Do you need an HVAC license in Washington?

Licensing office Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) · 360-902-5269 [1][2][7]

The license pathway in Washington

1. 1

   Electrical trainee

   • 48 hours of basic classroom instruction to renew or test for 06A
   • $48.10 online or $56.00 by mail/in person
   • Every 2 years until you pass an exam

   The card you need before doing electrical work on HVAC equipment. You work under a certified electrician in the specialty, or a journey level electrician, who must supervise you at least 75% of the time for 06A work. [2][8][17]

2. 2

   HVAC/refrigeration restricted electrician (06B)

   • 2,000 hours on the job
   • 24 hours of basic trainee classes before your temporary certificate expires
   • Yes, specialty exam through PSI after 1,000 supervised hours; open book

   For HVAC/R systems whose main power connection is no more than 250 volts single phase or 120 amps. You work 100% supervised until you pass the exam, then on a nonrenewable 0% supervision certificate until you reach 2,000 hours. Those hours can count toward 06A. [2][3][4][7]

3. 3

   HVAC/refrigeration electrician (06A)

   • 4,000 hours on the job
   • 48 hours of basic classroom instruction
   • Yes, specialty exam through PSI; open book; 70% on each section
   • $114.60 application
   • Every 3 years

   Not limited by voltage: covers control and low-voltage wiring and line-voltage parts inside HVAC/R equipment, but not panels, branch circuits or disconnects outside the equipment. [2][3][4][7][8]

4. 4

   Seattle journey refrigeration mechanic (city license)

   • 3 years of experience
   • Yes, Seattle online exam; 70% to pass
   • Yearly, by June 30

   Needed to install, repair or alter refrigeration or air conditioning equipment in Seattle. You qualify with three years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman refrigeration or air conditioning mechanic, or with trade school plus experience. [6]

5. 5

   Specialty contractor registration (and electrical contractor license)

   • $150.20 registration per 2 years
   • Every 2 years

   To run an HVAC business you register with L&I as a contractor, with a $15,000 bond and liability insurance. A company doing electrical work also needs an L&I electrical contractor license, with a certified administrator or master electrician and a $4,000 bond. [1][10][11][12]

How Washington regulates HVAC work

Washington requires all construction contractors to register with L&I, and HVAC is one of the 63 registration specialties. L&I names plumbing, electrical, elevators, mobile home installation, boilers and asbestos as the areas with additional education, exam and licensing requirements; HVAC isn't on that list.

The electrical law is what reaches HVAC workers. To work in the electrical construction trade you need an L&I electrician certificate, and the trade includes remote control and signaling circuits as well as wiring for heat and power. Two specialty certificates cover HVAC/refrigeration work: 06A and the more limited 06B. [1][2][3]

The 06A and 06B HVAC/refrigeration certificates

06A (HVAC/refrigeration). This specialty isn't limited by voltage, phase or amperage. It covers control, low-voltage and telecommunications wiring for HVAC/R systems, line-voltage components inside the equipment, and short whips and raceways. It doesn't cover panels, branch circuits or disconnect switches outside the equipment. You need 4,000 hours in the specialty, supervised at least 75% of the time, and 48 hours of basic classroom instruction before the exam.

06B (HVAC/refrigeration, restricted). For systems whose main power connection is 250 volts single phase or 120 amps or less. You work 100% supervised and can take the exam after 1,000 hours. After you pass, L&I issues a nonrenewable 0% supervision certificate; you finish 24 hours of basic trainee classes and apply for the certificate when you reach 2,000 hours. Your 06B hours can count as 2,000 of the 4,000 hours for 06A, but not toward the general (01) electrician license.

All Washington electrical exams are given by PSI and are open book; you need 70% on each section. The application fee for a specialty certificate is $114.60, and certificates renew every 3 years. [2][3][4][7][8]

EPA Section 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 refrigerants to be certified. You pass an EPA-approved test given by an EPA-approved certifying organization: Type I for small appliances, Type II for high-pressure equipment, Type III for low-pressure equipment, or all three for Universal. The certification doesn't expire. Our EPA 608 guide explains the test. [5][9]

Seattle's refrigeration licenses

Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) licenses refrigeration work. A journey refrigeration mechanic license lets you install, repair or alter refrigeration or air conditioning equipment, in Class A (freon-type refrigerants), Class B (ammonia) or Class C (all). A refrigeration and air conditioning contractor's license lets a business do that work, and it must have a licensed journeyman designated to do the work.

