Licenses and exams

EPA 608 certification: what it is and how to get it

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

What Section 608 certification is

Section 608 of the Clean Air Act and EPA's rules in 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F require that technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere be certified.

Since January 1, 2018, the certification rule covers equipment containing ozone-depleting (class I or class II) refrigerants and non-exempt substitute refrigerants, such as HFCs. EPA's 2020 rollback of some HFC rules did not remove the technician certification requirement for substitutes.

EPA itself doesn't test you or issue a card. Approved certifying organizations give the test and issue a wallet-sized card. [1][2][3][4][5]

Who needs it

EPA's rules define a "technician" as anyone who does any of these:

• Attaches and detaches hoses and gauges to and from an appliance to measure pressure inside it.
• Adds refrigerant to or removes refrigerant from an appliance.
• Does anything else that breaks into the refrigerant circuit of a small appliance or a car-A/C-like appliance (other than disposal).

Certification also controls what you can buy: with limited exceptions, only certified technicians (or employers who show they employ one) can buy refrigerant in cylinders, cans or drums, and only Section 608 technicians can buy refrigerant meant for stationary equipment.

Apprentices are exempt while they are closely and continually supervised by a certified technician. EPA's definition counts only apprentices registered with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship (or a recognized State Apprenticeship Council), and only for two years from first registering. [1][2][6][7]

The four certification types

• Type I: servicing small appliances. A small appliance is factory-sealed with 5 pounds of refrigerant or less, such as refrigerators, window and portable air conditioners, PTAC heat pumps, dehumidifiers, vending machines and water coolers.
• Type II: servicing or disposing of medium-, high- and very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners. High-pressure means a refrigerant with a saturation pressure between 170 and 355 psia at 104 °F.
• Type III: servicing or disposing of low-pressure appliances (refrigerant with a saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F).
• Universal: all of the above.

State boards may ask for a specific type. For example, Georgia's conditioned air board requires EPA certification "Type II or higher" to apply. [1][2][7][8]

How the test works

Every test has a core section plus one section for each type you're seeking. Each section has 25 questions from EPA's test bank, so a Type II test is 50 questions and a Universal test is 100 (core plus 25 each for Types I, II and III). You can take Universal all at once or combine passing scores from separate tests.

• The core covers ozone depletion, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, the venting ban, the sales restriction, recovery, recycling and reclaiming, evacuation and safety. EPA lists all test topics.
• Type II, Type III and Universal tests are closed book and proctored, with photo ID checked.
• Type I-only programs may use a mail-in (open-book) format, but those results can't count toward Universal certification.
• The passing score is 70% on closed-book tests and 84% on mail-in Type I tests.
• You must get your results, and your card if you passed, within 30 days.

On request in writing at least 30 days ahead, a program must give the test orally, and programs are encouraged to offer other languages. [1][2][5][9]

Where to take it and what it costs

EPA keeps the official list of approved certifying organizations. It includes trade groups, unions, schools and companies such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), ESCO Institute, Mainstream Engineering and the United Association (UA). Some list "Remote testing available," some are online-only or on-site only, and at least one tests only its own students. Check the list before you sign up.

EPA doesn't set a price. Its rules only say certifying programs "may charge individuals reasonable fees" for giving the test, so ask each organization for its fee. [5][10]

It doesn't expire (but keep your card)

EPA says Section 608 certification credentials "do not expire," and there is no renewal. EPA keeps the right to require recertification in the future by notice in the Federal Register.

You must keep a copy of your certificate at your place of business, and keep it until three years after you stop working as a technician. If you lose your card, contact the organization that tested you; EPA can't replace cards. If that organization has closed and you have no proof, you'll need to retest. [1][2][4]

Section 609: car air conditioning is different

Section 608 doesn't cover motor vehicle air conditioning. Anyone who repairs or services a car's A/C for pay needs Section 609 certification from an EPA-approved training and certification program, such as those run by ASE or MACS. Section 609 technicians can't buy refrigerant intended for stationary equipment. See EPA's list of Section 609 programs. [2][6][11]

How 608 fits with state HVAC licenses

Section 608 is a federal certification for handling refrigerant. It doesn't replace a state license, and a state license doesn't replace it. States license HVAC work in different ways:

• California licenses HVAC businesses (the C-20 contractor license), not individual technicians.
• Georgia licenses conditioned air contractors and requires EPA certification, Type II or higher, to apply.
• Michigan licenses mechanical contractors by work classification, with no state journeyman HVAC card.

See also our pages for Texas, Florida, North Carolina and New Jersey, and the HVAC career overview.

EPA's newer HFC rules (40 CFR Part 84, Subpart C) also rely on Section 608: where they require leak inspections and repairs, a "certified technician" means one certified under 40 CFR 82.161. [8][12][13][14]

Questions people ask