Colorado trade license reciprocity

How local licensing works. There is no state HVAC board; each city, county or regional building department decides whether to license mechanical workers and contractors under its own building code, and most use ICC National Standard exams administered through Pearson VUE ($100 per exam). Passing an ICC exam is not itself a license, and jurisdictions decide individually whether to honor it.

Denver. Community Planning and Development issues person-held Heating and Ventilating Journeyman and Refrigeration Journeyman certificates. Each requires 4 years (at least 7,000 hours) of field installation experience through an apprenticeship or on-the-job training, proven by notarized letters from employers or clients covering projects completed within the last 10 years, plus a passing letter for the ICC #F31 National Standard Journeyman Mechanical exam submitted within 90 days of application approval. The certificate fee is $40 and it renews every 3 years. Denver states that it 'does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses and/or certificates from other counties or states.'

Colorado Springs and El Paso County (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department). PPRBD issues individual Heating Mechanic licenses: Heating Mechanic I (Fitter) for gas piping after 1 year of experience, and Heating Mechanic IV (HVAC Service Technician) for repairing and servicing HVAC equipment while employed by a licensed Mechanical Contractor A, B, C or D. Applicants pay a $50 application fee and a $10 annual license fee, pass the ICC National Standard Journey Mechanical exam (W31) where applicable, and hold combustible gas indicator and carbon monoxide detection instrument certificates; the Licensing Committee and Board of Review approve each application after a judicial record check. PPRBD accepts only ICC exams passed on or after January 1, 2016 and states that 'no out-of-state exams will be accepted.' Heating Mechanic IV renewal requires 6 hours of approved technical training.

Other jurisdictions. Denver's and PPRBD's pages were the only individual HVAC worker licenses verified for this entry; other Colorado jurisdictions (for example Aurora, Fort Collins, Boulder County and Jefferson County) generally license mechanical contractors only and were not checked for journeyman cards.

Out-of-state holders. Neither Denver nor PPRBD publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for journeyman licenses from other states. An arriving journeyman should expect to document experience with notarized letters and pass the ICC journeyman mechanical exam for each jurisdiction that licenses individuals.

How local licensing works. With no state mechanical license, each Colorado jurisdiction licenses mechanical contractors under its own code, nearly always on ICC National Standard exams (Pearson VUE, $100 each). PPRBD's notice says that 'often, contractors who work in several areas must pass an exam in each jurisdiction,' although many jurisdictions honor the same ICC certificate.

Denver. Licensing is a two-step process. First the individual obtains a supervisor certificate: Heating and Ventilating Class A (commercial and residential heating, ventilation and cooling up to 50 tons; 8 years of experience, 4 as a journeyman and 4 in design or supervision; ICC #F29 National Standard Master Mechanical), Heating and Ventilating Class B residential only (6 years; ICC #F32 National Standard Residential Mechanical), Heating, Ventilating, A/C residential only (6 years each in heating/ventilation and refrigeration; ICC #F32; refrigeration up to 5 tons), Refrigeration Class A (8 years; ICC #F29) or Refrigeration Class B residential only (6 years; ICC #F32). Experience is documented with notarized letters from employers or clients for projects completed within the last 10 years, and the ICC pass letter is due within 90 days of approval. Supervisor certificates cost $60 and renew every 3 years. Second, the business applies for a mechanical contractor license ($250, 3 years), which must be held by or employ a certificate holder. Denver 'does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses and/or certificates from other counties or states.'

Colorado Springs and El Paso County (PPRBD). Mechanical Contractor licenses: H-A Mechanical Commercial (ICC W29 Master Mechanical), H-B Mechanical Residential (ICC W32 Residential Mechanical), H-C1 Gas Piping (ICC N33 Master Gas Pipe Fitter), H-C2 Commercial Refrigeration, H-C3 Residential Maintenance/Repair and H-C4 Residential Remodeling, each with a $100 license fee, plus a $50 application fee, references documenting relevant experience, a liability insurance certificate naming PPRBD (minimums in RBC201.7) and a name-based judicial record check; the Licensing Committee and Board of Review act on each application monthly. PPRBD accepts ICC National Standardized or ICC Colorado Standard exams passed on or after January 1, 2016 and 'no out-of-state exams will be accepted.'

