · $10,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
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
Sources for this section
- Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 (RLD compilation as of July 1, 2021) · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-3, 60-13-14, 60-13-14.1, 60-13-23, 60-13-49 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- 14.6.3 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Contractor's License Requirements · 14.6.3.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 14.6.4 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Journeyman Certification · 14.6.4.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 14.6.6 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Classifications and Scopes of Work · 14.6.6.8 and 14.6.6.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- NM CID - How to Obtain a Contractor License and Contractor License Application (updated October 2023) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- State of New Mexico Contractor (Qualifying Party) Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- NM CID / PSI - How to Renew a Contractor License (June 2025) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- New Mexico Licensing Fees (CID contractor, qualifying party and journeyman fee schedule) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- NM CID Qualifying Party Certificate Application and Instructions (instructions updated May 2025, form updated August 2025) · PSI Services for the New Mexico Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - CID Continuing Education · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026