Maryland HVAC Technician License: 6,000 Hours, PSI Exam

How to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Maryland: 6,000 hours (Journeyman), PSI exam — verified from Maryland Board of Heating.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) (official site) and last verified July 23, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must be licensed: Except as otherwise provided in the title, an individual must be licensed by the Board BEFORE the individual provides or assists in providing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, or refrigeration services in the State (Bus. Reg. §9A-301). The Board licenses the INDIVIDUAL at every tier — apprentice, journeyman, journeyman restricted, limited, master restricted, and master — not merely the contracting business. The Board's own notice states: 'All individuals providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services in the State of Maryland must be licensed by the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors.'
License tiers and scope: Master (all HVACR areas: install, maintain, alter, remodel, repair heating/ventilation/AC/refrigeration/hydronic); Master Restricted (install + maintain in one or more of: air conditioning, forced-air heating, hydronic heating, ventilation, refrigeration); Limited Contractor (EXCLUSIVELY maintain or repair one or more systems — no installations or retrofits); Journeyman (provide services under the direction and control of a licensed contractor); Journeyman Restricted (one or more specialized services under direction and control); Apprentice (assist only, supervised, in training).
Experience ladder: Apprentice → Journeyman requires 4 years' apprenticeship + 6,000 training hours; Journeyman → Master requires 3 more years (1,875 hours in the prior year) under a master; Limited requires 2 years as a journeyman (1,000 hours in the prior year). Up to 3 years of approved formal training and up to 6 years of comparable work experience may be credited (§9A-302(g)).
Examination: Master, Master Restricted, Limited, Journeyman, and Journeyman Restricted applicants must pass a PSI examination with a score of at least 70% before applying for the license (§9A-304, §9A-307). The Board offers examinations at least twice annually (§9A-304(b)). Restricted applicants are examined only on subjects in which they have the required experience (§9A-304(e)). An applicant may not retake the examination more often than every 30 days (PSI bulletin). Apprentices are not examined; Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council program completers receive a journeyman/journeyman restricted license without examination.
Insurance (to contract): A master, master restricted, or limited licensee who is responsible for signing or approving contracts to install or service HVACR systems must carry general-liability insurance of at least $300,000 AND property-damage insurance of at least $100,000, combined at least $400,000 per occurrence; the certificate must name the licensee and name the State Board of HVACR Contractors as certificate holder (§9A-402; Board Insurance Requirements page). Apprentices and journeymen employed by a covered licensee need no separate insurance (§9A-402(c)). Entering into HVACR contracts without the required insurance is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment up to six months. A local surety-bond requirement may be satisfied by submitting proof of this insurance (§9A-402(g)).
Reciprocity: The Board may waive the examination for an individual currently licensed in good standing in another state as a journeyman, journeyman restricted, master, master restricted, or limited HVACR contractor, if the state has a reciprocal agreement with Maryland and the applicant meets Maryland's qualifications including equivalent years of experience (§9A-305). The Board currently has reciprocal agreements with Delaware and Virginia ONLY (Board Reciprocal License page).
County licenses on top of the State license: Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County ALSO require an individual to hold a COUNTY HVACR license in addition to the Maryland HVACR license to perform HVACR services in those counties (Board 'County License/Permits' page). In other counties and cities, local plumbing, gasfitting and electrical permits may be required before HVACR work can begin, and localities may enforce local building and mechanical codes in addition to the State Board's. By statute a county or municipality may NOT require a State-licensed HVACR contractor to display a local certificate number on each vehicle — except Anne Arundel County (§9A-401(b)).
Display and advertising: A master, master restricted, or limited licensee must display the license conspicuously at the principal place of business and display the license number on each vehicle used on the job (§9A-401(a)). Category numbers: 01 = Master, 02 = Master Restricted, 06 = Limited (PSI bulletin). Every advertisement in the name of a person providing HVACR services must contain the license number and name of the master/master restricted/limited license holder the business employs to direct and control the work (§9A-404).
Apprentice supervision: An apprentice may not perform any HVACR work alone or enter into contracts; a licensed master or journeyman must be present on the jobsite and the apprentice works under that person's direction and control (Board 'It's the Law' notice; §9A-101(m)).
Exemptions (see the exemptions field): Bus. Reg. §9A-103 lists ten categories that the title 'does not limit the right of,' including an owner working on their own single-family dwelling, PSC-regulated public-utility employees, government employees on government-owned buildings, small self-contained appliances (≤225 volts or 25 amperes), master electricians doing electric resistance heat, master plumbers doing hydronic heating, licensed engineers, oil-burner installers employed by a heating-fuel supplier, and property-owner maintenance employees. The full enumeration is set out in the exemptions field.

