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HVAC · State license

How to get an HVAC license in Idaho

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

Idaho licenses heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) work statewide through the Idaho HVAC Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). You start as a registered apprentice working under a journeyman or contractor. To become an HVAC journeyman you need 8,000 hours of work as an apprentice plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience, and you must pass a state exam. Work with refrigerants also needs a federal EPA Section 608 (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refrigerant rule) certification. [1][2][3][4][5]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Idaho

In Idaho you start as a registered HVAC apprentice. Get hired by an HVAC contractor or accepted into a program such as a sheet metal or UA (United Association, the plumbers' and pipefitters' union) apprenticeship, register with DOPL before you earn hours, and take 576 hours of board-approved classes. If you will handle refrigerants, you also need an EPA Section 608 certification. [3][5][11][15][20]

  • High school diploma or GED

    DOPL's apprentice registration form asks only for the application, the fee and any out-of-state license We found no state education rule. Programs set their own: UA Local 296 in southwest Idaho, whose program includes HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration), requires a high school diploma and transcript or a GED (General Educational Development test) certificate and test results. [16][19]

  • Minimum age

    No state minimum found in the HVAC law. North Idaho College says you must be 18 to register as an HVAC apprentice UA Local 296 requires 17 at the interview. [16][21]

  • Register before you earn hours

    State law requires apprentices to register with DOPL and keep the registration for the whole time they accrue experience. Apply through DOPL online services. DOPL's fee table and form list $10 for a one-year registration. [1][11][19]

  • Helper jobs

    An apprentice may not do HVAC work except under the supervision of an HVAC journeyman or contractor. DOPL's FAQ (frequently asked questions) says hours worked without being licensed don't count toward the required on-the-job time, and its journeyman application asks whether you held an active Idaho HVAC apprentice registration while earning the 8,000 hours. [3][14][20]

  • EPA 608 certification

    Federal rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants to be certified. Idaho's high school HVAC program standards include earning the basic EPA 608 (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refrigerant rule) certificate. [5][24]

  • Aptitude test and documents

    UA Local 296 gives its own evaluation exam (70% to qualify) and asks for a valid driver's license and proof you can work legally. [16]

  • Credit for school lab time

    Lab work done in a board-approved course can be credited toward the 8,000 hours of work experience. [4]

  • Credit for military service

    Idaho law tells licensing boards to accept relevant military education, training or service toward licensing qualifications. [25][26]

  • Still in high school?

    High school students in a board-recognized program can do residential HVAC work without an apprentice registration, under the constant supervision of a licensed journeyman, but those hours don't count toward your apprentice hours. Idaho Career and Technical Education publishes an HVAC program of study whose standards include OSHA-10 (a 10-hour job safety course from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's outreach program) and the basic EPA 608 certificate. The state's Advanced Opportunities program gives each public school student $4,625 for grades 7-12 that can pay for dual credit and approved workforce training, including HVAC apprenticeship courses. The Idaho Department of Labor supports school-to-registered-apprenticeship programs, usually in 11th or 12th grade. [6][24][27][28][29][30]

Where to apply in IdahoHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Board · (208) 334-3233 [1]

Idaho HVAC license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), HVAC Board [1][7]
Apprentice registration
Required for the whole time you earn experience DOPL lists $10 for one year (state law says $20 for two years) [1][11][19]
Journeyman experience
8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience [4][20]
Journeyman exam
PSI (a testing company), 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, $75, open book 2018 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes [9][10]
Contractor certificate
Contractor exam and a $2,000 compliance bond [4][9]
Renewal and CE
DOPL's fee table lists 3-year journeyman and contractor terms DOPL says HVAC has no continuing education requirement [1][14]
Reciprocity
None: DOPL says Idaho has no HVAC reciprocal licensing agreement [14]
Refrigerant handling
Federal EPA Section 608 certification for technicians who service equipment that can release refrigerants [5]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a license in Idaho
  5. The license ladder: apprentice, journeyman, contractor
  6. The journeyman exam
  7. Fees and renewal
  8. Apprenticeships in Idaho
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. Steps to get licensed
  11. Where to get the hours
  12. Licensed in another state?
  13. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Idaho

  1. 1

    HVAC Apprentice (registration)

    • $10 (DOPL fee table and form, 1 year); state law sets $20 for 2 years
    • DOPL is moving HVAC licenses, including apprentice registrations, to 2-year cycles from October 30, 2026

