How to get an HVAC contractor license in Alaska: the official requirements
The Mechanical Administrator License (Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal or Residential HVAC category) license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
In Alaska, the statewide HVAC license is a contractor license, issued by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Alaska's statewide HVAC credential is the Mechanical Administrator license, issued in categories that include Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal (UHVCS) and Residential HVAC (RHVC). It is a supervisory license: an administrator must be assigned to a licensed contractor or other listed entity in order to practice, and the license does not itself allow the holder to perform code work. Experience and training: Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal: practical experience as a journeyman in HVAC and sheet metal work, or management experience as a field superintendent or similar position (or a combination), for at least four of the six years before you apply; a mechanical engineering degree or registration plus at least one year of qualifying experience is an alternative. Residential HVAC: practical experience as a journeyman in residential HVAC work for at least two of the four years before you apply. A year of experience means at least 1,500 hours within 12 consecutive months. Licensing exam: The mechanical administrator examination, given by PSI Exams. You need a score of at least 70 percent within the 12 months before you apply; exam results are valid for one year. How to apply: Mail the signed, completed Mechanical Administrator by Examination application (#08-4903) with the fees and your exam score verification to the Division; faxed or emailed applications are not accepted. If you use education to qualify, your school sends official transcripts directly to the Division.
Alaska HVAC contractor license requirements
| Requirement | Alaska |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | Alaska's statewide HVAC credential is the Mechanical Administrator license, issued in categories that include Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal (UHVCS) and Residential HVAC (RHVC). It is a supervisory license: an administrator must be assigned to a licensed contractor or other listed entity in order to practice, and the license does not itself allow the holder to perform code work. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. |
| Experience and training | Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal: practical experience as a journeyman in HVAC and sheet metal work, or management experience as a field superintendent or similar position (or a combination), for at least four of the six years before you apply; a mechanical engineering degree or registration plus at least one year of qualifying experience is an alternative. Residential HVAC: practical experience as a journeyman in residential HVAC work for at least two of the four years before you apply. A year of experience means at least 1,500 hours within 12 consecutive months. |
| Classroom hours | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. |
| Licensing exam | The mechanical administrator examination, given by PSI Exams. You need a score of at least 70 percent within the 12 months before you apply; exam results are valid for one year. |
| How to apply | Mail the signed, completed Mechanical Administrator by Examination application (#08-4903) with the fees and your exam score verification to the Division; faxed or emailed applications are not accepted. If you use education to qualify, your school sends official transcripts directly to the Division. |
| Background check | The application's professional fitness questions ask whether a professional license of yours has ever been denied, revoked or disciplined, and whether you have been found guilty of misconduct, dishonesty, fraud, incompetence or gross negligence in the practice; a yes answer needs an explanation and documents but does not automatically mean denial. |
| State fees | Application fee $150 (non-refundable) plus license fee $200: $350 in total. Exam fees are paid to PSI and are not included. |
| License term | Two years; licenses expire on December 31 of odd-numbered years, whatever the date of issue. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the HVAC license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Alaska
- Work as a journeyman in HVAC and sheet metal work (four of the last six years) or residential HVAC work (two of the last four years).
- Pass the mechanical administrator exam with PSI Exams with a score of at least 70 percent.
- Within 12 months of passing, mail the completed application #08-4903 with the $350 in fees and your score verification.
- Get your license assigned to a licensed contractor so you can practice.
- Renew every two years, by December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the HVAC license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the contractor license named above. Specialty, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, Mechanical Administrators Program: Mechanical Administrator by Examination License Application #08-4903 (NEW 08/30/2024), with 12 AAC 39 excerpts, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection, Frequently Asked Questions, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.