How to get licensed for HVAC work in Colorado

Journeyman level Licensed by cities or counties, not the state What's a journeyman?

The license pathway in Colorado

1. 1

   Helper or apprentice

   No state HVAC registration was found. You work for a contractor, often in a registered apprenticeship, to build the experience local certificates require. In the Pikes Peak region, check which employee license your work needs. [1][3][13]

2. 2

   Journeyman certificate (Denver)

   • 7,000 hours on the job
   • 4 years of experience
   • ICC F31 National Standard Journeyman Mechanical
   • $40
   • Every 3 years

   Denver's Heating and Ventilating Journeyman and Refrigeration Journeyman certificates each need 4 years of field installation experience in an apprenticeship or on-the-job training program, at least 7,000 hours. A holder may work only for a licensed contractor of the matching type. [2][7]

3. 3

   Residential supervisor certificate (Denver)

   • 6 years of experience
   • ICC F32 National Standard Residential Mechanical
   • $60
   • Every 3 years

   The Heating and Ventilating Class B (residential only) supervisor certificate takes 6 years: 4 as a heating and ventilating journeyman mechanic and 2 as a designer, draftsman or supervisor. [2][7]

4. 4

   Commercial supervisor certificate (Denver)

   • 8 years of experience
   • ICC F29 National Standard Master Mechanical
   • $60
   • Every 3 years

   The Heating and Ventilating Class A supervisor certificate covers commercial and residential work and takes 8 years: 4 as a journeyman mechanic and 4 as a designer, draftsman or supervisor. [2][7]

5. 5

   Mechanical contractor license (Denver)

   • $250
   • Every 3 years

   To get a Denver contractor license, you must hold a supervisor certificate or employ someone who does. [6][7][15]

Who licenses HVAC work in Colorado

The Colorado Legislative Council staff's January 2026 list of state-regulated professions and occupations includes electricians and plumbers but no HVAC license. HVAC work is licensed locally, for example by Denver and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.

DORA's Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform (COPRRR) runs "sunrise reviews," which study whether an unregulated occupation should be regulated; the General Assembly makes the final decision. As of October 2026, COPRRR's sunrise review page lists no HVAC review. Check for changes before you rely on the local-only picture. [1][2][3][5]

Denver

Denver's Community Planning and Development licenses contractors in a two-step process: you get a supervisor certificate (or employ someone who has one), then a contractor license. Denver doesn't accept licenses or certificates from other counties or states.

For HVAC, Denver issues Heating and Ventilating Journeyman and Refrigeration Journeyman certificates (4 years and at least 7,000 hours in an apprenticeship or on-the-job training, ICC exam F31). A journeyman may work only for a licensed contractor of the matching type. Supervisor certificates take 6 years for residential-only work (ICC F32) or 8 years for commercial work (ICC F29), including years as a designer, draftsman or supervisor. Experience is documented with notarized letters from employers or clients.

Fees: journeyman certificate $40 and supervisor certificate $60, both renewed every 3 years; mechanical contractor licenses $250 for 3 years. [2][6][7]

Colorado Springs and El Paso County

The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) licenses Mechanical Contractors A (commercial), B (residential), C (specialty) and D (manufactured buildings), and says their employees must also be appropriately licensed. Its Heating Mechanic IV (HVAC Service Technician) license lets you repair and service HVAC equipment while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor, and Heating Mechanic I (fitter) covers gas piping after one year of experience.

PPRBD doesn't reciprocate licenses from other building departments, but it accepts ICC national standardized exams passed on or after January 1, 2017. [3][8]

EPA 608 certification

Federal rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants to be certified. There are four types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure) and Universal. Tests are given by EPA-approved certifying organizations, and certification doesn't expire. See our EPA 608 guide. [4][9]

Apprenticeships

Registered apprenticeships combine paid work with classes. Options in Colorado include Emily Griffith Technical College's HVAC apprenticeship, the CITC sheet metal program, and United Association pipefitter and HVAC programs you can find with the UA local union locator. The Apprenticeship Colorado directory lists every registered program with its qualifications. [10][11][12][13]

Electrical and plumbing parts of the job

Colorado does license electricians and plumbers statewide. Anyone employed in the electrical or plumbing trade without a Colorado license counts as an apprentice and must be registered with the State Electrical Board or State Plumbing Board. See the Colorado electrician license and Colorado plumber license pages. [1][14]

Steps to get licensed in Colorado

1. Get hired or apply to an apprenticeship

   Find a job with an HVAC or mechanical contractor, or apply to a registered program listed in the Apprenticeship Colorado directory. [13]

2. Get EPA 608 (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refrigerant rule) certified

   Pass the Section 608 test for the equipment you'll work on (Type I, II, III or Universal) with an EPA-approved certifying organization before you handle refrigerants. [9]

3. Check the local license where you work

   Each city or county sets its own rules. In the Pikes Peak region, employees of mechanical contractors need the right local license; in Denver, journeyman and supervisor certificates come with experience. [2][3]

4. Earn a journeyman certificate

   After 4 years and at least 7,000 hours, apply to Denver for a heating and ventilating or refrigeration journeyman certificate with notarized letters of experience, then pass the ICC F31 exam. [2]

5. Move up to supervisor and contractor

   With more years as a journeyman plus design or supervisory experience, apply for a supervisor certificate, then a contractor license. [2][15]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train HVAC technicians in or for Colorado, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• School

  Emily Griffith Technical College HVAC registered apprenticeship

  A Denver technical college that offers an HVAC registered apprenticeship with union and trade organization partners. It requires age 18 and a high school diploma or equivalent. [10]

• Other

  CITC sheet metal apprenticeship

  The Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado's sheet metal program: 576 classroom hours and 8,000 on-the-job hours, including heating and cooling, commercial air-side systems and code review for a journeyman exam. [11]

• Union

  United Association (UA) local unions

  The UA's crafts include plumbers, pipefitters and HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) service technicians; its locator finds the local union and training program near you. [12]

• State program

  Apprenticeship Colorado (state apprenticeship agency)

  Colorado's State Apprenticeship Agency. Its directory lists every registered apprenticeship program in Colorado, with length, qualifications and selection criteria. [13]

Licensed in another state?

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