Moving to South Carolina as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
South Carolina has reciprocity agreements with 9 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
South Carolina master HVAC technician · “Mechanical Contractor, Air Conditioning (AC) / Heating (HT) / Refrigeration (RG) classification - Qualifying Party certification”
Statewide license
South Carolina has no 'master HVAC' license. The highest person-held HVAC credential is the Contractor's Licensing Board's Qualifying Party certification in the Air Conditioning (AC), Heating (HT), Refrigeration (RG) or Packaged Equipment (PK, up to 25 tons and 500,000 BTU per unit) classification of the Mechanical Contractor license: the individual passes the South Carolina technical exam for each classification through PSI and the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors exam, documents two years of experience within the past five (or a PHCC Academy of North Carolina heating and air-conditioning apprenticeship), and is certified as the qualifying party for a licensed entity (which may be a sole proprietorship); the certification stays with the person, who 'is not a licensed contractor' alone. The license itself is issued to the business, with a $350 licensure fee and a financial statement or surety bond sized by license group (Mechanical Group 2, jobs to $100,000: working capital $10,000 or net worth $15,000, or a $15,000 bond). A residential-only alternative is the Residential Builders Commission's Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer license ($135 application, $220 license), issued to the individual after one year of residential HVAC experience and the residential technical plus Business Management and Law exams. South Carolina has technical-exam waiver agreements, listed in the Board's Technical Exam Waiver Agreement List (revised May 2026), covering HVAC classifications for Alabama (Heating and Air Conditioning, Refrigeration), Georgia (Unrestricted Conditioned Air), Louisiana (Statewide Mechanical), North Carolina (Heating Groups 1, 2 and 3), Ohio (HVAC, packaged equipment only), Tennessee (CMC and CMC-C), Texas (Class A and Class B air conditioning and refrigeration) and Utah (HVAC, warm air heating, refrigerated air conditioning and refrigeration exams passed before May 2017), plus the MASC/CAGC HARV Master Mechanical card. Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina licenses obtained by exam and held for a year also waive the technical exam for the residential license. Every waiver applicant must still pass the South Carolina Business Management & Law exam. Licensees from other states take the South Carolina technical exam. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.
States South Carolina reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Colorado | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Georgia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Louisiana | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Minnesota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Mississippi | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Montana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| New Hampshire | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| North Carolina | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Ohio | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Tennessee | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Texas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Utah | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-23 |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| West Virginia | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-23 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-23 |
Getting licensed in South Carolina from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how South Carolina issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
Mechanical Contractor qualifying party, Air Conditioning classification, by examination
South Carolina has no state journeyman HVAC license, so there is no lower state tier to hold first: anyone may sit the exams. The individual passes the South Carolina Air Conditioning technical exam (plus the Heating, Refrigeration or Packaged Equipment exam for each further classification wanted) and the South Carolina Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam through PSI, with no pre-approval needed to schedule, and then applies to the Contractor's Licensing Board for qualifying party certification with proof of at least two years of full-time work in each classification within the past five years. The license itself is issued to a business (which can be a sole proprietorship) that designates the certified individual as its primary qualifying party, pays the $350 license fee and files a financial statement or surety bond for its job-size group. A current CAGC (formerly MASC) HARV Master Mechanical certification earned by examination replaces the Air Conditioning and Heating technical exams, but the Business Management and Law exam is always required.
State law requires a score of 70 percent or better on both exams. The Air Conditioning exam has 80 questions (56 correct to pass) in 4 hours and covers systems that produce conditioned air for heating or cooling, but not hot water or steam heating, which belongs to the separate Heating classification. The Heating and Refrigeration exams each have 50 questions (35 to pass) in 3 hours; Packaged Equipment, a narrower classification for packaged units and heat pumps, has 80 questions in 4 hours. References include the 2021 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes with South Carolina modifications, OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and ACCA Manuals J, D and N; approved books may be brought in with permanent tabs only. The Business Management and Law exam has 50 questions (35 to pass) in 125 minutes and may be retaken without limit; a technical exam may be taken twice in 12 months and then once every six months. Someone who has not held a qualifying party certification for four or more consecutive years must pass the exams again. For residential-only work, the Residential Builders Commission's Residential HVAC Installer and Repairer license is a separate credential with its own exams (one year of residential HVAC experience, $135 application fee, $220 license fee). EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement for handling refrigerants; the Board does not list it among its licensing requirements.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
Who can apply
- You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.Documented on Work Experience Affidavits (Doc. 167) from current or former employers. Experience should primarily reflect commercial work, and out-of-state experience counts.
