North Dakota HVAC Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

North Dakota licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual HVAC technicians. Requirements, exam, fees, renewal and continuing education — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from North Dakota Secretary of State - Registrar of Contractors (general contractor licensing under N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07). North Dakota has no HVAC-specific state license and no state mechanical or HVAC board; HVAC competency licensing is done by cities. (official site) and last verified July 25, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

There is no HVAC-specific North Dakota license - the state credential is a general contractor license: North Dakota does not license HVAC technicians, HVAC contractors, mechanical contractors or refrigeration mechanics as a distinct trade. Title 43 of the North Dakota Century Code ('Occupations and Professions') sets out the occupations the state regulates, and its chapter list includes Contractors (ch. 43-07), Electricians (ch. 43-09), Plumbers (ch. 43-18), Water Conditioning Contractors and Installers (ch. 43-18.1) and Sewer and Water Installers (ch. 43-18.2) - there is no chapter for HVAC, mechanical, heating, air conditioning or refrigeration work. The Secretary of State's contractor page reinforces the point from the other direction: its list of specialized licenses an applicant may separately need names licenses issued by the ND State Electrical Board, the ND State Plumbing Board, the ND Department of Environmental Quality (asbestos abatement) and the ND Office of the Attorney General (transient merchant), and no HVAC or mechanical authority. The state plumbing statute is likewise confined to water and waste: "'Plumbing' means the installation, maintenance, extension, alteration, and removal of all piping, plumbing fixtures, plumbing appliances, and other appurtenances in connection with bringing water into, and using the same in buildings, and for removing liquids and water-carried wastes therefrom" (N.D.C.C. 43-18-01(5)).
What the state DOES require - a contractor license once a job exceeds $4,000: 'A person may not engage in the business nor act in the capacity of a contractor within this state when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds the sum of four thousand dollars nor may that person maintain any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in any court of this state related to the person's business or capacity as a contractor without first having a license as provided in this chapter' (N.D.C.C. 43-07-02(1)). 'Contractor' is defined broadly as 'any person engaged in the business of construction, repair, alteration, dismantling, or demolition of bridges, highways, roads, streets, buildings ... and every other type of structure, project, development, or improvement coming within the definition of real or personal property, including the construction, alteration, or repair of property to be held either for sale or rental, and includes subcontractor, public contractor, and nonresident contractor' (43-07-01(1)). The Secretary of State states it plainly: 'When the cost, value, or price of a job exceeds $4,000, the person doing the work must be licensed as a contractor in North Dakota (NDCC ch. 43-07). This includes subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors, and nonresident contractors.' Acting as a contractor without a license is a class A misdemeanor, and the registrar may assess a civil penalty of up to three times the amount of the license fee, which must be assessed and collected before a license is issued (43-07-02(2)).
The license is held by the contracting business, not by each technician: The duty in 43-07-02(1) falls on the person who 'engage[s] in the business' or 'act[s] in the capacity of a contractor,' and 'contractor' means a person 'engaged in the business of construction' (43-07-01(1)). A technician employed by a licensed contracting business is not engaging in the contracting business on their own account, and North Dakota issues no individual HVAC journeyman, master or technician credential at the state level for such a worker to obtain. A city license, however, can attach to the individual: Bismarck licenses master, journeyman and apprentice HVAC installers by name, Grand Forks licenses master and journeyman mechanical installers, and Fargo issues Master Heating and Journeyman Heating licenses - so an employed technician can still need a personal city license even though no state one exists.
State application documents - insurance, workforce safety, and business registration: The application is made under oath on the registrar's form and must include a copy of a certificate of liability insurance, and the contractor must submit a statement from North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance that the contractor has secured coverage satisfactory to WSI (N.D.C.C. 43-07-04(1)). The Secretary of State's contractor page adds the operational detail: the certificate of liability insurance must be in the same name requested for the contractor license and must list the North Dakota Secretary of State, 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505 as the certificate holder; a current WSI certificate of payment is required if the business has employees residing in North Dakota, and a WSI letter of good standing if it does not. Before applying, a sole proprietor may need to register a trade name, a general partnership a fictitious partnership name, and every other business structure must register with the Secretary of State. Applications are filed through the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal.
Annual renewal on the contractor year, plus the $50,000 project list: 'Contractor year' means March second through March first (N.D.C.C. 43-07-01(2)), and a license issued on an original application runs 'until the expiration of the then current contractor year ending March first, except that an initial license issued to a licensee in January or February is valid until March first of the subsequent year' (43-07-09). To renew, the licensee files an application that includes 'a listing of each project, contract, or subcontract completed by the licensee during the preceding calendar year in this state over the amount of fifty thousand dollars and the nature of the work of each project,' a certificate of liability insurance naming the registrar as certificate holder, and a certification that all payroll taxes, North Dakota income tax, Workforce Safety and Insurance premiums and unemployment insurance premiums due at renewal have been submitted (43-07-10(1)). Miss the March 1 deadline and the license is not in good standing and the contractor 'is deemed to be unlicensed within the meaning of section 43-07-02'; the contractor then has until June first to renew by paying a $50 penalty fee, filing the application and paying the renewal fee, and after June first an unrenewed license is expired (43-07-10(3)).
Public work: the license class must match the project value, and the license must predate the bid: 'All bids and proposals for the construction of any public contract project subject to this chapter must contain a copy of the license or certificate for the current contractor year of the license issued by the registrar, enclosed in the required bid bond envelope. A contract may not be awarded to any contractor unless the contractor is the holder of a license in the class within which the value of the project falls as provided under this section. A contractor must be the holder of a license at least ten days before the date set for receiving bids, to be a qualified bidder' (N.D.C.C. 43-07-12(1)). A bid submitted without that information properly enclosed 'may not be read or considered and must be returned to the bidder.' Subsection (2) provides that the section does not apply to bids submitted to the Department of Transportation, to the Public Service Commission, or for use of federal aid highway funds. Separately, a contractor is not eligible to enter a public contract with the state or any political or governmental subdivision until it shows it has paid all delinquent income, sales or use taxes owed to the state; a certificate from the tax commissioner satisfies that requirement (43-07-11.1).
City of Bismarck - master, journeyman and apprentice HVAC installer licenses: Bismarck's Code of Ordinances, Title 4, Chapter 4-10 ('Mechanical Contractor Licensing') states: 'Any person that undertakes or performs heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) work, any mechanical installation, alteration or repair with or for another is required to obtain a mechanical permit from the City of Bismarck' (4-10-01). No person may engage in the HVAC trade unless that person holds a current master HVAC installers license; holds a current journeyman HVAC installer license and the work is done under the direct supervision of a master; or the work is done as an apprentice under the direct supervision and control of a master or a journeyman (4-10-01(1)). Licenses expire December 31 each year and are subject to a late charge if paid after January 31 (4-10-05). Each license holder must complete four hours of continuing education per year, at a time and location specified by the Building Official (4-10-04). A master HVAC installer 'may not exercise privileges as a licensed master for more than one (1) shop or business at a time' (4-10-03), and the apprentice-to-journeyman ratio is five to one, with a minimum of one journeyman at each project under the direct supervision of a master (4-10-09). An applicant who fails the licensing examination may retest when it is next offered; a second failure means a six-month wait (4-10-01(2)(a)). Contact: Building Inspections Department, 221 N. 5th St., Bismarck, ND 58501, 701-355-1465.
City of Grand Forks - master and journeyman mechanical installer licenses: The City of Grand Forks Department of Building Safety 'is responsible for reviewing, inspecting, and approving all mechanical work in the City's jurisdiction: every property in the city limits and our two mile extra territorial area.' The City's published list of items required 'to be a licensed mechanical installer within the City' includes a North Dakota State Contractors License obtained through the Secretary of State, a $5,000 license and permit bond made payable to the City of Grand Forks with the original copy filed with the City, and a Certificate of Insurance - plus the applicable city license: a Master Mechanical Installer 'must pass the written mechanical test with a score of 80%' and pays a City Master Mechanical License Fee of $170.00 per year, while a Journeyman Mechanical Installer 'must pass the written mechanical test with a score of 75%' and pays $55.00 per year. The City follows the 2021 International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code, publishes a mechanical installer's exam study guide and mechanical reciprocity administrative rules; its pages refer to a City Mechanical Board webpage that was unavailable when last checked. Not every project needs a mechanical permit - the City's own example is replacing a bathroom fan with a new fan in the same location using the same venting.
City of Fargo - Master Heating and Journeyman Heating licenses: Fargo licenses the heating trade through the City Auditor's Licensing Department and inspects it through the Inspections Department, which 'enforces codes adopted by the City of Fargo, including heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and building.' The Auditor's published business and occupational license table lists Master Heating at $125 per year with a December 31 expiration, and Journeyman Heating at $100 for three years, also on a December 31 expiration - both applied for through the City of Fargo Licensing Portal. The Inspections Department states that 'home roofers, plumbers, and heating/air conditioning contractors must be licensed through the City of Fargo,' verifiable through the City Auditor's Office at 701.241.1300, and that all contractors doing business in North Dakota must also be licensed through the Secretary of State's office. Mechanical permits come from Inspections at 225 4th Street North, Fargo, ND 58102 (701.241.1561), and the permit application requires the installer to acknowledge that 'all installations shall comply with the International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, and Fargo City Ordinances' and to schedule the mandatory rough-in and final inspections.
FEDERAL (everywhere in North Dakota) - EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification: Separate from the state contractor license and from every city HVAC license: under the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR part 82, subpart F, technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is a federal credential, held by the individual technician, it applies everywhere in North Dakota, and it is neither issued by nor accepted in place of the North Dakota contractor license or any city HVAC/mechanical license.

