StateLicensed

HVAC Technician License Requirements in New Mexico

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$143.88
Exam
Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certification exam, MM-3 (HVAC) Contractor trade exam, plus required Business and Law Exam
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Construction Industries Division (CID), Mechanical Bureau

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. CID's Journeyman Certificate application requires applicants to self-disclose whether they have 'ever been convicted of a disqualifying felony pursuant to NMAC 14.6.3.8 F,' along with any outstanding judgments, unresolved complaints, or license revocations in any state, and current status with New Mexico's child-support (Parental Responsibilities Act) regulations. No fixed statutory minimum age was found in the reviewed materials, so it is left null rather than assumed. [2]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete the required training. New Mexico's mechanical/plumbing rules (14.6.6.11 NMAC) require anyone performing HVAC work to hold, or work under the supervision of someone holding, a Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certificate — the individual technician credential — while a business needs an MM-3 (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) Contractor License to bid/contract the work. Per 14.6.6.11.D, journeyman classifications including JR require 2 years (4,000 hours) of documented work experience within the 10 years before applying, gained under a contractor licensed in the trade (limited exceptions exist for military, out-of-country, or homeowner experience). JR applicants must also attach proof of EPA refrigerant-recovery certification. The MM-3 contractor license itself requires 4 years (8,000 hours) of experience for the qualifying party. There is no separate classroom-hour training requirement — the standard is expressed entirely in verified work-experience hours. [1]

  3. 3

    Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certification exam

    Pass the Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certification exam. Scheduled and paid for directly through PSI after CID approves the applicant's work-experience documentation; a passing score must be reported to PSI within 6 months of approval to test. The current per-exam fee could not be independently confirmed against an official PSI/CID bulletin as of this review (a secondary source cites roughly $65) so it is left null rather than guessed — this differs from the confirmed $68.88 fee for the separate MM-3 contractor trade exam below. [2]

  4. 4

    MM-3 (HVAC) Contractor trade exam, plus required Business and Law Exam

    Pass the MM-3 (HVAC) Contractor trade exam, plus required Business and Law Exam (fee: $68.88). Required only of applicants seeking the MM-3 business/contractor license (not needed for the individual JR journeyman path). The Business and Law Exam is required of all new contractor candidates regardless of trade classification; each exam (MM-3 trade exam and Business and Law) costs $68.88. [3]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Construction Industries Division (CID), Mechanical Bureau with the $75 application fee. [4]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Construction Industries Division (CID), Mechanical Bureau issues your Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) Certificate — individual technician path for New Mexico.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [4] $75
License fee [4] None specified
Renewal fee [4] $75
Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certification exam [2] None specified
MM-3 (HVAC) Contractor trade exam, plus required Business and Law Exam [3] $68.88
Late renewal penalty (Journeyman certificate) [4] $25

The $75 figure is CID's flat 'Journeyman Certificate Fee' per classification, covering both the application and certificate issuance for the JR path — there is no separate license-issuance fee beyond it. CID's official fee schedule lists this as a single 'All Journeyman Certificate Fees' line item without distinguishing initial from renewal, so the same $75 figure is used for both. The separate MM-3 contractor license path additionally requires a $10,000 Consumer Protection Code Bond (an ongoing bonding cost paid to a surety, not a fee to CID) plus PSI exam fees.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 3 years. 16 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Journeyman Certificates (including JR) are active for 3 years from the last day of the month of issuance. Renewal requires 16 hours of CID-approved continuing education in that 3-year period — 8 hours of code-change/update instruction and 8 hours of other approved industry coursework. A $25 penalty applies if not renewed by the expiration date, and the certificate is cancelled if not renewed within 6 months of expiration.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Reciprocity applicants for a Journeyman certificate do not need to submit work-experience affidavits, but must have been currently and actively certified for at least one year in the state where they originally tested. New Mexico maintains a pre-approved multi-state reciprocal group for the Journeyman Electrical (EE98J) classification specifically (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming), but the Journeyman application does not list an equivalent pre-approved group for JR (refrigeration) — refrigeration reciprocity appears to be evaluated case-by-case rather than via a standing list. No interstate compact covers HVAC/mechanical licensing.

3 state-approved training providers in New Mexico — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $75
  • $68.88
Total$143.88

Frequently asked questions

Does New Mexico license individual HVAC technicians?

Yes — the Journeyman Refrigeration (JR) certificate is the individual technician credential for HVAC/refrigeration work, separate from the MM-3 Contractor License needed to run or qualify an HVAC contracting business. Anyone performing HVAC work must hold a JR certificate or work under someone who does.

How much experience do I need for a JR certificate?

2 years (4,000 hours) of documented work experience within the 10 years before applying, gained under a contractor licensed in the trade, plus proof of EPA refrigerant-recovery certification.

What does a JR certificate cost, and how long does it last?

The application/certificate fee is $75. Once issued, the certificate is active for 3 years, and renewal requires 16 hours of CID-approved continuing education (8 code-update hours + 8 other) in that period.

What's the difference between the JR certificate and the MM-3 license?

JR is the individual journeyman credential (2 years/4,000 hours experience). MM-3 is the business/contractor license needed to bid and contract HVAC work, requiring 4 years/8,000 hours of experience for the qualifying party, a $10,000 bond, and passing both an MM-3 trade exam and a Business and Law exam ($68.88 each) through PSI.

Does New Mexico accept an HVAC/refrigeration certificate from another state?

Reciprocity is available if you've been actively certified for at least one year in the state where you tested — reciprocity applicants skip the work-experience affidavits. New Mexico has a formal pre-approved reciprocal group for electrical journeymen, but refrigeration (JR) reciprocity is evaluated case-by-case rather than through a standing list.

Sources

  1. [1] rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/14.6.6_Classifications-and-Scopes_APPROVEDdb.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] public.psiexams.com/pdf/CID_JNYA.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] test-takers.psiexams.com/nmcon — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] rld.nm.gov/construction-industries/forms-and-applications/fees/ — accessed 2026-07-12