District of Columbia trade license reciprocity

The District of Columbia issues a Journeyman Electrician license through the Board of Industrial Trades, which now sits in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP, the successor to DCRA's Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration for this board; DLCP's fee page and forms still carry some DCRA branding). Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 a new applicant must have completed a class on the DC Electrical Code (Title 12C DCMR) or an equivalent code within the 2 years before applying and have worked at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years as an apprentice (an electrical engineering degree plus 2 certified years, or equivalent experience the Board accepts, also qualifies), then pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam. The statute also requires the Board to accept a certificate from a national certifying organization, including a nationally recognized trade organization or labor union, in lieu of the exam and experience requirements. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 license fee for a 2-year term. Maryland and Virginia journeymen licensed by examination are licensed by reciprocity without the DC exam; the master electrician limited (low voltage) license shares the journeyman qualifications and is treated as a separate specialty category.

The District of Columbia issues a person-held Master Electrician license through the Board of Industrial Trades in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). It is the District's highest individual electrician credential; the Board also issues a Master Electrician Limited (low voltage) specialty license with journeyman-level qualifications, and a separate Electrical Contractor business license that requires an electrical bond. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.92(c) a master applicant must meet the journeyman requirements (a DC Electrical Code class within 2 years and 8,000 apprentice hours over 4 years or equivalent) and in addition have worked as a journeyman electrician for at least 4 years, then pass the PSI-administered master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $120 license fee for a 2-year term ($155 on renewal). Maryland and Virginia master electricians licensed by examination are licensed by reciprocity without the DC exam under a program the Board opened on February 8, 2021.

The District of Columbia licenses HVAC technicians as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics through the Board of Industrial Trades in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), the same board that licenses electricians and plumbers. Three person-held credentials exist: apprentice (registered without exam), Journeyman Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, and Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (regular, or limited to systems of 25 compressor horsepower and below). 17 DCMR § 303.6 requires a journeyman license for anyone doing the mechanical work of installing, maintaining, repairing or replacing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. DLCP's application instructions require 3 years of experience verified by a master, tax records, a CFC (EPA 608) Universal certification, and a PSI-administered open-book journeyman exam; a graduate of a registered apprenticeship program (classroom work plus 8,000 hours over 4 years under a master) may waive the journeyman exam, which mirrors the national-certification substitute in D.C. Code § 47-2853.202(d). Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 mechanic license fee; all refrigeration licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years. The Board publishes reciprocity for electricians and plumbers from Maryland and Virginia but none for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.

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.