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HVAC license · Virginia

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

The Journeyman HVAC Tradesman (tradesman license) license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors.

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

In Virginia, the state HVAC license for individual HVAC technicians is issued by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors. Virginia licenses HVAC tradesmen as tradesmen through the Board for Contractors; the journeyman level means having the ability and qualifications to install, repair and maintain the work in line with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. An HVAC tradesman builds, repairs, maintains, alters or removes HVAC systems regulated under that code. No individual may work as a tradesman without a license, except when working under the supervision of a tradesman licensed in that specialty. Experience and training: Practical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade. Licensing exam: If the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam. How to apply: File a written application on the Board's form with the fee, including documentation of identification, vocational training and experience. You must be at least 18, and an application not completed within 12 months of receipt must be filed again.

Requirements

Virginia HVAC license requirements

Data
Virginia HVAC license requirements (Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors)
RequirementVirginia
License you apply forVirginia licenses HVAC tradesmen as tradesmen through the Board for Contractors; the journeyman level means having the ability and qualifications to install, repair and maintain the work in line with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. An HVAC tradesman builds, repairs, maintains, alters or removes HVAC systems regulated under that code. No individual may work as a tradesman without a license, except when working under the supervision of a tradesman licensed in that specialty.
Apprentice or trainee registrationNot stated in the official source we read. Check with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors.
Experience and trainingPractical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade.
Classroom hoursFormal vocational training in the trade (40 to 240 hours) or a related degree shortens the practical experience needed; it is optional with eight years of experience.
Licensing examIf the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam.
How to applyFile a written application on the Board's form with the fee, including documentation of identification, vocational training and experience. You must be at least 18, and an application not completed within 12 months of receipt must be filed again.
Background checkApplicants must disclose any conviction, in any jurisdiction, of a felony or a non-marijuana misdemeanor, and any action taken against a professional license; the Board may deny licensure on that basis.
State feesOriginal tradesman license by examination: $150. Tradesman license renewal: $160. Board fees are nonrefundable and not prorated.
License termThree years; plumber and HVAC tradesman licenses expire three years from the last day of the month in which they were issued.
Continuing educationThree hours of continuing education on the applicable building code changes, from a Board-approved provider, for each trade designation as a condition of renewal.

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 Virginia

Data
  1. Build practical experience in the HVAC trade (eight years, or less with formal vocational training or a related degree).
  2. File the Board's written application with the $150 fee and your identification, training and experience documents.
  3. Once the Board approves your application, take the journeyman exam (approved apprenticeship graduates are exempt).
  4. Receive your tradesman license after passing.
  5. Complete three hours of code-update continuing education and renew every three years.
Next

Go further

All statesHVAC license by state

Requirements state by state.

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FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I get an HVAC license in Virginia?
In Virginia, the state HVAC license for individual HVAC technicians is issued by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors. Virginia licenses HVAC tradesmen as tradesmen through the Board for Contractors; the journeyman level means having the ability and qualifications to install, repair and maintain the work in line with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. An HVAC tradesman builds, repairs, maintains, alters or removes HVAC systems regulated under that code. No individual may work as a tradesman without a license, except when working under the supervision of a tradesman licensed in that specialty. Experience and training: Practical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade. Licensing exam: If the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam. How to apply: File a written application on the Board's form with the fee, including documentation of identification, vocational training and experience. You must be at least 18, and an application not completed within 12 months of receipt must be filed again.
How many hours of experience do I need for a Virginia HVAC license?
Practical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade.
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in Virginia?
Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors.
Do I need to pass an exam for a Virginia HVAC license?
If the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam.
How long is a Virginia HVAC license good for?
Three years; plumber and HVAC tradesman licenses expire three years from the last day of the month in which they were issued.
How much does a Virginia HVAC license cost?
Original tradesman license by examination: $150. Tradesman license renewal: $160. Board fees are nonrefundable and not prorated. 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 Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors and the rules it publishes (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors'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. Code of Virginia s. 54.1-1128 Definitions (Virginia Law, Virginia General Assembly), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  2. Code of Virginia s. 54.1-1129 Necessity for licensure, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  3. Code of Virginia s. 54.1-1130 Application for licensure; fees; examinations; issuance, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  4. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-10 Definitions, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  5. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-25 Application procedures (eff. October 1, 2024), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  6. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-30 General requirements for licensure or certification (amended eff. April 1, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  7. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-39 Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license (eff. April 1, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  8. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-50 Exemptions from examination (amended eff. April 1, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  9. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-90 Fees for licensure and certification (amended eff. August 1, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  10. Board for Contractors regulations, 18VAC50-30-120 Renewal (amended eff. August 1, 2025), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.