Legal basis

North Dakota Secretary of State - Registrar of Contractors (general contractor licensing under N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07). North Dakota has no HVAC-specific state license and no state mechanical or HVAC board; HVAC competency licensing is done by cities. administers HVAC contractor licensing in North Dakota. 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

North Dakota does not issue an ‘HVAC license,’ and a search for one leads to two different credentials that people call by that name. The first is the STATE credential, and it is not HVAC-specific: the North Dakota contractor license issued by the Secretary of State (the statute calls the Secretary the ‘registrar’) under N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07, in Class A, B, C or D according to the value of a single contract project. An HVAC business needs it once a job exceeds $4,000, but it involves no HVAC examination and no HVAC experience standard - the same license is held by roofers, framers and excavators. The second is the CITY credential, which is where the HVAC trade is actually named and tested, and the local name varies: Bismarck calls it a master, journeyman or apprentice ‘HVAC installer’ license, under a chapter titled ‘Mechanical Contractor Licensing’; Grand Forks calls it a ‘Master Mechanical Installer’ or ‘Journeyman Mechanical Installer’ license; Fargo’s Auditor lists it as ‘Master Heating’ and ‘Journeyman Heating.’ Searches for a ‘North Dakota HVAC license,’ ‘ND mechanical contractor license,’ ‘AC license’ or ‘refrigeration license’ all resolve to one of these - a state contractor license, a city mechanical or heating license, or (commonly) both at once. Separately, EPA Section 608 refrigerant-handling certification is a FEDERAL credential held by the individual technician; it is frequently mistaken for a state license and is neither issued by North Dakota nor a substitute for any state or city license.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Class A contractor license (no limit on the value of a single contract project)	No trade examination and no HVAC-specific experience standard. The applicant must be at least eighteen years of age and file an application under oath, on forms the registrar prescribes, 'containing a statement of the applicant's experience and qualifications as a contractor,' and must specify the class of license sought (N.D.C.C. 43-07-04(1)). The registrar may also require criminal history record information at the applicant's expense. 'The holder of a class A license is subject to no limitation as to the value of any single contract project' (43-07-07(1)(a)).	None. North Dakota's contractor license carries no trade or business examination at the state level - the applicant's competency statement is sworn to on the application, and the registrar may investigate eligibility within fifteen days of application (43-07-04(1), 43-07-09). HVAC competency licensing in North Dakota happens at the city level, not the state: Bismarck and Grand Forks publish examination standards, Fargo licenses the heating trade through the City Auditor (its published table lists the license, fee and term), and Minot appears as a reciprocal jurisdiction in Bismarck's own ordinance.	$450 application fee (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(2)(a); the Secretary of State's contractor page publishes the same figure, listing Class A as 'Over $500,000 per job - $450'). Renewal is $90 (43-07-07(3)(a)). A nonprofit entity constructing or rehabilitating a single-family dwelling that will be given to, or sold below appraised value to, a low-income person may not be charged a license or renewal fee (43-07-07(5)).
Class B contractor license (single contract projects up to $500,000)	Same sworn statement of experience and qualifications as Class A; the only difference between classes is the value of a single contract project the licensee may take on. 'The holder of a class B license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of five hundred thousand dollars' (43-07-07(1)(b)).	None at the state level.	$300 application fee; $60 renewal (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(2)(b), (3)(b)). The Secretary of State's contractor page lists Class B as 'Up to $500,000 per job - $300' new and '$60' renewal.
