Indiana trade license reciprocity

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level through the Professional Licensing Agency but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether to license electrical contractors, supervisors/masters, journeymen and apprentices, and requirements differ from one jurisdiction to the next. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam, which has become the de facto portable credential.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one craft license holder who has passed the required examination; license holders may be tied to only one business. The packet requires business registration, a $500,000/$100,000 (or $500,000 combined) certificate of insurance naming the City-County as additional insured, workers' compensation, and a $10,000 surety bond. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (first half of 2026) or $283 (second half), new business license $247 or $185, renewals $247 each; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years. No journeyman license is issued.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department licenses Electrical Supervisors (treated as master electricians; four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman, $25) and Electrical Journeymen (four years and 7,000 hours as an apprentice, with approved apprenticeship schooling counting for 1,000 hours, $15), registers apprentices ($10) and electrical contracting businesses ($90, which must employ a supervisor licensee). Section H of the rules grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and lets the Building Commissioner grant reciprocity to applicants who present the necessary credentials. Examinations are administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing vendor.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians and Journeyman Electricians (a journeyman is employed by a licensed master) and registers apprentices. Applicants submit three notarized letters proving at least four years of experience, are approved to test by the trade board, sit the exam through Ivy Tech (masters need 75% on each part, other exams 70%), then receive a provisional license on paying the fee and providing insurance and a surety bond. Fees: master $300 new/$225 renewal, journeyman $35, apprentice $25.

South Bend. The Building Department registers electrical contractors ($50 application review plus $125 annual registration, $5,000 bond) after verifying four years of experience and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) through Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable board-approved national exam; applicants must be at least 21. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams. There is no journeyman license.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department issues commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses to businesses whose full-time employee has passed the Experior/master exam (commercial) or the master, journeyman or residential exam (residential), with a $10,000 bond and $500,000/$100,000 insurance. No individual journeyman license.

Bloomington. A city ordinance requires a license to work as an electrician or electrical contractor inside city limits and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses journeyman and master electricians; current fees were not confirmed.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish a reciprocity path for another state's journeyman license. Allen County's discretionary reciprocity clause and the widespread acceptance of ICC national exam scores (South Bend, Terre Haute) are the closest equivalents; otherwise expect to document experience and take the local exam in each jurisdiction that licenses journeymen.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license electrical contractors and master-level electricians, and there is no statewide portability rule. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam as the qualifying test, which makes an ICC score the most portable credential inside the state.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one electrical craft license holder who has passed the required examination (contact the Trade Board & Licensing Coordinator for the exam); a license holder may be connected to only one partnership, LLC or corporation. The packet requires proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance ($500,000 per occurrence bodily injury and $100,000 property damage, or $500,000 combined) naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage or an Indiana exemption certificate (Ohio-based companies need an Indiana Certificate of Compliance), and a $10,000 license or permit surety bond expiring 12/31/2027. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (applied for January-June 2026), $283 (July-December 2026) or $189 (2027); new business license $247, $185 or $124; business and license-holder renewals $247 each; more than five authorized agents $63 each. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's Electrical Supervisors License requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination; the holder 'shall be considered a master electrician' and may qualify a business for the Electrical Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H of the rules grants licensing reciprocity subject to the trade's reciprocity guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians (persons, firms or corporations installing or contracting to install electrical wiring and equipment). Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved by the trade board to test, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% or higher on each part, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and a surety bond; the Licensing and Disciplinary Board gives final approval. Renewal is $225 with a $25 late fee after January 31.

South Bend. The Building Department licenses electrical contractors after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, four years of experience verified by employer letters (or business tax records), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board of Examiners; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams and cannot guarantee acceptance elsewhere.

Terre Haute. Commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses are issued to businesses; a full-time employee must have passed the Experior Assessment master electrician exam or equivalent for the commercial license (master, journeyman or residential exam for the residential license), proven by a letter from the testing agency. General contractor registration requirements also apply: a $10,000 bond on the city's form and $500,000/$100,000 insurance naming the city; a non-owner master signs a letter accepting responsibility as designated supervisor.

Bloomington. A city ordinance makes it unlawful to engage in electrical contracting without a city license and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses master electricians; current fees were not confirmed from the archived ordinance.

Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction reviewed publishes reciprocity for another state's master or contractor license. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept ICC/Experior national exam scores regardless of where they were earned; Indianapolis and Evansville require their own examinations. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level through the Professional Licensing Agency but has never created a state HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration license. Each city or county building department decides whether to license HVAC contractors, supervisors/masters, journeymen and apprentices, and requirements differ from one jurisdiction to the next. The Prov and ICC/Prometric national exams have become the de facto portable credentials at the contractor level, but no jurisdiction publishes a journeyman reciprocity rule for other states.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors (Air Conditioning A, B and D, Refrigeration, High Pressure Steam) through its Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners; the business must have a craft license holder who documented five years of HVACR experience and passed the Prov exam with 70%. Unlicensed employees may perform heating and cooling work under the direction and control of the licensed contractor. No journeyman or technician license is issued.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department licenses HVAC Supervisors (Air Conditioning A, B or Sheet Metal C; four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman, $25), Mechanical/Air Conditioning Journeymen and Sheet Metal Journeymen (four years and 7,000 hours as a registered apprentice, with approved apprentice schooling counting for 1,000 hours so the test may be taken at three years and 6,000 hours; $15), registers apprentices ($10) and HVAC contracting businesses ($90, which must employ a supervisor licensee). Examinations are administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility for a fee set by the Commissioner. Section H of the rules grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and lets the Building Commissioner grant reciprocity to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master and Journeyman Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers, Master and Journeyman Refrigeration Installers, and Master and Journeyman Steam Fitters, and registers apprentices. Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved to test by the Board of Examiners of HVAC, Steam Fitters, and Refrigeration Installers, and sit the exam through Ivy Tech (70% for journeyman exams; 75% on each part for the master mechanical, sheet metal, ventilation and refrigeration exams). Fees: journeyman $35 new / $25 renewal, apprentice $25, late fee $25 after January 31.

South Bend. The Building Department registers HVAC contractors (including refrigeration and hood installers) after verifying at least 21 years of age, experience, and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (F29-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable board-approved national exam; a $5,000 bond, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. There is no journeyman license.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department issues a Mechanical license to contractors that employ a full-time NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior or Indianapolis Class A-certified person, with a $10,000 bond and $500,000 insurance ($350 original, $175 renewal). No individual journeyman license.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish a reciprocity path for another state's journeyman HVAC license. Allen County's discretionary reciprocity clause is the closest equivalent; otherwise expect to document experience (out-of-state work counts toward the local hour requirements) and take the local exam in each jurisdiction that licenses journeymen.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state HVAC or mechanical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license HVAC contractors and master-level installers, and there is no statewide portability rule. Prov (Indianapolis) and ICC/Prometric (South Bend, Terre Haute) national exams are the most portable credentials inside the state.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors in five types: Air Conditioning A (unrestricted), Air Conditioning B (25 tons cooling / 500,000 BTU heating, boilers to 15 psig steam), Air Conditioning D (5 tons / 300,000 BTU), Refrigeration, and High Pressure Steam. A craft license holder submits an exam packet ten business days before the monthly Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners meeting: application, resume, employer letters verifying five years of HVACR experience (education may substitute in part), three industry reference letters, EPA certification card, driver's license; after a board interview the applicant sits the Prov exam and needs 70%. The business then files a $5,000 surety bond (obligee the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, expiring 12/31/2027), a $500,000/$100,000 (or $500,000 combined) liability certificate naming the City-County as additional insured, and workers' compensation proof. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (Jan-Jun) or $283 (Jul-Dec), new business license $247 or $185 (none for sole proprietors), renewals $247 each; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years. Reciprocity: the board may accept a comparable license from any municipality or government agency if the issuing agency certifies directly to the Department that the license is current and unsuspended, the license was issued on a standardized Prometric (formerly Thomson Prometric / Experior / Block) or Prov exam passed with at least 70%, and the vendor verifies the exam is equivalent to the Indianapolis exam; the applicant still documents five years of experience, three references and EPA certification, appears before the board, and then licenses with bond, insurance and fees.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's HVAC Supervisors License (Air Conditioning A without BTU limit, Air Conditioning B up to 500,000 BTU heating and 25 tons cooling, or Sheet Metal C) requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman in the same line of work (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; hydronic and low-temperature refrigeration work is reserved to Non-Sanitary Piping licensees. The supervisor qualifies an HVAC Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers (forced-air heating, air conditioning up to five tons with field piping or fifteen tons packaged, ventilation, ductwork and sheet metal; boilers and steam or hot-water systems require the Master Steam Fitter license) and Master Refrigeration Installers. Applicants prove four years of experience with three notarized letters on letterhead (EMC 5.70.060), are approved to test by the Board of Examiners of HVAC, Steam Fitters, and Refrigeration Installers, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% on each part of the master mechanical, sheet metal, ventilation or refrigeration exam, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and the $25,000 surety bond required by EMC 5.70.070; renewal is $125 ($225 for two years) with board-set continuing education. The ordinance notes the master HVAC license does not permit air conditioning work without EPA certification.

South Bend. The Building Department registers HVAC contractors (including refrigeration and hood installers) after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, journeyman and contractor experience (education may substitute for part of four years), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (F29-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department's Mechanical license is issued to a contractor that employs at least one full-time employee certified by NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior Assessment, the City of Indianapolis HVAC Air Conditioning Class A, or an equivalent, with a $10,000 bond ($25,000 for right-of-way work), $500,000 general liability ($1,000,000 for right-of-way work) and workers' compensation or a WCE-1 exemption; $350 original registration, $175 annual renewal.

Out-of-state holders. Only Indianapolis publishes a reciprocity procedure, and it accepts a license from any jurisdiction (municipal or state) that was earned on an equivalent Prometric/Experior or Prov exam, subject to board approval. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept national exam scores and industry certifications regardless of where they were earned; Evansville requires its own examination. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.