Other jurisdictions. Only Denver and PPRBD were verified for this entry; other Colorado cities and counties license mechanical contractors under similar ICC-based ordinances and should be checked individually.

Out-of-state holders. No Colorado jurisdiction checked publishes reciprocity or endorsement for another state's master HVAC or mechanical contractor license. The practical route is to pass the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical (or Residential Mechanical) exam once and apply in each jurisdiction, each of which separately verifies experience.

How local licensing works. There is no state contractor board, so each city, county or regional building department writes its own contractor ordinance under its building code. Class letters mean different things in different places, and holding a license in one Colorado jurisdiction does not let you pull permits in the next one. Most jurisdictions build the residential tier around the ICC National Standard Residential Building Contractor (C) examination, which is open book, multiple choice and delivered by Pearson VUE; the same exam appears under different ICC exam IDs (W13, F13, G13) because each jurisdiction adopts a different edition of the building code and requires a current one. Passing an ICC exam is not itself a license - it is a credential you then present to each building department, which also verifies your experience.

Denver. Licensing is two steps. The individual first earns a Residential Contractor Class C supervisor certificate, which covers erecting, adding to, altering or repairing one- and two-family dwellings, U occupancy buildings and attached single-unit dwellings (IRC townhouses). It requires two years of field work as a journeyman carpenter or construction foreman with foundation, framing and roofing experience, documented with notarized letters, plus ICC exam #F13 National Standard Residential Building Contractor C. The certificate costs $60 and renews every three years. The business then applies for the Residential Contractor Class C license, $250 for three years. Denver states that it "does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses and/or certificates from other counties or states."

Colorado Springs, El Paso County and nearby towns (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department). PPRBD licenses for unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado Springs, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Monument, Palmer Lake, Calhan and Woodland Park. Building Contractor C (Home Builder) covers one- and two-family dwellings up to three stories plus accessory structures, and R-2 buildings of up to eight units and two stories; the license fee is $150 with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Building Contractor E covers residential accessory structures and interior nonstructural remodeling, $75. Applicants file three reference forms documenting experience, a liability insurance certificate naming PPRBD, a workers' compensation certificate or rejection of coverage, a Colorado certificate of good standing and a name-based judicial record check; the Licensing Committee and Board of Review act on each file. PPRBD accepts ICC National Standardized or ICC Colorado Standard exams passed on or after January 1, 2016 and states that "no out-of-state exams will be accepted."

Aurora. Residential Building Contractor "Requires ICC Residential Building Contractor 'C' Certification"; the supervisor license fee is $131 and the license fee is $235, and registration plus three job references are also required. Remodeling contractors register with three years of documented experience instead of taking an exam.

Fort Collins. The residential-only classes are D1 (single-family attached and detached, no more than two dwelling units, townhouses), D2 (detached garages and Group U Division 1 occupancies up to 1,000 sq ft), E(R) nonstructural residential alterations and MM. All of them require ICC exam G13, plus three project verifications, each with the permit and the final inspection or certificate of occupancy, signed by someone unconnected to the applicant's company. General liability of $1,000,000 per person and $2,000,000 per accident and aggregate is required. A new license with supervisor certificate is $300 for two years, including a $75 non-refundable application fee.

Boulder. Class C covers construction, alteration, wrecking or repair of any detached one- and two-family dwelling or townhome and requires the ICC C Contractors certificate. Boulder states that it "does not accept reciprocal licenses from other jurisdictions," and its license covers work inside city limits only. Fee amounts are published in Boulder's contractor license application and schedule of fees.