Legal basis

Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) administers HVAC technician licensing in Maryland. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

Maryland licenses INDIVIDUAL HVACR technicians and contractors — the Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors issues the license to the person at every tier (apprentice, journeyman, journeyman restricted, limited, master restricted, master), not only to the contracting business. A search for a ‘Maryland HVAC license’ maps to this individual credential; ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license,’ ‘mechanical license’ and ‘HVAC certification’ are common informal names for it, and ‘HVACR’ is the Board’s own abbreviation. The master, master restricted and limited tiers are the ones that may sign contracts (and must carry insurance to do so). Separately, the federal EPA Section 608 certification (to handle refrigerants) is a nationwide requirement, not a Maryland HVAC license.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Master HVACR Contractor	Must currently hold a journeyman or higher HVACR license and have been regularly and principally employed to provide ALL areas of HVACR services for at least 3 years of active experience under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR master, including at least 1,875 hours in the year immediately before applying (Bus. Reg. §9A-302(b); Board 'Licensing Requirements' page). The Board may credit up to 3 years of an approved formal course of study or professional training that provides comparable experience, and up to 6 years of comparable non-qualifying work experience where the shortfall is not the applicant's fault or neglect (§9A-302(g)). PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin adds an alternate route: an applicant who cannot document the 3-year path may instead qualify to sit the Master Restricted exam with at least 6 years of qualifying HVACR experience. A master license authorizes the holder to install, maintain, alter, remodel, or repair heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and hydronic systems (all areas).	PSI Master Contractor examination; passing score 70% (§9A-307). Exam fee $150, paid to PSI Services LLC.	$94.50 license fee (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025). A master/master restricted/limited licensee who signs or approves contracts must also carry general-liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property-damage insurance of at least $100,000, combined at least $400,000 per occurrence (§9A-402).
Master Restricted HVACR Contractor	Same 3-year / 1,875-hour path as the Master license, but performed in one or more specialty areas — air conditioning, forced-air heating, hydronic heating, ventilation, or refrigeration — under the direction and control of a master or master restricted HVACR contractor, and the applicant currently holds a journeyman or higher license (§9A-302(c); Board page). A master restricted license authorizes installation and maintenance work in only the specialty area(s) for which the individual qualifies. Restricted licenses are issued in one and up to four combinations of the areas of expertise.	PSI Master Restricted examination for each specialty sought (Air Conditioning, Forced Air, Hydronic, Refrigeration, or Ventilation); passing score 70%. Exam fee $50 per specialty, paid to PSI.	$31.50 for EACH area licensed; the per-category assessment is capped once a licensee qualifies in three areas of HVACR expertise (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025). Insurance requirement (§9A-402) applies to those who contract.
Limited HVACR Contractor	Must have been a licensed journeyman for at least 2 years of active experience providing forced-air heating, hydronic heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, or refrigeration services under the direction and control of a master, master restricted, or limited license holder, including at least 1,000 hours in the year before applying, and currently hold a journeyman or higher license (§9A-302(d); Board page). A limited license authorizes the holder EXCLUSIVELY to maintain or repair one or more HVACR systems — it does NOT permit installations or retrofits of HVACR systems (§9A-101(o); PSI Candidate Information Bulletin).	PSI Limited Contractor examination; passing score 70%. Exam fee $150, paid to PSI.	$94.50 license fee (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025). Insurance requirement (§9A-402) applies to those who contract.
Journeyman	Must have held an apprentice license for at least 4 years and, during that period, completed at least 6,000 hours of training providing HVACR services under the direction and control of a licensed contractor (§9A-302(e); Board page). Waived-exam route: an individual who successfully completes an HVACR apprenticeship program approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council is issued a journeyman license WITHOUT examination (§9A-306(e)(1); PSI bulletin adds that the license application must be filed within two years of graduation). A journeyman may provide HVACR services while under the direction and control of a licensed contractor.	PSI Journeyman examination; passing score 70%. Exam fee $150, paid to PSI. No exam for approved-apprenticeship completers.	$25.00 license fee (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025). A journeyman working under a master/master restricted/limited licensee need not carry separate insurance (§9A-402(c)).
Journeyman Restricted	Must have held an apprentice license for at least 3 years and, during that period, completed at least 1,875 hours of training in one or more specialty areas — forced-air heating, hydronic heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, or refrigeration — under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR contractor or master restricted contractor in the same category (§9A-302(f)); or successfully completed a Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council-approved HVACR program in the specialty, which is issued a journeyman restricted license without examination (§9A-306(e)(2)). A journeyman restricted may perform one or more specialized HVACR services while under the direction and control of a licensed contractor.	PSI Journeyman Restricted examination per specialty (Air Conditioning, Forced Air, Hydronic, Refrigeration, or Ventilation); passing score 70%. Exam fee $50 per specialty, paid to PSI.	$25.00 for EACH area licensed (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025).
Apprentice	No prerequisites — anyone entering the trade of HVACR work must obtain an apprentice license. A licensed apprentice may only ASSIST in providing HVACR services while under the direction and control of a licensed contractor and in training to become a journeyman; a licensed master or journeyman must be present on the jobsite, and an apprentice may not perform HVACR work alone or enter into contracts to provide such services (§9A-101(m); Board 'It's the Law' notice).	None.	$12.00 license fee (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025).

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Maryland’s HVACR title is Business Regulation Title 9A, and its scope carve-outs are concentrated in a single ‘Scope of title’ section, §9A-103, headed ‘This title does not limit the right of’ — read in full, the enumeration runs (1) through (10) with no truncation and no ‘but/except/unless’ tail beyond item (10). The ten categories are: (1) an individual OWNER of a single-family dwelling while practicing HVACR services on or within a building or structure the individual owns; (2) an individual BUILDING a single-family dwelling in which that individual will reside, while practicing HVACR services on or within that dwelling; (3) an employee of a PUBLIC UTILITY company regulated by the Public Service Commission, when engaged in the development, construction, maintenance, or repair of electric or gas facilities in the State, or the construction, maintenance, or repair of electric or gas appliances in the utility’s service area; (4) subject to §9A-403(a) (inspector standards), an employee of the UNITED STATES, STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, or an independent agency while practicing HVACR services on or within buildings owned or SOLELY OCCUPIED by that government or agency; (5) an individual employed in the installation, maintenance, alteration, repair, or replacement of SELF-CONTAINED APPLIANCES requiring not more than 225 volts or 25 amperes of electrical current (a self-contained appliance is one built with its components in a single chassis, a standard factory line cord/plug, no external fuel source, and independent of an air-distribution system — §9A-101(t)); (6) an individual holding a MASTER ELECTRICIAN’S license issued by the State or any county, when engaged in installing, altering, servicing, repairing, or replacing individually controlled ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEAT; (7) an individual holding a MASTER PLUMBER’S license issued by the State, Baltimore County, or the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, when providing HVACR services on HYDRONIC HEATING systems; (8) an individual holding a license to practice ENGINEERING when providing HVACR services in connection with the practice of engineering; (9) an individual who installs, alters, remodels, maintains, or repairs OIL BURNERS exclusively while employed by a supplier of home heating fuel; and (10) an individual regularly employed by the OWNER OF PROPERTY, or the owner’s agent, to engage in MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR work. Two structural points function like additional exemptions. First, the two homeowner carve-outs (items 1-2) are limited to SINGLE-FAMILY dwellings and to buildings the individual owns or will reside in — a homeowner doing HVACR on a rental, a multi-family building, or someone else’s home is not covered. Second, there is no general ‘helper’ exemption below the apprentice level: §9A-301 requires a license even to ASSIST in providing HVACR services, and the apprentice license is the entry credential (an apprentice may work only under a licensed master or journeyman present on the jobsite). Separately from all of the above, EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a FEDERAL requirement (40 CFR part 82, subpart F), held by the individual technician — it is neither a Maryland license nor a substitute for one.

Fees

License fees (COMAR 09.15 fee schedule, set by the mechanical boards effective July 1, 2025): Master $94.50; Master Restricted $31.50 for EACH area licensed (per-category assessment capped once a licensee qualifies in three areas); Limited $94.50; Journeyman $25.00; Journeyman Restricted $25.00 for EACH area licensed; Apprentice $12.00; Inspector $56.00; Letter of Good Standing $25.00; Inactive license $31.50. All fees are non-refundable. PSI examination fees (paid to PSI, separate from license fees): Master / Limited / Journeyman $150 each; each Master Restricted or Journeyman Restricted specialty $50. Fees collected are paid to the Comptroller and distributed to the Occupational Mechanical Licensing Boards’ Fund (§9A-207, §2-106.9).

Exam

All HVACR licensing examinations are administered by PSI Services LLC, with testing centers in Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown, Lanham, and Salisbury. Before applying for a Journeyman, Journeyman Restricted, Master, Master Restricted, or Limited Contractor license, the applicant must pass the corresponding PSI examination (§9A-304). To qualify, an applicant must obtain a grade of at least 70 percent (§9A-307(a)). The Board offers examinations at least twice annually and determines the subjects, scope, form, and passing score; restricted applicants are examined only on subjects in which they have the required experience (§9A-304). Examination fees are paid directly to PSI and are non-refundable and non-transferable: Master Contractor $150; Limited Contractor $150; Journeyman $150; each Master Restricted specialty $50; each Journeyman Restricted specialty $50 (PSI Candidate Information Bulletin). A candidate may not take the examination more often than every 30 days, and a failed applicant must file a new application and pay a new fee (§9A-307(c)). Apprentices take no examination; an individual who completes a Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council-approved HVACR program is issued a journeyman (or journeyman restricted) license without examination (§9A-306(e)).

