Moving to Oklahoma as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
Oklahoma has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
Oklahoma master HVAC technician · “Mechanical Contractor (HVAC/R Unlimited or Limited)”
Statewide license
Issued by Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), Mechanical Division
Oklahoma has no 'master HVAC' license; its highest person-held HVAC credential is the Mechanical Contractor license, which CIB issues to an individual who passes the two-part contractor exam (technical trade and Mechanical Business and Law, 70% each, $92 per portion). This site maps the HVAC/R Unlimited (or Limited) Mechanical Contractor license to the master level. An applicant needs the journeyman qualifications plus one additional year, so four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable experience in the category, and pays $330 ($30 application plus $300 initial license). After passing, an inactive license issues until the contractor files a $5,000 corporate surety bond and a $50,000 commercial general liability certificate with CIB; an inactive contractor may work as a journeyman. Every mechanical firm must have a licensed contractor associated with and responsible for its work. OAC 158:50-9-6 lets CIB sign contractor reciprocity agreements, under which the applicant would still have to pass the Business and Law portion, but CIB publishes no mechanical partner states. Licenses renew annually ($200) with six hours of continuing education every 36 months.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Georgia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Idaho | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Oklahoma from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Oklahoma issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
Mechanical Contractor (HVAC/R Unlimited) by examination
Oklahoma has no master HVAC license; its highest mechanical credential is the Mechanical Contractor license, which this site treats as the master level. You must meet the journeyman qualifications plus one more year: be 18 or older with four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable HVAC/R experience gained while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor. CIB's rules do not require you to hold the journeyman license first. You file the Application for Mechanical Examination with notarized experience affidavits and $330, then pass both portions of the PSI contractor exam, the HVACR Contractor Unlimited trade exam and the Mechanical Business and Law exam, each open book with 70% to pass. The license stays inactive until you file a $5,000 corporate surety bond and a certificate of $50,000 general liability insurance in your own name with CIB, and you must be a permanent employee, owner, partner or officer of the mechanical firm; an inactive contractor may work as a journeyman.
The HVACR Contractor Unlimited trade exam has 90 questions in 240 minutes on the 2018 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code with Oklahoma revisions and other listed references. The Business and Law exam has 50 questions in 120 minutes on bidding, project management, contracts, finance, labor, risk management, payroll and licensing; its references include the Mechanical Licensing Act, the CIB mechanical rules, the Oklahoma lien law, the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management and the Workers' Compensation Act. If you pass only one portion, you retake just the other one within three years of being approved to test; after that you must retake both. If you pass only the trade portion, you may use that score to apply for a journeyman license in the same category within one year. You must be able to read the exam without assistance. The bond and insurance are waived for a contractor employed by a single business or public entity that files an affidavit accepting financial responsibility for work on its own property. CIB also issues HVAC/R Limited, Refrigeration, Sheet Metal, Natural Gas Piping and Process Piping contractor licenses, and a current contractor can add another category without retaking Business and Law.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every year
Who can apply
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The journeyman requirement of three years plus one additional year of verifiable experience, at 2,000 hours per year, obtained while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor (OAC 158:50-9-1(b)(2)). For the Unlimited category the experience must be certified on equipment above 25 tons and 500,000 Btu/h.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Approved mechanical education plus two years of experience
The journeyman education substitutions also apply to contractors, who need one year more than a journeyman. An associate degree or vocational diploma from a 1,000-hour Committee-approved mechanical program plus two years (4,000 hours) of verifiable experience qualifies; shorter approved programs of 250 to 500 hours replace between half a year and one year of experience. Attach an official transcript and the diploma or certificate of completion.
- Complete at least 1,000 hours of classroom or related instruction.
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The journeyman's one year after education plus the contractor's additional year.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Military experience
Equivalent, verifiable mechanical experience earned while serving in the U.S. military counts toward the experience requirement. Both exam portions, the fees, and the bond and insurance still apply.
- Equivalent, verifiable experience in the mechanical trade while serving in the U.S. military
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($30). Contractor application fee, non-refundable (OAC 158:50-9-2(b)).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($300). Initial contractor license fee, submitted with the application.
- 3Other. Notarized Application for Mechanical Examination with a notarized experience affidavit from each certifier and a notarized Affidavit Verifying Lawful Presence in the United States.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Oklahoma HVACR Contractor Unlimited trade exam administered by PSI: 90 questions, 240 minutes, open book, 70% to pass.
- 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Oklahoma Mechanical Business and Law exam administered by PSI: 50 questions, 120 minutes, open book, 70% to pass.
- 6Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($184). PSI fee of $92 per examination portion (two portions), non-refundable; each retake is another $92.
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000). Continuous $5,000 corporate surety bond in the license holder's name, payable to the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, filed before the license is activated (OAC 158:50-5-3(a)).
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($50,000). Certificate of at least $50,000 commercial general liability insurance in the license holder's name, with CIB as certificate holder (OAC 158:50-5-3(b)).
- 9Other. You must be a permanent employee, owner, partner or officer of the mechanical firm, and may be responsible for only one firm (branch offices allowed).
Published fees on this path total $514, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year and a $200 renewal fee.
Six hours of Committee-approved continuing education in the 36 months before the license expires, not every year. Courses cover the codes adopted by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission and other approved trade topics such as the Mechanical Licensing Act and CIB rules. You are exempt for three years from the date you passed your current licensing exam.
Active and inactive contractor licenses both renew every year and expire on the last day of your birth month. A license renewed more than 30 days late also owes the $100 contractor late fee. Active contractors must keep their bond and insurance current or the license becomes inactive.
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 · $184
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 · $5,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $50,000
Sources for this section
- Oklahoma CIB - Active Contractor Requirements (bond and insurance) · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Industry · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Application Information and Application for Mechanical Examination · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Contractor · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma CIB - Mechanical Journeyman · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Oklahoma Mechanical Licensing Act, 59 O.S. §§ 1850.1 et seq. · 59 O.S. §§ 1850.6, 1850.7, 1850.8, 1850.8A · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- OAC Title 158, Chapter 50 - Mechanical Industry Regulations (permanent rules effective 10/1/2020) · OAC 158:50-5-2, 158:50-5-3, 158:50-9-1, 158:50-9-2, 158:50-9-4.1, 158:50-9-6, 158:50-9-7 · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- State of Oklahoma Electrical, Mechanical, Roofing and Plumbing Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026