    You register with DOPL and keep the registration for the whole time you earn experience. Apprentices do HVAC work only under the supervision of an HVAC journeyman or contractor. [1][3][11][13][19]

  2. 2

    HVAC Journeyman

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 576 hours of board-approved instruction
    • Yes: PSI, 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, $75, open book
    • $150 license; $35 application
    • 3-year term on DOPL's fee table; $75 renewal

    Lets you install, alter and repair HVAC systems while working for an HVAC contractor. You qualify with 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience. You can test once you finish the 576 hours, but DOPL issues the license only after you show the 8,000 hours. [1][3][4][9][10][20]

  3. 3

    HVAC Contractor

    • Yes: contractor business and law exam, 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, $75 (PSI)
    • $225 license; $35 application
    • 3-year term on DOPL's fee table; $150 renewal

    For the business that installs, maintains or repairs HVAC systems. The rule requires a passing contractor exam and a $2,000 compliance bond kept for the whole certificate period. [1][3][4][9][10]

Who needs a license in Idaho

Idaho law makes it unlawful to do HVAC work unless you (or the responsible person for your firm) have passed an exam and hold a state certificate of competency. Apprentices must register with DOPL.

Some work is exempt. Examples include an owner working on their own single-family home or duplex, and work on the premises of an employer that regularly employs its own HVAC journeymen. See the full list in Idaho Code 54-5002.

Only DOPL can test and certify HVAC workers. Cities and counties can't require extra HVAC certificates, registrations or fees, though they can impose stricter public safety rules. Holders of electrical or plumbing licenses can do certain HVAC-related tasks within their own license. [2][6][7]

The license ladder: apprentice, journeyman, contractor

Idaho has no master HVAC license. Specialty classes cover narrower work: a specialty journeyman needs 2,000 hours and either an exam or 60 hours of fuel gas education, and may install hearth appliances, non-duct oil furnaces and their gas piping and venting. Compare states on the HVAC hub. [3][4]

The journeyman exam

DOPL's exam vendor is PSI. Register on the PSI Idaho site or at (855) 340-3713. PSI's bulletin lists test sites in Boise, Lewiston, Moscow, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls, and in Spokane Valley, Washington.

The HVAC journeyman exam has 100 questions in 240 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. It covers the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). It costs $75, and a retake is also $75.

It is open book: bring your own copies of both codes. You can highlight and tab them beforehand, but not write in them during the exam. [8][9][10]

Fees and renewal

DOPL's HVAC fee table lists a $35 application fee plus a license fee: $10 for an apprentice (one year), $150 for a journeyman and $225 for a contractor. Journeyman and contractor licenses run three years and renew for $75 and $150.

State law describes two-year apprentice registrations at $20 and two-year certificates. DOPL announced that from October 30, 2026 it is moving HVAC licenses, including apprentice registrations, to a two-year cycle that ends on your birthday, with fees adjusted to the longer period. DOPL says there are no continuing education requirements for HVAC. [1][11][12][13][14]

Apprenticeships in Idaho

Union routes include two sheet metal JATCs (joint apprenticeship and training committees) on DOPL's approved list and the UA Local 296 program in Meridian, which covers HVACR along with plumbing and pipefitting. UA Local 296 requires you to be at least 17, have a driver's license and a diploma or GED, and score 70% on its evaluation exam.

You can also work for a non-union HVAC contractor and take approved classes at a college or a private provider on DOPL's approved list. More: helper jobs and how to get an apprenticeship. [15][16]

If you're licensed in another state

DOPL says Idaho has no HVAC reciprocal licensing agreement. Idaho's universal licensure law offers a route if you hold a current, unrestricted license elsewhere; the board may require all or part of its exam. Another law covers people with four years of work experience in a state that doesn't license the trade.

