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HVAC license · Kentucky

How to get an HVAC license in Kentucky: the official requirements

The Journeyman HVAC Mechanic license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.

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Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Requirements: each state's HVAC licensing authority or its rules
Quick answer

In Kentucky, the state HVAC license for individual HVAC technicians is issued by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The journeyman HVAC mechanic license from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, whose Division of HVAC licenses the industry under KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689. You must be 18 or older to apply. Apprentice or trainee registration: Kentucky registers HVAC apprentices; the journeyman application asks whether you are a registered HVAC apprentice and for your registration number. Experience and training: Two years of HVAC experience, listed with the Kentucky master HVAC contractors under whom it was obtained where applicable, plus your HVAC employers and work hours. Proof is required, such as W-2s, an affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, an out-of-state journeyman HVAC license or a DD 214. Licensing exam: The journeyman HVAC mechanic examination, an open-book exam held at regional sites around Kentucky. You register by sending the examination registration form with the fee and a 2x2 passport-style photo to the main office; the official exam result report is then enclosed with your license application. How to apply: After passing, send the Journeyman HVAC Mechanic License Application with your official exam result report, proof of experience, a recent passport-sized color photo and the prorated license fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer; without the fee it is not processed.

Requirements

Kentucky HVAC license requirements

Data
Kentucky HVAC license requirements (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction)
RequirementKentucky
License you apply forThe journeyman HVAC mechanic license from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, whose Division of HVAC licenses the industry under KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689. You must be 18 or older to apply.
Apprentice or trainee registrationKentucky registers HVAC apprentices; the journeyman application asks whether you are a registered HVAC apprentice and for your registration number.
Experience and trainingTwo years of HVAC experience, listed with the Kentucky master HVAC contractors under whom it was obtained where applicable, plus your HVAC employers and work hours. Proof is required, such as W-2s, an affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, an out-of-state journeyman HVAC license or a DD 214.
Classroom hoursNot stated in the official source we read. Check with the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.
Licensing examThe journeyman HVAC mechanic examination, an open-book exam held at regional sites around Kentucky. You register by sending the examination registration form with the fee and a 2x2 passport-style photo to the main office; the official exam result report is then enclosed with your license application.
How to applyAfter passing, send the Journeyman HVAC Mechanic License Application with your official exam result report, proof of experience, a recent passport-sized color photo and the prorated license fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer; without the fee it is not processed.
Background checkThe application asks whether you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor; if so, you might not be able to receive the license at this time and should contact the Licensing Branch.
State feesJourneyman exam: $50, payable to the KY State Treasurer. Journeyman license: prorated by your birth month and the month you apply (for example, $62.50 for someone born in October applying in July).
License termThe first license is prorated to between 7 and 18 months based on your birth month; after that each renewal is valid for one year.
Continuing educationNot stated in the official source we read. Check with the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.

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.

Steps

How to get licensed in Kentucky

Data
  1. Gain two years of HVAC experience and keep proof such as W-2s or a master HVAC holder's affidavit.
  2. Register for the journeyman exam with the HVAC-4 form, the $50 fee and a passport-style photo.
  3. Pass the open-book journeyman HVAC mechanic exam.
  4. Send the journeyman license application with your exam result report and the prorated fee.
  5. Renew the license every year.
Next

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FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I get an HVAC license in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, the state HVAC license for individual HVAC technicians is issued by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The journeyman HVAC mechanic license from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, whose Division of HVAC licenses the industry under KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689. You must be 18 or older to apply. Apprentice or trainee registration: Kentucky registers HVAC apprentices; the journeyman application asks whether you are a registered HVAC apprentice and for your registration number. Experience and training: Two years of HVAC experience, listed with the Kentucky master HVAC contractors under whom it was obtained where applicable, plus your HVAC employers and work hours. Proof is required, such as W-2s, an affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, an out-of-state journeyman HVAC license or a DD 214. Licensing exam: The journeyman HVAC mechanic examination, an open-book exam held at regional sites around Kentucky. You register by sending the examination registration form with the fee and a 2x2 passport-style photo to the main office; the official exam result report is then enclosed with your license application. How to apply: After passing, send the Journeyman HVAC Mechanic License Application with your official exam result report, proof of experience, a recent passport-sized color photo and the prorated license fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer; without the fee it is not processed.
How many hours of experience do I need for a Kentucky HVAC license?
Two years of HVAC experience, listed with the Kentucky master HVAC contractors under whom it was obtained where applicable, plus your HVAC employers and work hours. Proof is required, such as W-2s, an affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, an out-of-state journeyman HVAC license or a DD 214.
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in Kentucky?
Kentucky registers HVAC apprentices; the journeyman application asks whether you are a registered HVAC apprentice and for your registration number.
Do I need to pass an exam for a Kentucky HVAC license?
The journeyman HVAC mechanic examination, an open-book exam held at regional sites around Kentucky. You register by sending the examination registration form with the fee and a 2x2 passport-style photo to the main office; the official exam result report is then enclosed with your license application.
How long is a Kentucky HVAC license good for?
The first license is prorated to between 7 and 18 months based on your birth month; after that each renewal is valid for one year.
How much does a Kentucky HVAC license cost?
Journeyman exam: $50, payable to the KY State Treasurer. Journeyman license: prorated by your birth month and the month you apply (for example, $62.50 for someone born in October applying in July). Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
Method

How this page is built

Each fact on this page comes from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).

What this page can't tell you
  • 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 individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
Sources
  1. Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of HVAC, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  2. Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Journeyman HVAC Mechanic License Application (HVAC 2, April 2023), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  3. Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, HVAC Examination Registration Form (HVAC-4, March 2022), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  4. Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, HVAC In Person Examination Requirements (1.11.24), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.