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HVAC · State license

How HVAC licensing works in New Hampshire

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

New Hampshire's Mechanical Licensing Board licenses fuel gas fitters (people who install and service natural gas and propane piping and heating equipment) and plumbers, and offers a voluntary certification for oil heating technicians. Its list of who it regulates has no separate air-conditioning or refrigeration license. For gas heating work you start as a licensed fuel gas trainee, then qualify as an installation technician (1,000 hours plus 100 hours of training) or a service technician (2,000 hours plus 140 hours). Technicians who service equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants also need federal EPA Section 608 (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refrigerant rule) certification. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in New Hampshire

Most new HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) workers in New Hampshire start at a heating or HVAC company. If you'll work on gas or propane equipment, you need a fuel gas trainee license first: a licensed fuel gas fitter must sponsor you and enroll you in an approved gas training program. Plan to earn EPA Section 608 certification before you handle refrigerant. [2][3][4]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not required by the Board's rules: the fuel gas trainee rules (Mec 300) set a minimum age of 16 and require a sponsor, with no diploma or GED (General Educational Development test) requirement. Training schools and employers set their own admission rules, so ask them. [3]

  • Minimum age

    16 for a fuel gas trainee license, under Board rule Mec 302.02 18 for a full fuel gas license. [3]

  • Register before you start gas work

    Yes, for gas work. A fuel gas trainee must hold a currently valid trainee license, work under a sponsoring licensed fuel gas fitter, and be directly supervised. The trainee fee is $88 to apply and $88 to renew. [2][3][8]

  • Helper jobs

    Gas fitting licensees may not let unlicensed people do fuel gas fitting unless they hold a valid trainee license. The Board lists no license for air-conditioning or refrigeration work itself, but servicing equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants needs federal EPA 608 (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refrigerant rule) certification. [1][4][17]

  • EPA Section 608

    Federal rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants to be certified. [4]

  • Classes while you work

    Your sponsor enrolls you in an approved gas training program. Board-approved fuel gas schools include Manchester Community College, the Manchester School of Technology, the NH School of Mechanical Trades, the HUOT Center and UA (United Association, the plumbers' and pipefitters' union) Local Union 131. [3][10]

  • Credit for oil heat experience

    Up to 500 hours of oil heating experience can count toward an installation technician's 1,000 hours, and up to 750 toward a service technician's 2,000 hours. [2][3]

  • Still in high school?

    You can hold a fuel gas trainee license at 16. Students in a high school vocational fuel gas fitting program approved by the Department of Education may do gas fitting in residential buildings under a licensed supervisor without their own license. The Manchester School of Technology is on the Board's list of approved fuel gas schools. New Hampshire's Department of Education oversees 26 regional career and technical centers See its list of CTE centers. ApprenticeshipNH takes applicants 16 and older. [3][10][12][18][19]

Where to apply in New HampshireHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Mechanical Licensing Board, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · (603) 271-2152 [1][10]

New Hampshire HVAC license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Mechanical Licensing Board (OPLC): fuel gas fitters and plumbers Voluntary oil heating technician certification [1]
Air conditioning and refrigeration
No separate state license on the Board's list Federal EPA 608 certification for refrigerant work [1][4]
Fuel gas trainee
Minimum age 16 Licensed sponsor; direct supervision; $88 [3][8]
Installation technician
100 hours of training and 1,000 hours of experience within 60 months [2][3]
Service technician
140 hours of training and 2,000 hours of experience within 60 months [2][3]
License fees
Trainee $88 Installation or service technician $198; oil heating technician certification $50 [8]
Renewal and CE
Every 2 years 3 hours of code update a year (6 per cycle) [9][10]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. What New Hampshire licenses
  5. The fuel gas license ladder
  6. Fees and renewal
  7. Training and apprenticeships
  8. If you're licensed in another state
  9. Steps to get licensed
  10. Where to get the hours
  11. Licensed in another state?
  12. Questions people ask

The license pathway in New Hampshire

  1. 1

    Fuel gas trainee

    • $88
    • $88; proof of continued enrollment

    You're at least 16, sponsored by a licensed fuel gas fitter who enrolls you in an approved training program, and directly supervised on the job. [2][3][8][10]

  2. 2

    EPA Section 608 certified technician

    • Yes, through an EPA-approved certification program

    Federal certification needed before you maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants. See EPA 608 certification. [4]

  3. 3

    Fuel gas installation technician

    • 1,000 hours on the job
    • 100 hours of approved gas training
    • Licensing exam at the end of the training course
    • $198
    • Every 2 years; $198; 3 hours of code update a year

    Installs gas piping, gas appliances such as furnaces and water heaters, and their venting. The 1,000 hours must fall within 60 consecutive months; up to 500 can be oil heating experience. [2][3][8][9][10]

  4. 4

    Fuel gas service technician

    • 2,000 hours on the job
    • 140 hours of approved gas training (or 40 more hours for an installation technician)
    • Licensing exam at the end of the training course
    • $198
    • Every 2 years; $198; 3 hours of code update a year

    Services and repairs gas heating and water heating equipment, including controls, ignition systems and combustion testing. The 2,000 hours must fall within 60 consecutive months; up to 750 can be oil heating experience. [2][3][8][9]

What New Hampshire licenses

The Mechanical Licensing Board regulates fuel gas fitters (trainee, installation, service, piping, domestic appliance, and hearth system installation and service), plumbers, and business entities. Oil heating technicians can get a voluntary state certification. The Board's list has no separate license for air conditioning, heat pumps or refrigeration.

