How HVAC licensing works in Minnesota

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

The license pathway in Minnesota

1. 1

   Apprentice or helper

   You work for an HVAC or mechanical contractor, often through an apprenticeship. The Metro Area Sheet Metal Workers program, for example, includes 8,000 hours (about four years) of on-the-job training and about 180 hours of classes a year. [10]

2. 2

   EPA Section 608 certified technician

   • Yes: an EPA-approved test (Core plus Type I, II or III, or Universal)
   • Never expires

   Federal rules require certification before you maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants. The test must be given by an EPA-approved certifying organization. [3][6]

3. 3

   City journeyman competency card (Minneapolis example)

   • 4 years of experience
   • 576 hours of trade-related education
   • Yes: a certification exam after the Minneapolis Building Official approves your application
   • $30 per trade after you pass

   Minneapolis requires masters and journeymen in mechanical trades to hold a Certificate of Competency card. You need at least four years of work experience and 576 hours of trade education (job duties don't count). Minneapolis and St. Paul each issue a card to holders of the other city's card. [2][5]

4. 4

   Mechanical contractor (state bond plus local license)

   • $100 state bond filing (two years)
   • Every 2 years, $100

   A business that contracts for HVAC work files a $25,000 mechanical contractor bond with DLI and must also meet local licensing rules. Minneapolis licenses mechanical contractors for HVAC, refrigeration and gas piping work. [1][4]

Who licenses HVAC work in Minnesota

DLI says "there is no state license required for mechanical contractors," and Minnesota "has no state license requirement for individual employees of mechanical contractors."

What the state does require is a bond: a business must file a $25,000 mechanical contractor bond with DLI to contract for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning or refrigeration work. Filing costs $100 and lasts two years. Mechanical contractors must also follow local licensing rules.

Cities may require a license or a competency card ("comp card") for workers. DLI doesn't issue these; ask the city. HVAC installations follow the Minnesota Mechanical Code, which is based on the International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. [1]

Minneapolis and St. Paul competency cards

Minneapolis requires a Certificate of Competency card for masters and journeymen in these trades: fuel gas fitter, plumber/gas specific, refrigeration, warm air/ventilation, and steam and hot water.

To take the exam for a mechanical trade, you need at least four years of work experience and at least 576 hours of trade-related education, such as classes, trade group or manufacturer training, or self-study supervised by a master. Regular job duties don't count toward the education hours. You apply with transcripts or an apprenticeship certificate; the Building Official decides whether you can test.

After you pass, the card costs $30 per trade. You must wait 60 days after a failed exam to retest, and scores are valid for one year. Minneapolis says it has reciprocity with St. Paul: a St. Paul card lets you get a Minneapolis card by mail ($30 per trade), and St. Paul's reciprocal application asks for a copy of your current Minneapolis card and $22 per card. Contact the Competency Card Office at 612-673-5892, or for St. Paul call 651-266-8989.

Minneapolis also licenses mechanical contractors for HVAC, refrigeration and gas piping work. [2][4][5]

EPA Section 608 certification

Federal rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants to be certified under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. You pass an EPA-approved test for the type of equipment: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure) or Universal (all types). Tests must be given by an EPA-approved certifying organization, and the certification doesn't expire.

More detail is in our EPA 608 guide. [3][6]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Minnesota

HVAC work in Minnesota is taught through sheet metal, pipefitter and HVAC technician apprenticeships. DLI's directories list the main ones:

• Metro Area Sheet Metal Workers (Local 10): 18 or older, diploma or GED, an aptitude test, and a job with a signatory contractor first.
• Minneapolis Pipefitters Local 539: HVAC/R service and construction pipefitter tracks; in-person applications each January.
• Saint Paul Pipefitters Local 455: HVACR members start with a two-year HVACR degree; DLI lists applications September to April, Accuplacer exams and interviews in May.
• Northern Mechanical and Iron Range JATC (Duluth): year-round applications through an online system.
• Associated Builders and Contractors of Minnesota and North Dakota: open-shop; you join through a participating employer.

See union vs. non-union and how to get an apprenticeship. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Related state licenses

Some heating work falls under state licenses for other trades. DLI licenses master and journeyworker pipefitters for high pressure piping systems. Plumbers need a state plumbing license; see the Minnesota plumber page. [14]

Steps to get licensed in Minnesota

1. Get hired or accepted into an apprenticeship

   Apply to an HVAC, sheet metal or pipefitter apprenticeship, or get a job with a mechanical contractor. DLI's apprenticeship directory lists programs and how they hire. [7][8][9]

2. Earn EPA Section 608 certification

   Pass an EPA-approved Section 608 test for the equipment you will work on (Type I, II, III, or Universal) before you service refrigerant equipment. See our EPA 608 guide. [3][6]

3. Check city rules where you work

   Ask the city whether it requires a license or competency card. In Minneapolis, journeymen and masters in mechanical trades need a Certificate of Competency card after four years of experience and 576 hours of education. [1][2]

4. To run your own business, file the state bond

   File a $25,000 mechanical contractor bond with DLI ($100, valid two years) and meet local contractor licensing rules. [1]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  Metro Area Sheet Metal Workers (SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local 10)

  Covers HVAC systems among other sheet metal work. 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (about four years) plus about 180 hours of classes a year; you must first get hired by a signatory contractor. [8][10]

• Union

  Minneapolis Pipefitters Local 539 (HVAC/R Service)

  Takes applications in person during a two-week window each January; HVAC/R service applicants need a two-year HVAC technical program. Classes run one day a week from September to May. [9][11]

• Union

  Saint Paul Pipefitters UA Local 455

  Local 455 says HVACR members start with a two-year HVACR degree and pipefitters with a nine-month day course at St. Paul College, then a five-year apprenticeship with classes two nights a week. DLI's directory says you apply through Saint Paul College or Dakota County Technical College and must pass Accuplacer exams. [9][12]

• Union

  Northern Mechanical and Iron Range JATC (Duluth)

  Listed in DLI's HVAC technician directory; applications are year-round with a cutoff about two months before each interview session. [7]

• Open shop

  Associated Builders and Contractors of Minnesota and North Dakota

  Its registered program includes sheet metal and an HVAC trade schedule; you join after a participating employer hires you. DLI says there is no application fee or aptitude test. [8][13]

• State program

  Apprenticeship Minnesota (DLI)

  The state apprenticeship office lists HVAC, sheet metal and pipefitter programs and can refer you to openings. [7][15]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask