StateLicensed

HVAC Technician License Requirements in Virginia

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
8000 hrs
Upfront cost
$271.75
Exam
Virginia Journeyman HVAC Tradesman Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
Virginia Board for Contractors, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. Per DPOR's Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC), applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must disclose any felony conviction or non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction in any U.S. jurisdiction and complete a Criminal Conviction Reporting Form if applicable; the application also authorizes DPOR to conduct a background investigation with government agencies and current/former employers. This is a disclosure-and-verification process rather than mandatory fingerprinting. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 8000 hours of training. Per DPOR's official Tradesman Exam & License Application, Journeyman HVAC applicants qualify one of several ways: (1) 4 years of practical experience plus 240 hours of formal vocational training (approx. 8,000 hours total, recorded here as the primary figure), or (2) 5 years + 160 hours, 6 years + 80 hours, or 7+ years + 40 hours of vocational training, or (3) an associate's degree in a related trade field plus 2 years of experience, or a bachelor's in a related engineering curriculum plus 1 year of experience, or (4) completion of a registered apprenticeship program (Virginia or another state), or (5) 8 years of verified practical experience with no formal training requirement. approvedProgramRequired is false because DPOR explicitly allows experience-only pathways alongside apprenticeship completion. Virginia also offers a lower-barrier Residential HVAC Mechanic license (new as of April 1, 2025, residential work only, less experience/training required, can be a stepping-stone to Journeyman) and a Master HVAC tier (requires 1 additional year as a licensed Journeyman). Individual tradesman licenses cover work; anyone performing HVAC work valued over $1,000 must also be associated with a separately licensed Virginia HVAC contracting business (Class A/B/C, a business-entity credential with its own trade + business-and-law exams). [1]

  3. 3

    Virginia Journeyman HVAC Tradesman Examination

    Pass the Virginia Journeyman HVAC Tradesman Examination (fee: $100). Computer-based exam administered at PSI test centers in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna, and Virginia Beach, VA, plus Johnson City, TN and Salisbury, MD; offered daily (Mon.-Fri.), no application deadline Exam fee is paid directly to PSI and is separate from the DPOR application/license fee. A separate Master HVAC exam (fee $125) is available once an applicant has 1 year as a licensed Journeyman. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Virginia Board for Contractors, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) with the $171.75 application fee. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Virginia Board for Contractors, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) issues your Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) Tradesman License for Virginia.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $171.75
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $160
Virginia Journeyman HVAC Tradesman Examination [2] $100
Card Exchange method of licensure (locality-issued card swap) [3] $131.75

Original tradesman license by examination is $150 per 18VAC50-30-90 (Virginia Administrative Code); DPOR's current Tradesman Exam & License Application form shows the actual combined application/license fee for Journeyman HVAC as $171.75 for the Examination, Reciprocity, or Apprenticeship Program methods of licensure ($131.75 for the Card Exchange method), which is the $150 base fee plus a $21.75 Technology Fee ($7.25/year x 3-year license term) added pursuant to 2026 House Bill 30. license is null since DPOR does not itemize licensure separately from this application fee. Renewal is $160 per 18VAC50-30-120(G) (current administrative code, last amended eff. Aug 1, 2025) -- this supersedes an older $90 figure that circulates on some non-official pages. The $7.25/year Technology Fee likely also applies to renewals (~$21.75 over the 3-year cycle) but no combined renewal total is published on an official page, so $160 is recorded as the base statutory renewal fee.

Renewal & continuing education

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

18VAC50-30-120(A) (Virginia Administrative Code, last amended eff. Aug 1, 2025) states that licenses for HVAC tradesmen, along with electricians, plumbers, and gas fitters, expire three years from the last day of the month in which they were issued -- this supersedes older DPOR webpage FAQ text that references a legacy two-year cycle example. 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education covering the current International Mechanical Code are required each renewal cycle per 18VAC50-30-120(C).

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

DPOR's Tradesman Exam & License Application offers a general 'Reciprocity' method of licensure ($171.75) for anyone currently certified or licensed as a journeyman or master HVAC tradesman by a governing body outside Virginia (requires a Certification/Letter of Good Standing plus a copy of the current out-of-state license). The Board's official Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements list also names one HVAC-specific agreement: Maryland HVAC Board Journeyman and Master HVAC Tradesman License examination reciprocity with Virginia's Journeyman/Master HVA license. A Universal License Recognition (ULR) application is also available as a separate pathway for qualified out-of-state licensees relocating to Virginia. No interstate licensure compact covers HVAC tradesmen.

25 state-approved training providers in Virginia — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $171.75
  • $100
Total$271.75

Frequently asked questions

Does Virginia license individual HVAC technicians, or only HVAC contracting businesses?

Both. The Board for Contractors issues an individual Journeyman (and Master) HVAC Tradesman license to technicians who perform covered HVAC work, and separately licenses HVAC contracting businesses (Class A/B/C) that must designate a Qualified Individual meeting trade and business-law exam requirements. Anyone performing HVAC work valued over $1,000 must also be associated with a licensed Virginia HVAC contracting business.

How do I qualify for a Virginia Journeyman HVAC license?

The most common path is 4 years of practical experience plus 240 hours of formal vocational training (DPOR also accepts several other experience/training combinations, an associate's or bachelor's degree in a related field paired with reduced experience, apprenticeship completion, or 8 years of verified experience alone), followed by passing the Virginia Journeyman HVAC exam.

Who administers the Virginia Journeyman HVAC exam and what does it cost?

PSI Services, under contract with DPOR. The exam is computer-based, offered daily (Mon.-Fri.) at test centers in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna, and Virginia Beach, VA, plus Johnson City, TN and Salisbury, MD, and costs $100 paid directly to PSI.

How much does a Virginia Journeyman HVAC license cost?

The DPOR application/license fee is $171.75 for the Examination, Reciprocity, or Apprenticeship Program methods of licensure ($131.75 for a locality-card exchange), which includes a $7.25/year Technology Fee added under 2026 House Bill 30. This is separate from the $100 PSI exam fee. Renewal is $160 on a 3-year cycle.

Does Virginia have reciprocity for HVAC tradesmen licensed in other states?

Yes. DPOR offers a general reciprocity pathway for anyone currently licensed as a journeyman or master HVAC tradesman elsewhere, plus a specific examination-reciprocity agreement with Maryland's HVAC Board. A Universal License Recognition application is also available for qualified out-of-state licensees moving to Virginia.

Sources

  1. [1] dpor.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/boards/Tradesman/A501-2710EXLIC.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Tradesmen — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section90/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section120/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] dpor.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/boards/Tradesman/Tradesmen%20reciprocal%20agreements.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12