Jefferson County. For unincorporated Jefferson County, a Class C license (labeled 2018 G13) covers one- and two-family dwellings and accessory buildings. The county accepts "proof that you have passed an appropriate ICC exam within the last 3 years or ... a copy of a valid license issued from an ICC participating jurisdiction." The fee is $50 and the license renews annually.

Arapahoe County. Building Contractor Class C (residential) costs $180 and requires an ICC Class "C" certification or an equivalent certification from a recognized state or national certification entity. General liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate must name the county.

Lakewood. Contractors register with Public Works; class A-3 Residential covers new construction and remodeling. The registration page does not impose an exam on general contractors but asks A-1 and A-2 applicants to attach any ICC certifications held. The fee is $150 for the first probationary year and $400 for each subsequent three-year renewal.

Douglas County. Unincorporated Douglas County requires registration rather than a license and states that it "has no testing requirements." Registrants file the application, workers' compensation proof or an exemption statement and business liability insurance naming the Building Division; registration fees are currently waived and applications are processed in about two business days.

Out-of-state holders. No Colorado jurisdiction reviewed grants a residential contractor license on the strength of another state's license. Denver and Boulder say so expressly, and PPRBD will not accept out-of-state exam results. The practical route is to pass the ICC National Standard Residential Building Contractor (C) exam on a code edition the jurisdiction currently accepts, gather documented project experience and references, and then apply separately in each city or county where you intend to build. Jefferson County is the clearest exception: it will take a current license from another ICC participating jurisdiction in place of the exam. Confirm the class, exam code year and fee with the building department before applying, because these change independently in every jurisdiction.

How local licensing works. Each Colorado jurisdiction licenses building contractors under its own ordinance and building code, and there is no state board above them. Class letters and size thresholds differ from place to place, so a Class B in Fort Collins is not a Class B in Colorado Springs. What is consistent is the exam: most jurisdictions require an ICC National Standard contractor examination, open book and multiple choice through Pearson VUE, and the Pikes Peak notice explains why that matters - "with successful passage of an ICC contractor exam, contractors can be secure in the knowledge that their results may be honored by many jurisdictions in Colorado and throughout the United States. However, each jurisdiction has the right to determine if this exam is acceptable." The same exam appears as W11, F11 or G11 for the unlimited (A) tier and W12, F12 or G12 for the limited (B) tier, depending on which code edition the jurisdiction has adopted, and departments generally require results from the current or a recent code year. The notice also warns that "passing an ICC contractor exam is NOT a license to practice and does not guarantee licensing in any jurisdiction."

Denver. The individual first earns a supervisor certificate. Class A covers "to erect, add to, alter, demolish, or repair any building or structure" and needs seven years of notarized commercial experience including ground-up high-rise work over 75 feet plus ICC exam #F11. Class B covers any building classified as less than a high rise and needs four years of notarized commercial experience on ground-up builds of 55 to 75 feet plus ICC exam #F12; Class B-2 caps the highest floor level or occupiable roof at 30 feet, with four years of experience including ground-up projects up to 40 feet, also on ICC #F12. Certificates cost $60 and renew every three years. The company then buys the General Contractor Class A or Building Contractor Class B license at $250 for three years. Denver states it "does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses and/or certificates from other counties or states."

Colorado Springs, El Paso County and nearby towns (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department). Building Contractor A-1 covers "the construction, alteration and repair of any type or size of structure permitted by the Regional Building Code"; A-2 is the same except Group A, E and I occupancies over 30,000 square feet and any building requiring Type I construction; B-1 covers all occupancies except Groups A, E, I and H and Type I construction; B-2 covers nonstructural remodeling plus Group B, F, M or S buildings up to one storey and 7,500 square feet and Group R buildings up to 16 units and two storeys. License fees are $200 for A-1 and A-2, $175 for B-1 and B-2, on top of a $50 non-refundable application fee, and each of these classes requires an exam. Applicants supply three reference forms documenting experience, copies of all licenses held inside or outside Colorado, liability insurance naming PPRBD, workers' compensation, a Colorado certificate of good standing and a name-based judicial record check. Files close three weeks before the monthly Licensing Committee meeting, the Board of Review approves the following week, and the license must be claimed within 60 days. PPRBD accepts ICC National Standardized or ICC Colorado Standard exams passed on or after January 1, 2016 and states that "no out-of-state exams will be accepted."

