Virginia trade license reciprocity

Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman Electrical tradesman license to individuals (never to companies) through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). A first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI journeyman exam ($100) with a combination of practical experience and vocational training (4 years plus 240 hours down to 7 years plus 40 hours), a related degree plus experience, 8 years of verified experience, or completion of a registered apprenticeship, which exempts the applicant from the exam. The application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75, which includes the $7.25-per-year technology fee added by 2026 House Bill 30 on top of the $150 fee in 18VAC50-30-90. A journeyman or master license from another state qualifies its holder to sit the Virginia exam without documenting hours, and a licensee who has held that out-of-state license for three years may instead apply through Universal License Recognition, which issues the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board also has signed journeyman-level examination reciprocity agreements with the District of Columbia, Kentucky and West Virginia. Anyone who contracts for work over $1,000 needs a separate Virginia contractor business license.

Virginia issues a statewide Master Electrical tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39 a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam ($125) with one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential tradesman, or nine years of verified practical experience in the trade; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee. A current journeyman or master license from another state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a master licensed elsewhere for three years may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board has master-level examination reciprocity agreements with Alabama, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license from the same Board, and the North Carolina and Ohio agreements also cover that business license's exams.

Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman HVAC tradesman license to individuals (never to companies) through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). A first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI journeyman exam ($100) with a combination of practical experience and vocational training (four years plus 240 hours down to seven years plus 40 hours), a related degree plus experience, eight years of verified experience, or completion of a registered apprenticeship, which exempts the applicant from the exam; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75, which includes the $7.25-per-year technology fee added on top of the $150 fee in 18VAC50-30-90. A journeyman or master HVAC license from any other state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the Virginia exam without documenting hours, and a licensee who has held that out-of-state license for at least three years may instead apply through Universal License Recognition (ULR) and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board's only HVAC-specific agreement is an examination reciprocity agreement with the Maryland HVACR Board covering journeyman and master licenses. HVAC licensees complete three hours of International Mechanical Code continuing education each two-year renewal cycle, and anyone contracting for work over $1,000 also needs a Class A, B or C contractor license. EPA Section 608 certification is required federally to handle refrigerants; DPOR does not list it as a licensing prerequisite.

Virginia issues a statewide Master HVAC tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39 a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam ($125) with one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential HVAC tradesman, or nine years of verified practical experience in the trade; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee. A current journeyman or master HVAC license from another state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a licensee who has held an out-of-state license for at least three years may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the master license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board's only HVAC reciprocity agreement is an examination reciprocity agreement with the Maryland HVACR Board covering journeyman and master licenses; the electrical agreements with Alabama, DC, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia do not extend to HVAC. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license from the same Board. EPA Section 608 certification is required federally to handle refrigerants.