Wisconsin to Florida: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Florida has no reciprocity agreement with Wisconsin. A Wisconsin master HVAC technician applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Certification by endorsement (all states) or by examination
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
An HVAC contractor licensed in any other state applies on Form CILB 10 ($350) under one of three options: Option A, having passed a substantially equivalent state, regional or national exam, with the official score report and an Examination Evaluation Questionnaire completed by the origin exam provider plus proof of Florida's experience requirement; Option B, holding a license whose issuance criteria were substantially equivalent, with the license, the origin statutes and rules, and the questionnaire; or Option C, having held a valid, current same-or-similar contracting license for at least 10 years, active now or within the last 2 years, with a verification of licensure and the origin rules defining the license (the 2-hour Florida Building Code course applies only to Division I and roofing applicants, not to air-conditioning). The Board decides whether the Florida exam is waived; its own form warns that comparisons of state-specific tests are 'very stringent and rarely approved', so most applicants instead register with Professional Testing ($135) and pass the Business and Finance and Class A or Class B Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge exams through Pearson VUE ($80 each), then apply for certification. Every applicant must meet s. 489.111 experience (four years as a worker or foreman with at least one year as a foreman, or a construction-related degree plus one year, or the college-credit combinations; experience earned in another state counts), submit electronic fingerprints, a FICO-derived credit report with public-records statement (a score under 660 requires a 14-hour financial responsibility course), proof of satisfied liens and judgments, and carry $100,000 public liability / $25,000 property damage insurance and workers' compensation or an exemption. The certification application after passing the exams is $245 ($145 if filed between September 1 of an odd year and April 30 of an even year), and renewal is $205 per biennium ($255 with a qualified business). NASCLA exam endorsement is not available for air-conditioning categories.
The exams are waived only if the Board accepts the equivalence questionnaire (Options A/B) or under the 10-year provision (Option C). Examination candidates pay Professional Testing $135 each time they register plus $80 per exam part to Pearson VUE, then file the certification application (Form CILB 5-G, or CILB 6-G to qualify a business) for $245, or $145 between September 1 of an odd year and April 30 of an even year. DBPR publishes no processing time. Class C certification is closed to new applicants. EPA Section 608 certification is not mentioned on the CILB pages but is required by federal law for anyone servicing refrigerant-containing equipment.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Experience under s. 489.111(2)(c): 4 years as a worker or foreman with at least 1 year as a foreman, or a 4-year construction-related degree plus 1 year, or 1 year as a foreman plus 3 years of college credits (and the listed combinations); out-of-state employment counts and is documented with employer history
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Wisconsin that the destination considers comparable.
- You must have held your Wisconsin license for at least 10 years.Option C only: same or similar license held at least 10 years and active now or within the last 2 years; waives the exams
- Your Wisconsin license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Florida
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($350). Form CILB 10 Certification by Endorsement application fee (Options A, B or C).
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($135). Professional Testing, Inc. examination registration fee, charged each time any exam part is registered, if applying by examination instead.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Florida Class A (or Class B) Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge examination, computer-based through Pearson VUE, open book; waived only if the Board accepts the origin exam as equivalent or under the 10-year provision.
- 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Florida Business and Finance examination (Pearson VUE), waived on the same conditions.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Pearson VUE administration fee per exam part (Business and Finance $80, Trade Knowledge $80).
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($245). Certification application after passing the exams, if applying by examination (Form CILB 5-G, or CILB 6-G to qualify a business; $145 if filed between September 1 of an odd year and April 30 of an even year); biennial renewal $205, or $255 with a qualified business.
- 7Background check. Complete a background check. Electronic fingerprints for the criminal history check required by s. 489.115.
- 8Other. FICO-derived credit report with a public-records statement (personal, and business if qualifying a business); a score below 660 requires a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course.
- 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability $100,000 and property damage $25,000 insurance for air-conditioning categories, plus workers' compensation coverage or exemption.