To take the city's online mechanic exam you need three years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman refrigeration or air conditioning mechanic, or two years at a recognized school of technology plus one year in the trade, or two years full-time in the trade plus graduation from a recognized refrigeration trade school. You need 70% to pass and must buy the license within 90 days. Licenses renew every year by June 30. See SDCI's refrigeration licensing page. [6]

Running an HVAC business

To register as a specialty contractor with L&I you need a UBI business number from the Department of Revenue, a $15,000 contractor surety bond, and general liability insurance of $250,000 combined single limit (or $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage). The registration fee is $150.20 and registration lasts two years. A specialty contractor can only do work in its registered specialty and can't hire subcontractors.

If your company does electrical work on HVAC equipment, it also needs an electrical contractor license: specialty electrical contractors work within a category such as 06A and need a certified administrator or master electrician, a $4,000 bond, and certified electricians to do the work. [1][10][11][12]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Washington

Washington has union and non-union registered apprenticeship programs; joining a union is your choice. Find them in L&I's Apprenticeship Registration and Tracking System (ARTS).

The Western Washington Sheet Metal JATC (a joint committee of union employers and Sheet Metal Workers Local 66) runs 9,000-hour HVAC controls, HVAC service, and test-adjust-balance technician apprenticeships in 19 western Washington counties, with at least 200 classroom hours a year. The Seattle-area pipe trades committee with UA Local 32 runs a 10,000-hour HVAC-service controls technician/refrigeration mechanic apprenticeship. The Construction Industry Training Council of Washington (CITC) runs an 8,000-hour heating and air conditioning installer and servicer apprenticeship covering Washington and Idaho. [13][14][15][16]

Steps to get licensed in Washington

1. Get an electrical trainee certificate

   If you'll touch the electrical parts of HVAC equipment, apply online with L&I first. You must be 16; the fee is $48.10 online. [8][17]

2. Get hired or join an apprenticeship

   Work for an HVAC contractor or apply to a registered apprenticeship. Find programs in L&I's ARTS database. [13]

3. Earn EPA Section 608 certification

   Pass an EPA-approved test for the types of equipment you'll service before you work with refrigerants. [9]

4. Log your hours and take basic classes

   For the 06A specialty you need 4,000 hours supervised at least 75% of the time and 48 hours of basic classroom instruction. [2]

5. Apply for and pass the specialty exam

   Apply to L&I ($114.60), then take the open-book PSI exam. You need 70% on each section. [7][8]

6. Check local licenses

   If you'll work in Seattle, get the city's journey refrigeration mechanic license. [6]

Where to get the hours

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

• State program

  L&I Apprenticeship Registration and Tracking System (ARTS)

  L&I's database of every registered apprenticeship program in Washington, union and non-union. Apply directly to the programs you're interested in. [13]

• Union

  Western Washington Sheet Metal JATC (Local 66)

  Joint committee of union employers and Sheet Metal Workers Local 66, covering 19 western Washington counties. HVAC controls, service, and test-adjust-balance technician apprenticeships run 9,000 hours each. [14]

• Union

  Seattle-area pipe trades (UA Local 32), HVAC-Service Controls Technician/Refrigeration Mechanic

  A 10,000-hour HVAC service and refrigeration apprenticeship run by a joint committee with UA Local 32. [15]

• Other

  Construction Industry Training Council of Washington (CITC), HVAC

  An 8,000-hour Heating/Air Conditioning Installer and Servicer apprenticeship covering Washington and Idaho. Applicants must be 18 with a diploma or equivalent. [16]

• State program

  Recognized apprenticeship preparation programs

  Short programs, recognized by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, that have agreements with apprenticeship sponsors. The list includes an HVAC Training and Career Preparation Academy. [18]

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