Class C contractor license (single contract projects up to $300,000)	Same sworn statement of experience and qualifications. 'The holder of a class C license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of three hundred thousand dollars' (43-07-07(1)(c)).	None at the state level.	$225 application fee; $45 renewal (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(2)(c), (3)(c)); the same amounts appear on the Secretary of State's contractor page.
Class D contractor license (single contract projects up to $100,000)	Same sworn statement of experience and qualifications. 'The holder of a class D license is not entitled to engage in the construction of any single contract project of a value in excess of one hundred thousand dollars' (43-07-07(1)(d)). This is the class most small residential HVAC businesses fall into.	None at the state level.	$100 application fee; $30 renewal (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(2)(d), (3)(d)); the same amounts appear on the Secretary of State's contractor page.
City HVAC / mechanical licenses (where the trade competency is actually tested) - examples: Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks	Bismarck: a master HVAC installer needs at least two years (3,400 work hours) of experience as a licensed journeyman HVAC installer licensed by the City or another governmental jurisdiction, or a master license from a reciprocal jurisdiction; a journeyman HVAC installer needs at least four years (7,600 work hours) as an apprentice HVAC installer, or a journeyman license from a reciprocal jurisdiction (Bismarck Code of Ordinances 4-10-02). Accredited trade-school instruction of at least 1,020 hours in HVAC or pipe fitting earns work-hour credit at a multiplier set by the grade received - 1 for a 'D', 1.5 for a 'C', 1.75 for a 'B', 2 for an 'A' (4-10-02(3)). Grand Forks and Fargo publish master and journeyman levels of the same trade; Grand Forks's published requirements cover the exam scores, bond, insurance and fees, and its contractor-licenses page refers further detail to the City's Mechanical Board webpage (unavailable when last checked) - its experience standards are not published on the pages that load.	Bismarck's mechanical licensing examination is based on the 2021 International Mechanical Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, and the City states the examination 'will allow reciprocity with the municipalities of Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot.' The City provides the 2021 IMC and IFGC books, calculators and writing tools for use during the examination; on examination timing Bismarck's two official sources differ and both are stated: ordinance 4-10-07 says 'Regular examinations of applicants shall be conducted in June and December of each year' and 'may also be held at other times in the discretion of the Building Official', while the City's live Mechanical Installers page publishes exams 'Once a month - please contact us at 355-1465 for available dates and times'; examination applications are due the first business day of the month (Bismarck 4-10-07; City of Bismarck Mechanical Installers page). Grand Forks requires a written mechanical test at 80% or better for a master mechanical installer and 75% or better for a journeyman mechanical installer.	Bismarck (Code of Ordinances 4-10-10): Class A master HVAC installer certification - $35 application fee plus $125 annual fee; Class B journeyman HVAC installer certification - $35 application plus $75 annual; Class C apprentice HVAC installer certification - $15 application plus $35 annual; administrative fee $125 and year-of-exemption fee $125; late fee is 20% of the application or annual fee. Grand Forks: master mechanical installer $170.00 per year, journeyman mechanical installer $55.00 per year, plus a $5,000 license and permit bond payable to the City and a North Dakota Secretary of State contractor license. Fargo (City Auditor's license table): Master Heating $125 per year and Journeyman Heating $100 for three years, both expiring December 31.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

