Wyoming to New Jersey: master HVAC technician license reciprocity
Wyoming does not issue a statewide master HVAC technician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Jersey'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 HVAC licensee: qualify by experience and sit the New Jersey master HVACR examination
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Because the Board has not found any state's HVACR standards equal or comparable to New Jersey's, an out-of-state licensee gets no exam waiver and applies like any other candidate. The applicant files the Board's application for examination with the $100 non-refundable fee, proof of age 21, a recent passport-size photo and proof of one of the N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2 pathways: five years in the HVACR contracting business made up of a four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship plus one year as a journeyperson (a technical-school program can replace two apprenticeship years, and the Board's FAQ also accepts a two-year trade degree plus two years of apprenticeship plus one journeyperson year), a bachelor's degree in HVACR plus one year of hands-on work, or a related bachelor's degree plus three years; the education must include refrigerant management and propane service. Experience earned under an out-of-state license is accepted as proof of these years. Once the Board approves eligibility the candidate takes the vendor-administered exam (HVACR practice and New Jersey law and rules, 70 required in each; six-month wait after a failure), then pays the prorated license fee ($160 in the first year of the biennial period, $80 in the second), files a $3,000 surety bond in favor of the State and a certificate of $500,000 general liability insurance, and buys the $25 pressure seal. Licensees from the states named in the Board's reciprocity alert (Maryland, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico and West Virginia) are told outright that a reciprocity application will be denied and to use this route.
PSI administers the exam for the Board after the Board approves eligibility: the HVACR trade section costs $84 and the business and law section $47, paid to PSI when scheduling. Both sections are open book, 50 questions and 130 minutes each. The reciprocity route in N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5 remains in the rules, but the Board has not granted it to any state.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Five years in the HVACR contracting business: a four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship plus one year as an HVACR journeyperson, or a Board-accepted alternative (HVACR bachelor's degree plus one year; related bachelor's degree plus three years; two-year trade degree plus two apprenticeship years plus one journeyperson year), including education in refrigerant management and propane services (N.J.S.A. 45:16A-13; N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2)
- At least 21 years of age (N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.1)
What you'll do to get licensed in New Jersey
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable application fee for the master HVACR examination (N.J.A.C. 13:32A-6.1).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Written HVACR contracting practice section of the Board's master HVACR examination, administered by the Board's third-party vendor at least four times a year; 70 required, six-month wait to retake.
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Written section on New Jersey laws and rules governing HVACR contracting; 70 required.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($131). Paid to PSI when scheduling: $84 for the HVACR trade section and $47 for the business and law section; non-refundable and valid for one year.
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($160). Initial master HVACR contractor license fee when issued in the first year of the biennial period ($80 in the second year); biennial renewal $160, late renewal $50.
- 6Other. Initial pressure seal issued by the Board's vendor; the seal must be used on the licensee's HVACR work and returned within 30 days of any suspension or revocation ($25).
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($3,000). Surety bond in favor of the State of New Jersey, 12-month term renewed annually (N.J.S.A. 45:16A-23; N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.4).
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). General liability insurance of $500,000 combined property damage and bodily injury per occurrence from an insurer licensed in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 45:16A-24).
- 9Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Five credits of Board-approved continuing education every biennial renewal period (waived for the first renewal).
- 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).
- 11Other. Proof of age 21, a passport-size photograph taken within the last six months, and documentation of the apprenticeship, degree and journeyperson experience claimed.
Published fees on this path total $391, 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 · $131
- Other · 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 · $3,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $500,000
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How New Jersey licenses master HVAC technicians
New Jersey master HVAC technician · “Master HVACR Contractor”
Statewide license
New Jersey's only HVAC license is the statewide, person-held Master HVACR Contractor license created by the State Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contracting License Act (P.L. 2007, c.211, N.J.S.A. 45:16A) and administered by the Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors; this file treats it as the master level because it is issued to an individual who qualifies by experience and examination, and every HVACR business must have a licensed master as its bona fide representative. Applicants must be at least 21 and show five years in the HVACR contracting business (a four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship plus one year as a journeyperson), a bachelor's degree in HVACR plus one year, or a related bachelor's degree plus three years, then pass a two-part written exam (HVACR practice and New Jersey law) with 70 in each part. Before the license is issued the applicant files a $3,000 surety bond and $500,000 of general liability insurance and buys the Board's pressure seal; licenses renew every two years with five continuing education credits. N.J.S.A. 45:16A-21 and N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5 let the Board license without examination applicants from states whose standards are equal or comparable and that reciprocate, but the Board has published a list of 26 states whose licensees 'will be denied' reciprocity and its June 2019 determination table shows every reviewed state in the 'denied' column and none granted. In practice an out-of-state HVAC contractor qualifies for the New Jersey exam on the strength of documented experience.
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 New Jersey master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- Yes. New Jersey requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a New Jersey master HVAC technician license from Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $391, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Wyoming work hours count in New Jersey?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Jersey's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Jersey to Wyoming?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Jersey to Wyoming, the mechanism is not applicable.
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
- State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Faq · verified September 15, 2026
- State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors - home page · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Alert - Application for a Master HVACR Contractor's License by Reciprocity · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5; N.J.S.A. 45:16A-21 · New Jersey State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- HVACR Reciprocity with Other States (Board determinations as of 06/18/19) · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5 · New Jersey State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-1.2 - Definitions · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-1.2 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.1 - Eligibility for examinations · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.1 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2 - Education requirements · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.3 - Examinations · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.3 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.4 - Licensure and pressure seal · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.4 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5 - Reciprocity with other states · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.5 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-4.1 - Continuing education requirements · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-4.1 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:32A-6.1 - Fee schedule · N.J.A.C. 13:32A-6.1 · New Jersey Administrative Code (via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- P.L. 2007, c.211 - State Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contracting License Act · N.J.S.A. 45:16A-1 et seq. (sections 2, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23, 24) · New Jersey Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors - Master HVACR Contractor Licensure Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.