Moving to Ohio as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
Ohio has reciprocity agreements with 7 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Ohio master HVAC technician · “HVAC Contractor / Refrigeration Contractor (OCILB state license)”
Statewide license
Issued by Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce
Ohio has no license called 'master HVAC'; its top person-held HVAC credential is the statewide HVAC Contractor license (with a separate Refrigeration Contractor license for refrigeration work) issued by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) to an individual who qualified by examination (R.C. 4740.01(A)), who then assigns it to a contracting company. Other states' reciprocity forms pair this license with their master HVAC or mechanical contractor licenses, so it is treated here as the master level. A new applicant must be 18, a citizen or legal alien, have five years as a tradesperson in the trade immediately before applying (or be an Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), pass BCI and FBI background checks, pass both sections of the PSI-administered examination (trade and Business & Law), carry $500,000 of contractor liability insurance in one company name, and pay a $25 application fee and $25 license fee per trade; licenses expire annually and renew with 8 hours of continuing education (24 for three-year renewals). OCILB's published reciprocity list covers HVAC licenses from Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia (refrigeration from Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee), with the Ohio Business and Law exam still required for Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee licensees. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is required of anyone handling refrigerants but is not part of the OCILB application.
States Ohio reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Louisiana | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 Mexico | 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 |
| 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Tennessee | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Ohio from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Ohio issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
HVAC Contractor license by examination
Ohio has no state journeyman HVAC license, so there is no lower tier to hold first: a tradesperson qualifies for the state HVAC Contractor license directly from documented trade experience. The usual route is five years as a tradesperson in the HVAC trade immediately before applying, shown with five consecutive years of tax records plus permits, an active journeyman card, an apprenticeship completion certificate or 40 hours of code courses. After OCILB approves the notarized application you complete BCI and FBI background checks, then pass two open-book PSI exams, the HVAC Contractor trade exam and the Ohio Contractor's Business and Law exam, with 70% on each. The license is issued to you personally on proof of passing, a $25 fee and $500,000 of liability insurance, and must be assigned to one contracting company registered to do business in Ohio.
The HVAC trade exam has 100 scored questions in 4 hours covering general knowledge, warm-air heating and air distribution, ventilation and exhaust, air conditioning, piping, equipment and appliances, and testing and inspection. You bring your own copies of the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, the 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (22nd edition), which may be tabbed and highlighted but not written in. The Business and Law exam has 50 scored questions in 2 hours with the NASCLA Ohio contractor's guide provided at the test center, and it need only be passed once every three years if you later add another trade. Refrigeration Contractor is a separate license for food and product preservation refrigeration (not comfort cooling) with the same eligibility, fees and Business and Law exam and its own 60-question, 3-hour open-book trade exam; each license needs its own application. Board approval is valid for one year, and results come at the end of the exam. After a failed exam you wait 60 days to retake; after five failures you must reapply. By statute the board authorizes the license within 90 days after the application is filed for a qualified applicant who passes. Holders of a substantially similar out-of-state license have a separate examination route under R.C. 4740.06(C).
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every year
- Continuing education
- 10 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.Documented with W-2s, Schedule C or K-1 for the last five consecutive years, plus one of: at least one permit for each of those years pulled by the licensed contractor you worked for; an active journeyman card in the trade; a certificate of completion from an Ohio- or U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship in the trade; or 40 hours of live or webinar HVAC code courses from an OCILB-approved training agency, dated within one year of the application. Gas service permits do not count. Active military service may be credited.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Ohio registered professional engineer
A currently registered Ohio professional engineer with three years of business experience in the HVAC construction industry may sit for the exam. An engineer not registered in Ohio needs five years of business experience in the trade.
- Currently registered as a professional engineer in Ohio
- You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Five years as an Ohio government HVAC inspector
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Five years in the trade, not immediately before applying
The HVAC section may accept five years of trade experience that does not fall in the five years before the application, provided at least three of the five years were construction work on commercial or residential HVAC projects. Education programs other than an Ohio-approved apprenticeship may substitute for up to one year of the five.
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.Up to one year may be replaced by an education program. Counter sales, manufacturer representative, purchasing, clerical and unrelated general-contractor work do not count.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Owner, partner or employee of a licensed HVAC contracting company
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Uniformed services experience
An applicant who was actively engaged in substantially similar HVAC work in the uniformed services for at least three of the five years before applying may sit for the exam. Veterans attach a DD214 and may add training records or a commanding officer's letter.
- You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- United States citizen or legal alien with documentation
- No disqualifying offense or crime of moral turpitude, no violation of R.C. Chapter 4740, and no fraud in obtaining a license or in the conduct of business
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Notarized OCILB Examination Application fee per trade, nonrefundable, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
- 2Background check. Complete a background check. BCI (Ohio) and FBI fingerprint background checks after the board approves the application and before the exam, with results sent directly to OCILB; the checks are valid for one year.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Ohio HVAC Contractor exam (PSI): 100 scored questions, 4 hours, open book on the 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 70% to pass.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Ohio Contractor's Business and Law exam (PSI): 50 scored questions, 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($69). PSI examination fee per registration, first attempt or retake, nonrefundable.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). License issuance fee per trade, sent with the passing score report.
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Certificate of contractor liability insurance of at least $500,000, including complete operations coverage, in one contracting company's name with OCILB as certificate holder.
- 8Business license. Obtain a business license. The contracting company the license is assigned to must be registered with the Ohio Secretary of State to do business in Ohio.
- 9Other. Assignment of the license to one contracting company (no DBAs), or a written request for inactive status.
Published fees on this path total $119, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year with 10 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $60 renewal fee.
Ten hours each year in courses approved by any OCILB specialty section, taken from approved training agencies; an HVAC licensee who also holds an electrical license must include five hours of electrical code. Hours do not carry over, and no more than ten hours count per day. OCILB's page lists 8 hours for one-year renewals and 24 hours for three-year renewals, which are the compliant contractor program figures: after a year of compliance you may join the program, which lowers the requirement to eight hours for an annual renewal or allows a three-year renewal with 24 hours of CE and a $180 fee.
Licenses expire annually on the original license date and may be renewed up to 90 days before expiration. A late renewal within one year of expiration carries a late fee of up to $120; after more than one year you must reapply and retest. You must keep $500,000 of liability insurance in force but no longer file proof with the renewal.
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
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $69
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $500,000
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- Ohio Adm.Code 4101:16-1-08 - Compliant contractor program · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Ohio Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ohio Adm.Code 4101:16-2-01 - Examination qualifications · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Ohio Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ohio Adm.Code 4101:16-2-02 - Application for examination; criminal records check · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Ohio Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ohio Adm.Code 4101:16-2-08 - Continuing education hours of instruction requirements · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Ohio Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ohio Adm.Code 4101:16-2-09 - Fees and insurance · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Ohio Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- OCILB - Contractors & Contracting Companies (five licensed trades, requirements, reciprocity list) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- OCILB Examination Application (form DIC 3524, PDF) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code 4740.01 - Construction industry licensing board definitions · R.C. 4740.01 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code 4740.06 - License application; qualifications for examination · R.C. 4740.06(B), (C), (E), (F), (G), (H) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board contractor examinations · PSI Services LLC for the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026