North Dakota’s exemptions come in three layers, and only the first is statewide. STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS. Section 43-07-08, headed ‘Exceptions,’ provides: ‘This chapter does not apply to: 1. Any authorized representative of the United States government, the state of North Dakota, or any county, municipality, irrigation district, reclamation district, or other political corporation. 2. Any person that furnishes any fabricated or finished product, material, or article of merchandise that is not incorporated into or attached to real property by such person so as to become affixed thereto.’ Note the limitation carried inside the second item: the supplier exemption is lost the moment that supplier is the one attaching the product to real property so as to affix it. THE DOLLAR THRESHOLD, which decides most HVAC jobs. The license is required only ‘when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds the sum of four thousand dollars’ (43-07-02(1)) - so a job at or below $4,000 does not trigger the state contractor license, while a job above it does, and the same subsection bars an unlicensed contractor from maintaining ‘any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in any court of this state related to the person’s business or capacity as a contractor.’ Two further carve-outs sit alongside the license rather than exempting anyone from holding it: 43-07-12(2) provides that the bid-documentation requirement does not apply to bids submitted to the Department of Transportation, to the Public Service Commission, or for use of federal aid highway funds; and 43-07-07(5) waives the license and renewal FEE (not the license itself) for ‘a nonprofit entity that is constructing or rehabilitating a single-family dwelling that will be given to or sold below the appraised value to a low-income person.’ CITY EXEMPTIONS, which differ ordinance by ordinance. Bismarck carries its exemptions inside the licensing section: ‘The term “mechanical contractor” does not include subcontractors working for and under the supervision of a mechanical contractor licensed by the City of Bismarck or a home owner performing work on the homeowner’s own residence or a building or structure accessory thereto which is intended for the owner’s own use’ (Bismarck Code of Ordinances 4-10-01). Bismarck also provides a conditional exemption for certain work: ‘Certain forms of work within the HVAC trade may be performed under the following conditions: 1. The Building Official has specified the type of work in question as being exempt from the general licensing requirements under this section; 2. The work is performed by an employee or proprietor of an enterprise which sells or services HUD certified manufactured homes, or homes; 3. The person performing the work has passed an examination approved by the Building Official; or such person has performed such type of work for at least three (3) years and has been approved by the Building Official for the exception established by this section; and 4. The person has paid an administrative fee per Section 4-10-10 for the initial one-year exemption, and for each year of exemption thereafter’ (4-10-01(2)(f)) - a paid, renewable, Building-Official-approved exemption, not an automatic one, and Bismarck’s fee section prices it at $125 for the administrative fee and $125 for each year of exemption. Fargo publishes a homeowner carve-out tied to occupancy: ‘You may only do HVAC installation (i.e. furnace, AC, water heater, gas lines, etc.) yourself if the home is owner occupied. All other mechanical work must be done by a licensed contractor,’ and its mechanical permit application makes the homeowner attest to being the legal owner occupying the property as a principal and primary residence. Grand Forks does not exempt the trade but does exempt small jobs from permitting - its published example is replacing a bathroom fan with a new fan in the same location using the same venting. Because the city rules are set locally, read the ordinance where the work will be performed; none of them displaces the state contractor license above $4,000, and none displaces federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification.

Fees

STATE (North Dakota Secretary of State contractor license). The statute and the Secretary of State’s published fee tables agree on every figure. New license: Class A $450, Class B $300, Class C $225, Class D $100 (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(2)). Renewal: Class A $90, Class B $60, Class C $45, Class D $30 (43-07-07(3)). A contractor who misses the March 1 renewal deadline may still renew until June first by paying a $50 penalty fee plus the renewal fee (43-07-10(3)). A name change costs $10 (43-07-09.1). A nonprofit entity constructing or rehabilitating a single-family dwelling that will be given to or sold below the appraised value to a low-income person may not be charged a license or renewal fee (43-07-07(5)). Beyond the fee itself, budget for the certificate of liability insurance naming the Secretary of State as certificate holder and the Workforce Safety and Insurance certificate of payment (or letter of good standing where there are no North Dakota employees), plus any trade-name or business-entity registration filed first. CITY (these are city figures and each applies only in that city - none is a State of North Dakota amount). Bismarck (Code of Ordinances 4-10-10): master HVAC installer $35 application plus $125 annually; journeyman $35 plus $75 annually; apprentice $15 plus $35 annually; administrative fee $125 and year-of-exemption fee $125; late fee 20% of the application or annual fee. Grand Forks: master mechanical installer $170.00 per year, journeyman mechanical installer $55.00 per year, plus a $5,000 license and permit bond payable to the City. Fargo (City Auditor’s license table): Master Heating $125 per year, Journeyman Heating $100 for three years. City permit fees are charged per job on top: Grand Forks, for example, publishes a $30.00 permit issuance fee plus per-item mechanical fees such as $17.00 for a furnace up to 100 Mbh, $21.00 for a furnace over 100 Mbh, $12.00 for an air conditioning unit and $15.00 for a ductwork system.