In December 2024 OPLC announced that gas fitter licenses are now defined by specific type instead of one broad "Gas Fitter" license, and the old "upgrade" system was discontinued; existing licenses are being converted starting with those expiring in 2026.

Related exemptions: the plumbing license law doesn't apply to plumbing done while installing heating, cooling or water heating systems (within 10 feet of the appliance), and the electrician license law doesn't cover installing gas or oil furnace or boiler equipment and the controls connected to it. Homeowners may do gas fitting in an existing stand-alone single-family home they own and live in as their primary residence.

As of October 2026, the Board has proposed rewriting its rules for the voluntary oil heating certification (Mec 700, "Voluntary Certification of Heating Installers and Heating Equipment Service Personnel"); a public hearing is set for November 19, 2026. [1][2][3][5][6][7]

The fuel gas license ladder

The licensing exam is taken at the end of the approved training course. [2][3]

Fees and renewal

OPLC lists these fees for the application and each renewal:

Individual fuel gas licenses expire every 2 years. Licensees need 3 hours of code update training each year (6 per 2-year cycle). If you renew 365 days or more after expiration, an exam through an approved school can replace the 140-hour course. [8][9][10]

Training and apprenticeships

Your gas training must come from a Board-approved program. The Board's list includes a community college, union (UA Local Union 131), propane industry and trade school programs; see the education requirements page.

For registered HVAC apprenticeships, search the Apprenticeship Finder or contact ApprenticeshipNH. More: EPA 608 certification and union vs. non-union. [10][11][12]

If you're licensed in another state

New Hampshire's license reciprocity law (RSA 310:17) covers the fuel gas licenses, but as of October 2026 OPLC lists no qualifying states for them yet: most types are marked as still to be determined, and service technician as "None."

A 2022 Board standing order covers Connecticut S-1 and S-2 heating, piping and cooling license holders: if your license is active and in good standing, you can be approved to take the New Hampshire exam to become a fuel gas service technician. See license reciprocity. [13][14][15]

Steps to get licensed in New Hampshire

  1. Get hired and get a trainee license for gas work

    Find a licensed fuel gas fitter to sponsor you. Mail OPLC the Universal Application and trainee application with your sponsor's letter and the $88 fee. [3][8][16]

  2. Get EPA 608 certified

    Pass an EPA-approved Section 608 exam before working with refrigerant. [4]

  3. Finish approved gas training

    Complete 100 hours (installation) or 140 hours (service) at a Board-approved school and pass the exam at the end of the course. [3][10]

  4. Log your hours

    Work 1,000 hours (installation) or 2,000 hours (service) within 60 months, verified by sworn affidavit from your licensed employer and sponsor. [3]

  5. Apply for your fuel gas license

    Send OPLC your training certificate, exam proof, hours affidavit and a sponsor's letter saying you meet the competency requirements, with the $198 fee. [3][8]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Fuel gas service technician: CT

    A 2022 Board standing order lets holders of Connecticut's S-1 or S-2 Unlimited Heating, Piping and Cooling licenses be approved to take the New Hampshire exam for the fuel gas service technician license, without repeating the education and hours. [7][15]

Also listed by: Delaware, Vermont (their own boards list New Hampshire as a partner; check both sides before you move).

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
NH Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists NH

Questions people ask

Do you need a license for HVAC work in New Hampshire?

For gas heating work, yes: a fuel gas trainee or fuel gas fitter license from the Mechanical Licensing Board. The Board lists no separate license for air conditioning or refrigeration, but refrigerant work needs federal EPA Section 608 certification. [1][2][4]

How many hours do you need for a New Hampshire gas fitter license?

1,000 hours within 60 months plus 100 hours of training for an installation technician, or 2,000 hours plus 140 hours of training for a service technician. Some oil heat experience can count. [2][3]

How old do you have to be to be a fuel gas trainee in New Hampshire?
  1. A full fuel gas license requires age 18.

[3]

Is oil heat certification required in New Hampshire?

No. The oil heating technician certification is voluntary; it costs $50. It's against the law to claim to be certified when you're not. [1][2][8]

Sources (19)
  1. Mechanical Licensing Board, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. RSA Chapter 153 (Mechanical Licensing, RSA 153:16-b and 153:27-38), New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Chapter Mec 300: Initial fuel gas fitting licensing, plumbing licensing, trainee and apprentice licenses, New Hampshire General Court, Office of Legislative Services (Administrative Rules). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Section 608 Technician Certification, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Update - Changes to Gas Fitter Licenses (12/17/2024), New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. RSA Chapter 319-C: Electricians, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Mechanical Licensing Laws & Rules, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. License Fees for the NH OPLC Mechanical Licensing Board, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Chapter Mec 400: Renewals and reinstatements, New Hampshire General Court, Office of Legislative Services (Administrative Rules). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Required education credits and certification for Mechanical Licensing, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Apprenticeship Finder, U.S. Department of Labor (Apprenticeship.gov). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. What is Pre-Apprenticeship?, ApprenticeshipNH, Community College System of New Hampshire. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. RSA 310:17 License Reciprocity, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Standing Order: Approval Process for Connecticut Licensees Holding a S-1 or S-2 License to Become New Hampshire Fuel Gas Service Technicians (12/23/2022), New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board (OPLC). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Mechanical Licensing Applications, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Chapter Mec 600: Professional standards, New Hampshire General Court, Office of Legislative Services (Administrative Rules). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Bureau of Career Development: Office of Career & Technical Education, New Hampshire Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. CTE Programs in New Hampshire: List of Career and Technical Education Centers in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.

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