Renewal & continuing education

Two-year term. Unless renewed, a license expires on the first October 1 that comes after its effective date and falls in an ODD-numbered year (Bus. Reg. §9A-309(a)). Before expiration the licensee may renew for an additional 2-year term by paying the renewal fee, submitting a renewal application, and (for master/master restricted/limited licensees who contract) submitting proof of the required insurance (§9A-309(b), §9A-402(e)). Inactive status is available (§9A-309(d)). If application for restoration is made within 4 years after expiration, the license may be restored on payment of the required renewal or reinstatement fee; after 4 years the Board may require compliance with the process for initial applications as if the applicant had never been licensed (§9A-309(e)). Licenses are not transferable, except that the personal representative of a deceased licensee may retain the license up to 6 months (up to 24 more in hardship) to wind up the business (§9A-309(f)-(g)). The Secretary may stagger expiration dates (§9A-309(h)). None required for licensees. The Board’s Education page states plainly: ‘The Maryland Board of Heating Ventilation Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors does not require continuing education credits.’ (Separately, an individual appointed or employed by the State, a county, or a local government as an HVACR INSPECTOR must attend a continuing-education course each year under §9A-403(a) — that requirement applies to inspectors, not to trade licensees.)

How to apply

Applications are handled by Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to do HVAC work in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland licenses HVACR at the state level, and it licenses the INDIVIDUAL, not just the business. Bus. Reg. §9A-301 requires an individual to be licensed by the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors before providing or assisting in providing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, or refrigeration services in the State, and the Board’s notice says ‘All individuals providing HVACR services in the State of Maryland must be licensed.’ There are six license tiers — Apprentice, Journeyman, Journeyman Restricted, Limited, Master Restricted, and Master. Certain owner and utility situations are exempt (see ‘Who is exempt’ below). Working without a required license can bring a criminal sentence up to six months for a first violation (up to two years for a subsequent violation) plus an administrative penalty up to $5,000 per violation.

What are Maryland's HVACR license classes and how do you move up the ladder?

You start as an Apprentice (no prerequisites; you assist under a licensed master or journeyman who must be on the jobsite). After 4 years as an apprentice and 6,000 hours of training you can take the PSI exam for a Journeyman license. After 3 years as a journeyman-or-higher (with 1,875 hours in the year before applying) under a master, you can sit the Master exam, which authorizes all areas of HVACR work. A Master Restricted license covers one or more specialties (air conditioning, forced-air heating, hydronic heating, ventilation, refrigeration). A Limited Contractor license lets you EXCLUSIVELY maintain or repair systems — not install or retrofit them — and requires 2 years as a journeyman with 1,000 hours in the prior year. All non-apprentice tiers require passing a PSI exam at 70%.

How much does a Maryland HVACR license cost?

License fees (COMAR 09.15 schedule, effective July 1, 2025) are $94.50 for a Master, $94.50 for a Limited, $31.50 for each area of a Master Restricted (capped once you qualify in three areas), $25.00 for a Journeyman, $25.00 for each area of a Journeyman Restricted, and $12.00 for an Apprentice. PSI charges the examination fee separately: $150 each for the Master, Limited, and Journeyman exams, and $50 for each Master Restricted or Journeyman Restricted specialty exam. A master, master restricted, or limited licensee who contracts must also carry general-liability ($300,000) and property-damage ($100,000) insurance totaling at least $400,000.

Does Maryland require insurance for HVACR contractors?

Yes, for those who contract. A master, master restricted, or limited licensee responsible for signing or approving contracts to install or service HVACR systems must carry general-liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property-damage insurance of at least $100,000, combined at least $400,000 per occurrence, with the State Board of HVACR Contractors named as certificate holder (Bus. Reg. §9A-402). Apprentices and journeymen employed by a covered licensee do not need their own policy. Entering into HVACR contracts without the required insurance is a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months’ imprisonment.

Does Maryland require continuing education for HVACR licensees?

No. The Board states directly that it ‘does not require continuing education credits’ for its licensees. (Appointed or employed HVACR inspectors are separately required to attend a continuing-education course each year under §9A-403, but that is an inspector requirement, not a requirement for trade licensees.)

Do any Maryland counties require a license on top of the state HVACR license?

Yes. Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County require an individual to hold a COUNTY HVACR license in addition to the Maryland HVACR license to work in those counties. Elsewhere, local plumbing, gasfitting or electrical permits may be required and localities may enforce their own building and mechanical codes. Maryland also has reciprocal licensing agreements with Delaware and Virginia only, under which a qualifying out-of-state licensee may obtain a Maryland license without re-examination.

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Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 23, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.