Exam

There is no state examination. North Dakota’s contractor license under N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07 is granted on a sworn application ‘containing a statement of the applicant’s experience and qualifications as a contractor,’ together with proof of liability insurance and Workforce Safety and Insurance coverage (43-07-04(1)); the chapter prescribes no trade or business examination, no experience-hours standard and no continuing education. HVAC competency in North Dakota is examined by cities instead. Bismarck has adopted a mechanical licensing examination based on the 2021 International Mechanical Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, states that the examination ‘will allow reciprocity with the municipalities of Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot,’ provides the 2021 IMC and IFGC books, calculators and writing tools for use during the examination, takes examination applications on the first business day of the month, and on examination timing Bismarck’s two official sources differ and both are stated: ordinance 4-10-07 says ‘Regular examinations of applicants shall be conducted in June and December of each year’ and ‘may also be held at other times in the discretion of the Building Official’, while the City’s live Mechanical Installers page publishes exams ‘Once a month - please contact us at 355-1465 for available dates and times’; examination applications are due the first business day of the month (Bismarck Code of Ordinances 4-10-01(2), 4-10-07; City of Bismarck Mechanical Installers page). Those who tested before July 1, 2017 are not required to retest and may work at their current class and discipline within the City of Bismarck jurisdiction under the City’s Mechanical Legacy license, but any Legacy License holder wishing to work outside the City jurisdiction or to move to a new class or discipline must complete the new examination. Grand Forks requires a written mechanical test scored at 80% or better for a master mechanical installer and 75% or better for a journeyman mechanical installer, arranged through the City’s mechanical inspector, and publishes both a study guide and mechanical reciprocity administrative rules.

Renewal & continuing education

State contractor license: annual, on the ‘contractor year,’ which N.D.C.C. 43-07-01(2) defines as ‘March second through March first.’ A license issued on an original application runs until the expiration of the then current contractor year ending March first, except that an initial license issued in January or February is valid until March first of the subsequent year (43-07-09). The renewal application must be made to the registrar before March second each year (43-07-10(3)); the Secretary of State puts it as ‘you must renew your license on or before March 1 of each year.’ If the deadline is missed, the license is not in good standing and the contractor is deemed unlicensed within the meaning of 43-07-02; within sixty days after March first the registrar notifies the contractor by mail, and the contractor then has until June first to renew by paying a $50 penalty fee, filing the renewal application and paying the renewal fee. After the June first deadline, any license not renewed is expired. A license may also be classified not in good standing - and ultimately revoked under chapter 28-32 procedures - if the contractor fails to maintain the required liability insurance or to keep a fictitious name certificate, trade name registration, corporate, limited liability company, limited liability partnership or limited partnership registration current (43-07-04(3), (4)). City licenses run on their own calendars: Bismarck HVAC installer licenses expire December 31 with a late charge after January 31; Fargo’s Master Heating and Journeyman Heating licenses also carry December 31 expirations (the journeyman license good for three years); Grand Forks publishes annual mechanical license fees. None at the state level. North Dakota Century Code ch. 43-07 imposes no continuing-education requirement on contractor licensees - renewal turns on the project list, the insurance certificate and the tax/premium certification in 43-07-10(1), not on coursework, and the chapter prescribes no course hours anywhere. Continuing education appears only in city programs: Bismarck provides that ’each license holder is required to have a total of four (4) hours of continuing education per year,’ with the time and location specified by the Building Official (Bismarck Code of Ordinances 4-10-04). Because these obligations are set city by city, check the ordinance of every city in which you hold a license.

How to apply

Applications are handled by North Dakota Secretary of State - Registrar of Contractors (general contractor licensing under N.D.C.C. ch. 43-07). North Dakota has no HVAC-specific state license and no state mechanical or HVAC board; HVAC competency licensing is done by cities.. Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Does North Dakota require an HVAC license?

