Wyoming to District of Columbia: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Wyoming does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is District of Columbia's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master or HVAC contractor-level licensee (any state)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
The Board of Industrial Trades publishes no reciprocity for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, so a master-level HVAC licensee from any state applies through the DLCP online portal as a new applicant: passport-style photo, government ID, the $65 application fee, tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic documenting 5 consecutive years of experience on systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower (or smaller systems for the limited license), and a CFC Universal certification, followed by the open-book master exam scheduled with PSI and the $110 license fee. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b) directs boards to waive the exam for an applicant licensed in good standing in a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits DC licensees in a like manner, and § 47-2853.08(2) lets the Board find another state's standards substantially equivalent and license by reciprocity or endorsement; an applicant may ask the Board to apply those provisions, but the Board's pages describe no such process for this trade. The national-certification substitute in § 47-2853.202(d) is written for the journeyman designation only. No District-law exam is published for master mechanics. A master who will serve as the designated master for a contractor company must post a $5,000 bond.
PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin lists the master refrigeration exam fee as $52 per attempt. Whether experience verified by an out-of-state master mechanic satisfies § 47-2853.202(b), and which states the Board has listed as equivalent under § 47-2853.12(d), are not stated in the Board's published materials.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.Five consecutive years immediately preceding the application installing, maintaining, repairing and replacing refrigeration and air conditioning systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower (or under 25 hp for the master limited license), verified in writing by a master mechanic (D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(b)-(c)).
What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable), paid online with the DLCP application.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. DC Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic examination (regular or limited) administered by PSI, open book on the 2012 International Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; schedule at psiexams.com after Board pre-approval.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($52). Per attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling, as listed in PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($110). Mechanic license fee for a term ending September 30 of the next even-numbered year (renewal $155).
- 5Other. Tax records and an employment verification letter signed by a master mechanic detailing 5 consecutive years of experience, uploaded with the online application.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($5,000) (if applicable). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning bond of $5,000 required only if the master is designated to a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractor company (the company posts a separate $5,000 bond).
- 7Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire. DLCP requires a 'CFC Universal Certification' card with the master application and D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(c) requires proof of chlorofluorocarbon certification for the master mechanic limited license.
Published fees on this path total $227, 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
- Exam fee · $52
- Other
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 · if applicable
How District of Columbia licenses master HVAC technicians
District of Columbia master HVAC technician · “Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic”
Statewide license
Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)
The District's highest person-held HVAC credential is the Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic license issued by the Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP); a Master Mechanic Limited license covers systems of 25 compressor horsepower and below. A Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractor license is a separate business credential that must name a designated DC-licensed master mechanic, and a master designated to a contractor must post a $5,000 bond (the company posts another $5,000). Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(b) a master applicant must show 5 consecutive years immediately before applying installing, maintaining, repairing and replacing refrigeration and air conditioning systems larger than 25 compressor horsepower, verified in writing by a master mechanic (the limited license requires 5 years on smaller systems plus chlorofluorocarbon certification); DLCP also requires tax records and a CFC Universal certification, and the applicant passes the PSI-administered open-book master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 mechanic license fee; licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years and renew for $155. The Board publishes no reciprocity for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.
Compare: getting a District of Columbia license from scratch
Why Wyoming has nothing to transfer
Wyoming master HVAC technician
Licensed by cities and counties
Wyoming issues no master HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration license and no HVAC contractor license; the State Fire Marshal's electrical program is the only state trade licensing, and its LM-H Limited Technician license covers only HVAC electrical wiring. The master-level credential exists only in city ordinances: Cheyenne's Master or Qualified Supervisor license for HVAC and refrigeration (8,000 apprentice hours plus 6,000 journeyman hours and an ICC/NICET/NASCLA exam), Casper's Mechanical Master (apprenticeship or four years plus five years as a journeyman or master, ICC G29-N), Laramie's master mechanical, refrigeration or gas service certificate of qualification (three, two and two further years respectively, city exam), and Gillette's Master HVAC Mechanical license (five years of approved experience plus the ICC exam). In each of these cities a contractor doing HVAC work must employ or be a master (Cheyenne 'qualified supervisor or master', Gillette and Casper 'Master of Record'), and the contractor license itself is a separate business license with fees ($200-$300 initial in Cheyenne and Casper, $150 in Gillette) and insurance. Rock Springs registers contractors for $125 with proof of insurance and tests no one. No city publishes reciprocity with other states' master HVAC or HVAC contractor licenses; Casper and Gillette reciprocate only with other Wyoming jurisdictions, Cheyenne's Board has discretion but no partner list, and Laramie may waive its exam for a certificate from any governmental agency whose exam is judged at least equal. A master arriving from another state should expect to present or take the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (G29-N) and apply separately in each city.