See our reciprocity guide and ask DOPL at (208) 334-3233 which route fits you. [14][17][18]

Steps to get licensed in Idaho

  1. Get hired or accepted into a program

    Apply to a union program or get hired by an HVAC contractor, and enroll in board-approved instruction from DOPL's approved list. [15][16]

  2. Register as an apprentice with DOPL

    Register through DOPL online services and keep the registration active the whole time you earn hours. [1][11][20]

  3. Get your EPA 608 certification

    If you will work on equipment that contains refrigerant, earn the federal EPA Section 608 technician certification. See our EPA 608 guide. [5]

  4. Finish 576 hours of instruction and 8,000 hours of work

    Complete the board-approved course and log 8,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work. Without the course, you need 16,000 hours. [4][20]

  5. Pass the journeyman exam with PSI

    Register on the PSI Idaho site or at (855) 340-3713. The exam costs $75; bring the 2018 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code. [8][9][10]

  6. Apply for the journeyman license

    Send DOPL the journeyman application with your work verification, school completion and the $35 processing fee. [20]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Any level (universal licensure)

    DOPL says Idaho has no HVAC reciprocal licensing agreement. Idaho law still tells every licensing authority to license people who hold a current, unrestricted license in another state and show competency by methods the board sets; the board may require all or part of its exam. [14][17]

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

AlaskaAK MaineME VermontVT New HampshireNH WashingtonWA IdahoID MontanaMT North DakotaND MinnesotaMN IllinoisIL WisconsinWI MichiganMI New YorkNY Rhode IslandRI MassachusettsMA OregonOR NevadaNV WyomingWY South DakotaSD IowaIA IndianaIN OhioOH PennsylvaniaPA New JerseyNJ ConnecticutCT CaliforniaCA UtahUT ColoradoCO NebraskaNE MissouriMO KentuckyKY West VirginiaWV VirginiaVA MarylandMD DelawareDE ArizonaAZ New MexicoNM KansasKS ArkansasAR TennesseeTN North CarolinaNC South CarolinaSC District of ColumbiaDC OklahomaOK LouisianaLA MississippiMS AlabamaAL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI TexasTX FloridaFL
ID Listed here (agreement or endorsement)

Questions people ask

How long does it take to become an HVAC journeyman in Idaho?

Usually about four years: 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice plus 576 hours of approved instruction, then the exam. Without the classes, you need 16,000 hours of HVAC experience. [4][20]

Do I need a license to be an HVAC helper in Idaho?

You need an apprentice registration with DOPL, and you can work only under an HVAC journeyman or contractor. DOPL's journeyman application asks for an active apprentice registration while you earn the 8,000 hours, and its FAQ says hours worked without being licensed don't count. [3][11][14][20]

Do I need EPA 608 certification in Idaho?

Yes, if you maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants. That is a federal requirement on top of Idaho's license. [5]

Does Idaho have HVAC reciprocity?

DOPL says no. Idaho's universal licensure law is the route for licensed HVAC workers from other states. [14][17]

Sources (30)
  1. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Board, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Idaho Code 54-5008, Certificate a prerequisite, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Idaho Code 54-5009, Classification of competency, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. IDAPA 24.39.70, Rules Governing Installation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems, Idaho Office of the Administrative Rules Coordinator. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Section 608 Technician Certification, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. Idaho Code 54-5002, Exceptions, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Idaho Code 54-5015, Exclusive jurisdiction of the state, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Program Information and Exams (HVAC), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Idaho Trade Licensing Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 7/9/2026), PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Idaho Trade Licensing: Available Tests, PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Idaho Code 54-5012, Fees for application for examination, certificates of competency and registration of apprentices, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Idaho Code 54-5013, Certificate expiration; renewal; reinstatement, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Big changes are on the way! Stay informed about important updates that may impact your renewal cycle (HVAC, October 8, 2026), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. HVAC Board: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Board Approved Apprenticeship Programs, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. 2026 SWJATC Application Handbook, United Association Local Union 296, Plumbers and Pipefitters of Southwest Idaho JATC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Idaho Code 67-9409, Universal licensure, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Idaho Code 67-9414, Universal work recognition, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Apprentice Work Registration Application (updated July 1, 2023), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. HVAC Journeyman Application (revised July 11, 2024), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. HVAC Apprenticeship (Workforce Training Center), North Idaho College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Apprenticeships, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Finding and getting an apprenticeship, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. 2022 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Program Standards, Idaho Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Idaho Code 67-9404, Military education, training, and service; qualifications for licensure, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. Military Service Members, Veterans and Spouses, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Trades and Industry (program standards: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Construction Trades), Idaho Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. Advanced Opportunities: Public School, Idaho State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  29. Advanced Opportunities: Workforce Training Approved Programs (spreadsheet), Idaho State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  30. Give students a career jumpstart: School to Registered Apprenticeship Program, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.