Not an HVAC-specific one. North Dakota issues no statewide HVAC, mechanical, heating, air conditioning or refrigeration license and has no state HVAC or mechanical board - Title 43 of the Century Code, which lists the occupations the state regulates, has chapters for contractors, electricians, plumbers, water conditioning contractors and sewer and water installers, but none for HVAC. What the state does require is a general contractor license: once the cost, value or price of a job exceeds $4,000, the person doing the work must be licensed as a contractor by the Secretary of State (N.D.C.C. 43-07-02(1)). On top of that, the city where you work may require its own HVAC or mechanical license - Bismarck and Grand Forks publish licensing and examination requirements, Fargo licenses the heating trade through the City Auditor, and Bismarck’s ordinance lists Minot as a reciprocal jurisdiction.

What are the North Dakota contractor license classes, and what do they cost?

Four classes, distinguished only by the value of a single contract project. Class A has no limitation; Class B is capped at $500,000 per project; Class C at $300,000; Class D at $100,000 (N.D.C.C. 43-07-07(1)). Application fees are $450, $300, $225 and $100 respectively, and renewals are $90, $60, $45 and $30 - the statute and the Secretary of State’s published fee tables give the same figures. There is no trade examination: the application is sworn to and must state your experience and qualifications as a contractor, and it must be accompanied by a certificate of liability insurance naming the Secretary of State as certificate holder and a Workforce Safety and Insurance certificate.

Do individual HVAC technicians need a license in North Dakota?

Not from the state - North Dakota issues no individual HVAC journeyman, master or technician credential, and the contractor license attaches to the business engaged in contracting. Cities are where an employed technician can still need a personal license. Bismarck licenses master, journeyman and apprentice HVAC installers and requires HVAC work to be done by a master, by a journeyman under a master’s direct supervision, or by an apprentice under a master’s or journeyman’s direct supervision and control. Grand Forks licenses master and journeyman mechanical installers. Fargo issues Master Heating and Journeyman Heating licenses through the City Auditor. Check the ordinance of the city where the work will be performed.

Is there an HVAC exam in North Dakota, and do city licenses carry between cities?

There is no state examination, but cities examine. Bismarck has adopted a mechanical licensing examination based on the 2021 International Mechanical Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code and states that it ‘will allow reciprocity with the municipalities of Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot’; the City provides the code books, calculators and writing tools during the test (see the page’s own exam-scheduling block for current exam dates). Anyone who tested before July 1, 2017 is not required to retest and may keep working at their current class and discipline inside Bismarck under the City’s Mechanical Legacy license, but a Legacy holder who wants to work outside the City or move to a new class or discipline must complete the new examination. Grand Forks requires 80% on its written mechanical test for a master and 75% for a journeyman, and publishes mechanical reciprocity administrative rules.

How often do I renew, and what does renewal require?

The state contractor license renews annually on the ‘contractor year,’ which runs March second through March first, so the renewal must be filed on or before March 1. Renewal requires a list of every project, contract or subcontract over $50,000 you completed in North Dakota during the preceding calendar year, a certificate of liability insurance naming the Secretary of State as certificate holder, and a certification that your payroll taxes, Workforce Safety and Insurance premiums and unemployment insurance premiums are paid. Miss March 1 and the license is not in good standing and you are treated as unlicensed; you then have until June 1 to renew by paying a $50 penalty fee plus the renewal fee, after which the license expires. There is no state continuing education - but Bismarck requires four continuing-education hours per year of its own license holders.

Who is exempt, and do I still need EPA 608 certification?

The exceptions section, N.D.C.C. 43-07-08, provides that the chapter does not apply to an authorized representative of the United States government, the state of North Dakota, or any county, municipality, irrigation district, reclamation district or other political corporation; or to any person that furnishes a fabricated or finished product, material or article of merchandise that is not incorporated into or attached to real property by that person so as to become affixed to it. In practice the bigger dividing line is the $4,000 job threshold in 43-07-02(1): work at or below it does not trigger the state license, though city license and permit rules still apply. Fargo, for example, allows you to do HVAC installation yourself only if the home is owner occupied, and requires all other mechanical work to be done by a licensed contractor. And yes - if you handle refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification is required under the federal Clean Air Act (40 CFR part 82, subpart F) everywhere in North Dakota, and it is separate from every state and city license.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in North Dakota.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 25, 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.