- 10Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification to handle refrigerant; federal law requires it, but it is not a condition of this state license (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $810, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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 · $80
- Other · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Florida licenses master HVAC technicians
Florida master HVAC technician · “Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor (CAC)”
State license plus local requirements
Issued by Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Florida has no license called 'master HVAC'. The highest person-held HVAC credential is the certificate of competency as a Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor (license prefix CAC), issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR to an individual who meets the experience requirement of s. 489.111 (typically four years as a worker or foreman with at least one year as a foreman, or a degree plus one year) and passes the two-part Florida exam (Business and Finance, and Class A Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge) through Professional Testing and Pearson VUE; a Class B certificate is limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating per system, and the Certified Mechanical Contractor (CMC) covers the same systems plus piping. The certificate belongs to the person, who may then qualify a business, and is valid statewide. Alongside it, counties and municipalities examine and certify their own air-conditioning and mechanical contractors (Miami-Dade's Air Conditioning Contractor Unlimited/Limited, Broward's Class A and Class B Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractor), whose holders register with DBPR as Registered Air-Conditioning Contractors (RA) and may work only in the jurisdictions that issued the local card, which is why this level is marked Hybrid. Florida's only contractor reciprocity agreements (Louisiana, North Carolina and Mississippi, since June 1, 2021) cover General, Building and Residential licenses and not air conditioning, and the Board publishes no list of out-of-state air-conditioning exams found equivalent. Out-of-state HVAC contractors are handled by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): the Board may waive the Florida exam if the origin exam or licensing criteria are found substantially equivalent through an Examination Evaluation Questionnaire (a route the Board's own form calls 'very stringent and rarely approved'), or waives it for a contractor who has held the same or similar license for at least 10 years; everyone else takes the Florida exams. Endorsement costs $350; examination candidates pay $135 to register plus $80 per exam part, the certification application after passing is $245, and biennial renewal is $205. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.
How local licensing works in Florida
Local contractor cards and state registration. Under s. 489.105(10), a registered contractor is one who registered with DBPR after 'fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued' and 'may contract only in such jurisdictions'; the Board's FAQ says registration requires a copy of the local contractor's license and allows practice only in that county or city and any adjoining jurisdictions that accept it, while certified contractors work anywhere in Florida. The registration application fee is $100 and the initial registration $200 under Rule 61G4-12.009. Miami-Dade's Construction Trades Qualifying Board examines Air Conditioning Contractors (Limited, up to 15 tons, and Unlimited), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors, Heating Contractors and Mechanical Contractors; Broward County's Central Examining Boards certify Mechanical, Class A Air Conditioning, Class B Air Conditioning (25 tons) and Sheet Metal Contractors after 4 years of practical experience, trade and Business & Law exams, and a $450 application fee (since January 1, 2025). Neither county page describes accepting an out-of-state HVAC contractor license toward a local card, and Miami-Dade reciprocates its cards only with Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Florida master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Wisconsin?
- Yes. Florida requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Wisconsin license?
- At least 10 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Florida master HVAC technician license from Wisconsin?
- Published fees on this path total $810, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wisconsin work hours count in Florida?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Florida's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Florida to Wisconsin?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Florida to Wisconsin, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- EPA Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements · 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F (Clean Air Act §608) · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Other · verified September 15, 2026
- Broward County Building Code Division - Contractor Licensing packet (journeyman and mechanical contractor certificate of competency instructions) · Broward County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9 - Contractors · Broward County Public Works and Environmental Services, Building Code Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- DBPR - Construction Industry FAQs · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Faq · verified September 15, 2026
- DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) home page · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- CILB Reciprocity list (states with reciprocal licensing agreements) · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3)(c) · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Form DBPR CILB 10 - Application for Certification by Endorsement (Eff. June 2024) · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3); Rule 61-35.010, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- DBPR Bureau of Education & Testing - Florida State Construction Examination Registration Instructions and Application 2026 (Professional Testing, Inc.) · Rule 61G4-16, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation / Professional Testing, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Miami-Dade County - Mechanical Licenses · Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Rule 61G4-12.009, F.A.C. - Fees · Rule 61G4-12.009, F.A.C. · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.105 - Definitions (Part I, Construction Contracting) · Fla. Stat. § 489.105(3)(a)-(c), (8), (10) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.111 - Licensure by examination · Fla. Stat. § 489.111(2) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.115 - Certification and registration; endorsement; reciprocity · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3), (5) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.