HVAC Technician License Requirements in Ohio
- Training hours
- —
- Upfront cost
- $50
- Exam
- HVAC Trade Examination + Business and Law Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 1 year
- Issuing board
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance, Ohio Department of Commerce
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or legal alien (with proof), and must never have been convicted of a disqualifying offense as defined in Ohio's licensing-eligibility statute. Once approved to test, applicants must complete a State (BCI) and Federal (FBI) background check before sitting for the PSI exam, with results submitted directly from the background-check agency to OCILB. [1]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete the required training. Ohio does not license individual HVAC technicians for independent residential work statewide; OCILB issues a state HVAC Contractor License required for commercial HVAC work (H.B. 434 also lets local building departments require this same license for residential work at their discretion). No fixed classroom-hour figure is published; instead, applicants must show 5 years as a tradesperson in the HVAC trade immediately before applying, documented via any of: annual permits pulled under a licensed contractor's license (1+ per year for 5 years), an active Journeyman's card in the trade, a Certificate of Completion from an Ohio- or U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship, or 40 hours of non-duplicated OCILB-approved continuing-education code courses (live/virtual only). Alternative paths: a registered Ohio professional engineer with 3 years of relevant construction-industry business experience, or 5 years as an Ohio government trade inspector. Because experience/apprenticeship documentation substitutes for a fixed-hour classroom program, 'hours' is left null and approvedProgramRequired is false. [1]
- 3
HVAC Trade Examination + Business and Law Examination
Pass the HVAC Trade Examination + Business and Law Examination. Computer-based testing by appointment at PSI sites in Ohio and nationwide; two separate exams (trade-specific HVAC exam and a Business and Law exam), each requiring a 70% passing score, open book with OCILB-approved reference materials PSI's exact exam fee is disclosed only in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin sent to applicants after OCILB approves them to test, and is not published on OCILB's own site or application forms, so fee is left null rather than guessed. The Board's official Examination Application confirms the exam is computer-based via PSI and that a State and Federal (BCI/FBI) background check is required before the candidate may sit for the exam. [1]
- 4
Submit your application
Submit your application to Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance, Ohio Department of Commerce with the $25 application fee. [1]
- 5
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance, Ohio Department of Commerce issues your HVAC Contractor License (Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board) for Ohio.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [1] | $25 |
| License fee [1] | $25 |
| Renewal fee [1] | None specified |
| HVAC Trade Examination + Business and Law Examination [1] | None specified |
| Inactive/escrow status annual fee [1] | $60 |
Application fee is $25.00, payable to 'Treasurer, State of Ohio', submitted with the exam application. After passing both exam sections, the license itself is issued for a further $25.00 fee plus proof of at least $500,000 in contractor liability insurance. OCILB's own contractor page states a late fee applies to renewals submitted after the expiration date and that inactive ('escrow') status costs $60/year, but does not publish the dollar amount of the standard active-license renewal fee, so 'renewal' is left null rather than guessed; contractors are directed to the OCILB eLicense Center for current renewal invoicing.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 1 year. 8 continuing education hours required per cycle.
Licensees choose either a 1-year renewal (8 hours continuing education required) or a 3-year renewal (24 hours required); hours may be carried over within a 3-year cycle. Up to 4 hours/year (1-year renewal) or 12 hours (3-year renewal) may be taken online, with the remainder in live/classroom format. 'cycleYears'/'ceHours' record the 1-year option since it is the default/shorter cycle; the 3-year option (24 hours) also exists. Verified via archive snapshot 2023-09-20 of OCILB's Contractors & Contracting Companies page (live com.ohio.gov pages return errors to non-browser clients).
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
Ohio has one-way reciprocity agreements recognizing HVAC licenses from West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee (each state's HVAC-trade license specifically, not just any contractor license), available only to those who took that state's own state-recognized exam (not to anyone grandfathered into their license without testing). No HVAC interstate compact exists. Verified via archive snapshot 2023-09-20 of OCILB's Contractors & Contracting Companies page.
27 state-approved training providers in Ohio — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $25
- $25
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio license individual HVAC technicians, or only contractors/businesses?
OCILB issues a commercial HVAC Contractor License at the individual-license-holder level, but the license authorizes commercial contracting work; local building departments may also require it for residential work under H.B. 434. There is no separate statewide 'journeyman' credential for HVAC in Ohio.
How much experience is required before applying?
Generally 5 years as a tradesperson in HVAC immediately before applying, documented through permits pulled under a licensed contractor, an active journeyman's card, completion of an approved apprenticeship, or 40 hours of OCILB-approved continuing education in code. Registered engineers and Ohio government trade inspectors have alternate, shorter pathways.
Who administers the Ohio HVAC contractor exam?
PSI Services LLC administers both the HVAC trade exam and the Business and Law exam by computer at testing centers in Ohio and nationwide, after OCILB approves the applicant's eligibility and the applicant completes a state and federal background check.
How often must the license be renewed and is continuing education required?
Licensees can choose a 1-year renewal (8 CE hours required) or a 3-year renewal (24 CE hours required); a portion of the hours may be completed online. Renewal fees are billed through the OCILB eLicense Center; a late fee applies if renewal is submitted after the expiration date.
Does Ohio recognize HVAC licenses from other states?
Yes, on a one-way basis, for HVAC licensees from West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee who took that state's own recognized exam (not for those who were grandfathered in without testing).