How to get an HVAC license in West Virginia

Journeyman level 2,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

Licensing office West Virginia Division of Labor, Licensing · (304) 558-7890 [4][9]

The license pathway in West Virginia

1. 1

   HVAC technician in training

   • $25 a year
   • Yearly, $25

   For anyone with less than 2,000 hours of HVAC work, training and experience. No exam; you may assist on HVAC work only under the direction and control of a licensed technician. [1][3][5][6]

2. 2

   HVAC residential technician

   • Yes: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass, ProV
   • $50 a year (Division page and application); the rule says $60
   • Yearly

   Installs, tests, maintains and repairs residential HVAC systems. On non-residential systems a residential technician works under a licensed HVAC technician. The law and rule set no hour requirement for this license, only the exam. [1][3][7][8]

3. 3

   HVAC technician

   • 2,000 hours on the job
   • Yes: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass, ProV
   • $75 a year (waived for the owner who qualifies a licensed HVAC contractor)
   • Yearly, $75

   Works on residential and non-residential HVAC systems without supervision. You need 2,000 hours of HVAC-related work, training and experience, which can include a school career technical education program, an apprenticeship or an approved employer training program. [1][3][6][7][9]

4. 4

   HVAC contractor (business license)

   • HVAC exam plus the Contractor Licensing Act exam
   • $90 a year
   • Yearly

   A Contractor Licensing Board license with the HVAC classification is needed for HVAC work on residential projects of $5,000 or more or commercial projects of $25,000 or more (the whole project's material and labor). [5][10][11]

Who needs a license in West Virginia

State law requires a license from the Commissioner of Labor for anyone performing or offering to perform work on a heating, ventilating and cooling system, which means installing, maintaining, altering, remodeling or repairing any of its components. The Division's FAQ (frequently asked questions) says this applies regardless of the dollar amount of the job: each person doing HVAC work needs a license, and the employer needs a contractor license that covers HVAC.

The law doesn't apply to work on a single-family home you or your immediate family own, employees at manufacturing plants or industrial sites, electricians or plumbers doing only electrical or plumbing work within their own license, or routine maintenance. Under the Division's rule, HVAC work doesn't include refrigeration lines, steam lines or hydronics. [1][2][3][5]

The license ladder

• HVAC technician in training: less than 2,000 hours of HVAC-related work, training and experience. No exam. You assist only under the direction and control of a licensed technician; a technician may supervise up to four trainees on residential work and up to two on non-residential work.
• HVAC residential technician: passes the residential exam and works on residential systems. State law defines a residential system as no more than four units of up to 5 tons (130,000 BTUs) each, in a single or two-family home or a commercial space of 5,000 square feet or less with no fire dampers, and not including packaged rooftop units.
• HVAC technician: 2,000 hours plus the exam. Works on residential and non-residential systems without supervision.

The 2,000 hours can include a career technical education program in the state's public schools, an apprenticeship, or an employer training program approved by the Commissioner. [1][3][6]

The exams

The Division contracts with ProV, Inc. Each exam costs $59.95, including retakes, and there's no waiting period between attempts. Exams are open book with the listed references, which include the 2018 International Mechanical Code, ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) Manual J and SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association) duct standards.

• HVAC Technician: 80 questions, 3 hours.
• HVAC Residential Technician: 80 questions, 3 hours.

You need at least 70%. ProV has West Virginia centers in Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown and Wheeling, and also offers remote testing at home. [3][7]

Fees and renewal

• HVAC Technician: $75 a year. The fee is waived for an owner who is the HVAC qualifier on a current Contractor Licensing Board license.
• HVAC Residential Technician: $50 a year on the Division's fee page and January 2026 application; the Division's rule (42 CSR 34, effective May 1, 2023) says $60. Confirm with the Division.
• Technician in Training: $25 a year.
• Late fee: $25 if renewal arrives more than 15 days after expiration; a license expired 90 days or more can't be renewed. Duplicate license: $10.

[3][8][9]

HVAC contractor license

To run an HVAC business you also need a Contractor Licensing Board license with the HVAC classification for work on residential projects of $5,000 or more or commercial projects of $25,000 or more (counting material and labor for the whole project). The business's qualifier passes the HVAC exam and the Contractor Licensing Act exam. See our West Virginia general contractor page. [5][10][11]

Union apprenticeships

UA (United Association, the plumbers' and pipefitters' union) locals run registered apprenticeships in plumbing, pipefitting and HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) that combine paid on-the-job training with classroom learning; they typically last five years. Sheet metal workers, who install and service HVAC systems and fabricate ductwork, also train through union apprenticeships. Find programs by county in the West Virginia Building and Construction Trades directory or with the UA local union finder.

The Building Trades' STAND (Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Nontraditional Degree) program lets West Virginia residents in a registered apprenticeship earn a tuition-free associate degree. See also union vs. non-union. [12][13][14]

If you're licensed in another state

The Division's rule lets the Commissioner, at his or her discretion, grant the same HVAC classification without the exam to technicians licensed in states with equivalent requirements, if you meet the RECAP Act: West Virginia residency, at least 1 year licensed, that state's education and exam requirements met, and good standing. If you worked in a state that doesn't license HVAC technicians, at least 2 years of work there may qualify. State law also tells the Commissioner to expedite licenses for applicants with verified military experience or a substantially equivalent out-of-state license.

See our license reciprocity guide. [2][3][15][16]

Recent change: criminal records

House Bill 4819, passed March 12, 2026 and in effect June 10, 2026, tells the Commissioner of Labor to apply the Division of Labor's criminal-records law when deciding HVAC license applications. A conviction can disqualify you only if it directly and specifically relates to the work, and generally not once 5 years have passed since conviction or release with no new conviction (violent or sexual offenses can mean a longer wait). If you have a record, you can petition the Commissioner at any time for a decision on whether it will disqualify you; the law gives the Commissioner 60 days to answer. [17]

Steps to get licensed in West Virginia

1. Get a technician-in-training license

   Once you're hired or accepted into an apprenticeship, send the Division of Labor's HVAC license application for Technician in Training, notarized, with a $25 check or money order. [3][9]

2. Build 2,000 hours

   Work under a licensed technician and keep proof of your HVAC work, training and experience (employer letters, pay stubs, W-2s). School CTE (career and technical education) programs, apprenticeships and approved employer training count. [3][5]

3. Pass the ProV exam

   Schedule the HVAC Technician (or Residential Technician) exam with ProV. It's open book, 80 questions in 3 hours, $59.95; you need 70%. ProV has centers in Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown and Wheeling, plus remote testing. [3][7]

4. Apply for the license

   Send the application with your exam date and score, the fee and, for the HVAC Technician license, your certification of 2,000 hours. [5][9]

5. Renew every year

   Licenses are valid for up to one year; the Division sends a renewal notice at least 45 days ahead. Renewals more than 15 days late cost an extra $25, and a license expired 90 days or more can't be renewed. [3]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  UA plumbers, pipefitters and HVACR apprenticeships

  UA registered apprenticeships include HVACR, combine paid on-the-job training with classroom learning, and typically last five years. Use the UA local union finder for your area. [12]

• Union

  West Virginia Building and Construction Trades apprenticeship directory

  Lists union apprenticeship programs by county, including sheet metal workers (who install and service HVAC systems) and pipefitters. [13]

• School

  High school and career center HVAC Technician programs

  The WV Department of Education's HVAC Technician program covers piping, air distribution, heating and cooling systems, troubleshooting, installation and maintenance. [20][21]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask