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

Washington has no master HVAC or mechanical contractor license and no HVAC trade or business exam. A business that installs or services heating, ventilation, air conditioning or refrigeration systems must register with the Department of Labor & Industries as a general contractor or as an HVAC specialty contractor, which requires a Department of Revenue business registration, a continuous surety bond of $30,000 (general) or $15,000 (specialty) or an equivalent assignment of savings, a general liability insurance policy and a $150.20 application fee; unlike plumbing, electrical, elevator, boiler and asbestos work, HVAC carries no additional education, examination or licensing requirement. Electrical work on the equipment must be done by 06A or 06B HVAC/Refrigeration specialty electricians, or by a licensed electrical contractor, and refrigerant handling requires federal EPA Section 608 certification. Registration does not evaluate or credit an out-of-state master HVAC license, and L&I publishes no HVAC reciprocity; a master HVAC licensee who only wants to work for an employer needs no Washington license, while one who wants to contract independently simply registers.