How local licensing works in Wyoming
How local licensing works. There is no state HVAC board; each city's ordinance defines its own master-level license and the contractor license it qualifies. The reciprocity statute the cities cite reaches only other Wyoming jurisdictions.
Cheyenne. A Master or Qualified Supervisor license (12.1.8) requires 4 years/8,000 hours documented as an apprentice (or certified equivalent training) plus 3 years/6,000 hours as a journeyman, all third-party verified, and passing results on a current ICC, NICET or NASCLA exam from the Board's list. Fees are $50 application plus $50 initial and $25 renewal. Every HVAC (C1) or Refrigeration (C1) contractor must employ a master or qualified supervisor full time, who may represent only one contractor and is responsible for all its work; the C1 tested contractor license costs $50 + $200 ($75 renewal) and requires workers' compensation and liability insurance. Refrigeration licenses require EPA Type II, III or Universal certification. Reciprocity is at the Board's discretion (3.3.2/3.5.2) with no published state list.
Casper. Mechanical Master ($75 new, $37.50 renewal) requires a federally recognized apprenticeship or four years in a Casper-licensed mechanical shop plus five years as a journeyman or master, and proof of passing ICC G29-N or equivalent; a Mechanical Contractor license ($300/$150) covers heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and sheet metal and requires $250,000/$500,000 liability insurance. Reciprocal licenses are limited to other Wyoming jurisdictions.
Laramie. Master certificates of qualification in mechanical (3 years after journeyman), refrigeration (2) and gas service (2) are issued after the building official's exam ($5 per attempt), or without exam on presentation of a certificate from another governmental agency whose exam the board of examiners finds at least equal. All work under a Mechanical, Refrigeration or Gas Service Contractor license must be performed by or under the supervision of the corresponding master certificate holder.
Gillette. Master HVAC Mechanical license: five years of approved experience and ICC exam results, $50 annually; Master Refrigeration Technician additionally needs ESCO/EPA 608 certification. A Class D HVAC Mechanical Contractor ($150 new, $50 renewal, $5,000 bond) must name a full-time Master of Record able to reach any job site within 48 hours. Reciprocity (5-III-1(d), since July 1, 2024) is for other Wyoming local-government licenses only.
Rock Springs. Contractor registration only ($125 plus insurance certificate); no master license or exam.
Out-of-state holders. None of these cities names any other state as a reciprocity partner. The ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (G29-N) is accepted by Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie and Gillette, so an out-of-state master who holds an ICC certificate can apply directly with verified experience; one licensed on a state-specific exam should plan on taking the ICC exam, except in Laramie where the board of examiners may accept an equal exam from another agency.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the District of Columbia master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a District of Columbia master HVAC technician license from Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $227, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wyoming work hours count in District of Columbia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from District of Columbia to Wyoming?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from District of Columbia to Wyoming, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 - Powers of the boards (reciprocity and endorsement) · D.C. Code § 47-2853.08(2) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 - Scope of practice for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics · D.C. Code § 47-2853.201 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 - Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.202 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 17 DCMR Chapter 3 - Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Licensing (§§ 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310) · 17 DCMR §§ 303.6-303.8, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310, 312 · DC Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances (DCMR) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades landing page (apply, items needed, examination, reciprocity) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DC DLCP - Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning License (Limited and Regular) Application Instructions - Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- DLCP bulletin - Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic License Renewal Notice (July 27, 2026) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Board of Industrial Trades · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Washington D.C. Contractor/Trades Examinations · PSI Services LLC for the District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 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
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.