- To be designated primary qualifying party, the individual must serve in a management capacity for the licensed business and be actively involved in supervising its HVAC work
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship
Instead of the Work Experience Affidavits, an applicant may submit the Certificate of Achievement from a completed PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship program in heating, air conditioning or plumbing. The same exams are required.
- Complete a registered apprenticeship: Completion of a PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship program (heating and air conditioning), shown by its Certificate of Achievement.
- To be designated primary qualifying party, the individual must serve in a management capacity for the licensed business and be actively involved in supervising its HVAC work
Steps to get licensed
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. South Carolina Air Conditioning exam (PSI): 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70 percent to pass. Each further classification (Heating, Refrigeration or Packaged Equipment) needs its own technical exam..
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. South Carolina Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam (PSI): 50 questions, 125 minutes, open book, 70 percent to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($60). PSI fee for the Air Conditioning exam, per attempt.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI fee for the Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam, per attempt.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75) (if applicable). PSI fee for the Heating exam, only if the Heating classification is also wanted; the Refrigeration exam is also $75 and the Packaged Equipment exam $60.
- 6Other. Primary Qualifying Party/Qualifying Party Initial Application (Doc. 168) with PSI pass sheets, Work Experience Affidavits (or the PHCC Academy certificate), a copy of a government photo ID and Social Security card, a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence and the company acknowledgement affidavit. The Board lists no separate certification fee..
- 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($350). Mechanical Contractor license fee, non-refundable, paid by the business with the General and Mechanical Contractor application (Doc. 165).
- 8Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Financial statement with a balance sheet dated within 12 months showing the working capital or net worth for the license group: Group 1 (jobs to $35,000) $3,500 or $7,000; Group 2 ($100,000) $10,000 or $15,000; Group 3 ($200,000) $20,000 or $30,000; Group 4 ($400,000) $40,000 or $60,000; Group 5 (unlimited) $200,000 or $300,000. Groups 1 and 2 may use the owner-prepared statement (Doc. 172); higher groups need a CPA-compiled or audited statement..
- 9Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($7,000) (if applicable). Surety bond accepted instead of the financial statement, from $7,000 for Group 1 to $15,000 for Group 2, $30,000 for Group 3, $60,000 for Group 4 and $300,000 for Group 5.
- 10Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). For a corporation, LLC or partnership, a certificate of existence (or good standing) or of authority from the South Carolina Secretary of State; not required for a sole proprietorship.
- 11Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). A criminal background report dated within 30 days (SLED for South Carolina) is required only from applicants who answer yes to a background question on the application.
Published fees on this path total $485, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years and a $135 renewal fee.
Mechanical Contractor licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; the next renewal opens in August 2027. The business must file a current financial statement or keep its surety bond in force before renewing online. Late fees of $100 to $200 apply to renewals postmarked November 1 through January 31. The Board's renewal and fee pages list no continuing-education requirement.
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 · $60
- Exam fee · $75
- Exam fee · $75 · if applicable
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 · $7,000 · if applicable
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 · if applicable
Sources for this section
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 11 - Contractors · S.C. Code Ann. Sections 40-11-30, 40-11-230, 40-11-260, 40-11-262, 40-11-290, 40-11-410 · South Carolina Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- General and Mechanical Contractor Application for Licensure and Instructions (Doc. 165, 12/22/2025 v2.2) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- General and Mechanical Contractors - Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) and Qualifying Party (QP) Initial Application (Doc. 168, 12/19/2025 v2.1) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Fees · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Licensure with the Board (application, qualifying parties, exams, group limits, financial statements, bonds) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Renew My License (2026-2028 General Contractor renewals) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board Commercial Contractors Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the SC Contractor’s Licensing Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026