Aurora. A single Commercial Building Contractor license "Requires ICC General Building Contractor 'A' OR 'B' Certification"; the supervisor license fee is $131 and the license fee is $392, plus registration and three job references. Limited Building Commercial and Demolition contractors register with three years of documented experience instead.

Fort Collins. Class A and A(DR) cover any building or structure; Class B and B(DR) cover new builds up to and including five storeys; Class C1 and C2 cover new builds up to three storeys and multi-family housing projects; E(C) covers nonstructural commercial alterations. Classes A and B require ICC exam G11 over the 2018 IBC plus the concrete manual, and Classes C1, C2 and E(C) require ICC exam G12, with G11 also accepted in place of G12. Every general contractor class also needs three project verifications with permits and final inspection records signed by someone unconnected to the applicant, and general liability of $1,000,000 per person with $2,000,000 per accident, property damage and aggregate. A new license with supervisor certificate is $300 for a two-year term including a $75 non-refundable application fee; renewals are $225. The city adopted the 2024 ICC codes with amendments in December 2025 and requires exam results from a current code year.

Boulder. Class A covers "the construction, alteration, wrecking, or repair of any type or size of building or structure permitted in the City of Boulder" and requires the ICC A Contractors certificate; Class B covers commercial and residential buildings of construction types V, IV, III-B and II-B and requires the ICC B certificate. New Class A and Class B applicants must also document education, training or years of experience in non-residential construction. Boulder states that it "does not accept reciprocal licenses from other jurisdictions," and its license covers work inside city limits only.

Jefferson County. Class A (labeled 2018 G11) covers "the construction, alteration, tenant finish or repair of any type of structure permitted by the Building Code" and Class B (2018 G12) covers commercial buildings and single- or multi-dwelling buildings up to three storeys. The county accepts "proof that you have passed an appropriate ICC exam within the last 3 years or ... a copy of a valid license issued from an ICC participating jurisdiction." The fee is $50 and licenses renew annually.

Arapahoe County. Building Contractor Class A (commercial) and Class B (commercial/residential) each cost $360 and require the matching ICC certification "or equivalent" certification by a recognized state or national certification entity; Class D specialty is $84. Insurance must carry a $2,000,000 general aggregate and $1,000,000 each occurrence, with the county as an additional holder.

Lakewood. Class A-1 Unlimited Commercial is "only issued to contractors with experience in building high-rise construction"; A-2 Limited Commercial is limited to two-storey commercial or four-storey R occupancies; A-4 covers commercial and residential remodeling not exceeding 30 percent of the original structure. A-1 and A-2 applicants attach any ICC certifications they or their employees hold. Fees are $150 for the first probationary year and $400 for each subsequent three-year renewal.

Douglas County. Unincorporated Douglas County registers general contractors rather than licensing them and states that it "has no testing requirements." Registration needs the application, workers' compensation proof or an exemption statement and business liability insurance naming the Building Division; fees are currently waived.

Out-of-state holders. None of the jurisdictions reviewed will convert another state's general contractor license into a Colorado one. Denver and Boulder rule it out in writing, and PPRBD will not accept exam results earned out of state. What does carry across is the ICC National Standard contractor certification: pass the (A) or (B) exam on a code edition the jurisdiction currently accepts and it will usually satisfy the testing requirement in Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Boulder, Jefferson County and Arapahoe County, though each department still verifies experience, references or project history separately and charges its own fee. Jefferson County goes further and accepts a current license from another ICC participating jurisdiction in place of the exam. Check the required class, exam code year and fee with each building department before applying, and expect to hold a license in every jurisdiction where you pull permits.