How many hours to become a journeyman HVAC technician? Hours by state

Short answer

It varies by state. Below are the experience requirements we confirmed with an official source in 29 states and territories. Last checked: 2026-10-30.

State	Experience required	Source
Alabama	Contractor exam: 3,000 hours (about 18 months) of work under a HACR licensee, or an approved HVAC curriculum	Official rule
Arizona	Contractor license: the qualifying party needs at least 4 years of practical or management trade experience, 2 of them within the last 10 years	Official rule
Arkansas	No set apprenticeship hours: licensing is by Board exam, and the rules say apprenticeship, education or training cannot be a prerequisite	Official rule
California	Contractor exam (C-20 or C-38): at least 4 years of journey-level or higher experience in the class; up to 3 years can be credited for training, apprenticeship or education	Official rule
Connecticut	8,000 on-the-job hours plus 576 hours of related instruction	Official rule
Delaware	Master license: an apprenticeship journeyman certificate plus 2 years under a master, or 7 years under a master plus the bypass exams	Official rule
District of Columbia	Journeyman refrigeration/AC: 3 years experience plus CFC Universal certification	Official rule
Florida	For a local journeyman license: a registered state-approved apprenticeship or at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, plus a proctored exam	Official rule
Idaho	8,000 hours of supervised HVAC installation work plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience; plus the exam	Official rule
Iowa	At least 4 years of practical experience as an apprentice (since 2010 in a US DOL-registered program), plus the journeyperson exam for each discipline	Official rule
Kentucky	Journeyman: 2 years of HVAC work under the direction and supervision of a master HVAC contractor (or 2 documented years elsewhere), plus the exam	Official rule
Maine	Journeyman oil burner or solid fuel technician: one year of licensed practical experience as an apprentice (other paths combine less time with approved training), plus the Board exam	Official rule
Maryland	Apprentice license for at least 4 years and at least 6,000 hours of HVACR training, plus exam	Official rule
Massachusetts	At least 6,000 hours as a licensed refrigeration apprentice and at least 450 hours of approved study, plus EPA Universal certification and the exam	Official rule
Michigan	Mechanical contractor license: at least 3 years of experience in each work classification applied for (HVAC equipment, ductwork, refrigeration and others)	Official rule
Nevada	Contractor license: at least 4 years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification, within the past 15 years	Official rule
New Mexico	Mechanical journeyman classes: 2 years of experience unless otherwise specified	Official rule
North Carolina	Heating contractor exam: 2 years (4,000 hours) of on-site full-time experience; a Class I license needs 3,000 hours of it and a Class II license 2,500	Official rule
Ohio	Ohio contractor license (HVAC is one of the licensed trades): at least 5 years as a tradesperson in the trade, or an alternative such as a registered engineer with 3 years of business experience	Official rule
Oklahoma	Journeyman (HVAC limited, HVAC unlimited or refrigeration): 3 years of verifiable experience in the category, or an approved program of 1,000+ hours plus experience	Official rule
Puerto Rico	Course of no less than 800 hours at an accredited vocational institution (or prescribed alternative)	Official rule
Rhode Island	Refrigeration II registered apprenticeship: min 4,000 OJT hours; Pipefitter I: 10,000; Pipefitter II: 4,000	Official rule
South Carolina	Mechanical contractor license: at least 2 years of work experience within the past 5 years, plus the technical and business exams	Official rule
Texas	No journeyman license. Technician certification: 24 months of ACR work under a licensed ACR contractor, or approved training	Official rule
Utah	HVAC contractor classification: 2 years of HVAC-specific experience verified by W-2 forms, plus the business and law exam and the HVAC exam	Official rule
Virginia	Journeyman: 4 years practical experience plus 240 hours vocational training (other combos: 2-yr degree + 2 years; 5 years + 160 hrs; 6 years + 80 hrs; or 8 years)	Official rule
Washington	06A specialty exam: 4,000 hours of work experience in the specialty and 48 hours of basic classroom instruction	Official rule
West Virginia	HVAC Technician: at least 2,000 hours of HVAC-related work, training, and experience	Official rule
Wisconsin	HVAC qualifier exam: at least 1,000 hours a year for at least 4 years of HVAC experience, or 4 years of HVAC education, or a mix	Official rule

Not yet confirmed (see each state page for what we know): Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Wyoming.

Questions

How many hours do you need to become a journeyman HVAC technician?

It depends on the state. We have confirmed the requirement with an official source in 29 states and territories; each one is listed on this page with its source. Many states also license at the city or county level.

Do apprentice hours count toward the journeyman HVAC technician exam?

It depends on the state. Some states require apprentices to register before hours count. Each state page lists the confirmed rule and its official source.