How Do You Get an HVAC License in Idaho?
Yes: Idaho has licensed HVAC work statewide since July 1, 2004.
The Idaho HVAC Board, administered by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), issues certificates of competency in four classifications — apprentice, journeyman, HVAC contractor and HVAC specialty contractor — plus specialty classes.
An HVAC apprentice registers with DOPL for $20 and works only under the supervision of a journeyman or contractor; a journeyman qualifies with 8,000 apprentice hours plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience, then passes a PSI-delivered board exam.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Yes.
Since July 1, 2004, anyone doing HVAC work in Idaho must hold a state certificate of competency.
The Idaho HVAC Board, administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).
Four classifications: apprentice, journeyman, HVAC contractor and HVAC specialty contractor, plus specialty apprentice and specialty journeyman classes.
Journeyman: 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience.
HVAC contractor: no separate experience requirement in the rules we read.
A board exam at journeyman and contractor level, delivered by PSI.
The Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual may be brought into the exam in a binder.
Certificates expire 24 months from issue; renewal can be requested up to 60 days early, and revival within 1 year costs $35.
No CE hour figure was found in the current HVAC rules — ask DOPL.
Not established in our research.
The Idaho HVAC statute and rules we read state no reciprocity terms for HVAC contractors; ask DOPL before you rely on another state's license.
DOPL's eDOPL online services — Search for a License — cover Idaho HVAC licenses.
The Idaho HVAC license ladder
- HVAC ApprenticeEntry level
Registers with DOPL and may do HVAC work only under the supervision of an HVAC journeyman or HVAC contractor.
- HVAC JourneymanJourneyman
Requires a passing board exam plus 8,000 hours as an apprentice and 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience; the holder works in the employ and under the direction of an HVAC contractor.
- HVAC Specialty JourneymanSpecialty
Covers hearth appliances, non-duct oil furnaces and related gas piping; requires 2,000 hours of specialty-related experience plus either an exam or 60 hours of fuel gas code education.
- HVAC ContractorContractor
The certificate under which Idaho licenses HVAC contractors statewide; our research found no further statement of what the holder may do — ask DOPL about its scope.
- HVAC Specialty ContractorSpecialty
One of the statute's four classifications, with its examination and bond set by the same rule as the HVAC contractor certificate's; our research found no statement of the specialty scope it allows — ask DOPL.
Does Idaho require a state HVAC license?
Yes.
Since July 1, 2004, Idaho statute has made it unlawful to engage in the business, trade, practice or work of heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the state without a state certificate of competency, issued under the Idaho HVAC Board through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).
Among the exemptions the statute states are a person who installs or maintains an HVAC system in their own single-family or duplex family dwelling, and employers that regularly employ HVAC journeymen for maintenance on their own premises.
“it shall be unlawful for any person or firm, copartnership, association or corporation to engage in the business, trade, practice or work of heating, ventilation and air conditioning in this state”
What are the Idaho HVAC license levels, and what can each legally do?
The statute creates four classifications of competency — apprentice, journeyman, HVAC contractor and HVAC specialty contractor — plus specialty apprentice and specialty journeyman classes for areas such as gas piping and hearth appliances.
An HVAC apprentice may do HVAC work only under the supervision of an HVAC journeyman or HVAC contractor.
An HVAC journeyman works in the employ and under the direction of an HVAC contractor.
The HVAC contractor certificate licenses contractors statewide: the rules require an examination designated by the Board and a compliance bond, and set no separate experience requirement; the rules set the specialty contractor certificate's examination and bond the same way.
The specialty journeyman certificate covers hearth appliances, non-duct oil furnaces and related gas piping.
“There shall be four (4) classifications of competency in the business, trade, practice or work of heating, ventilation and air conditioning”
What are the requirements for each level: hours, training, exam and fees?
Entry is apprentice registration: each HVAC apprentice and specialty apprentice must register with DOPL and keep the registration for the entire period in which work experience is accrued.
Registration costs $20, lasts 2 years and expires on the apprentice's birthday.
For the journeyman certificate, the rules require a passing board exam plus either 8,000 hours of work experience as an apprentice making HVAC installations and 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience; apprentices can take the journeyman exam after completing related instruction approved by the board in conjunction with the state board for career technical education and the required hours.
The specialty journeyman certificate takes 2,000 hours of specialty-related experience plus either an exam or 60 hours of fuel gas code education.
The HVAC contractor certificate takes a board-designated exam and a $2,000 compliance bond for the certificate period; the rules set no separate experience requirement.
Certificate application and renewal fees were not confirmed in our research — ask DOPL; the statute does state a $35 revival fee for an expired certificate.
“submit evidence of a minimum of eight thousand (8,000) hours of work experience as an apprentice making HVAC installations”
Who gives the Idaho HVAC exam, and what is on it?
PSI delivers Idaho's HVAC exams — both the journeyman board exam and the examination the Board designates for contractor certificates.
DOPL's HVAC program page also describes exam-day mechanics: the Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual may be brought into the exam in a binder, with pre-highlighting allowed and no writing during the exam.
What the exams cover is not described in the sources we read, so check the candidate information DOPL and PSI publish before you schedule.
How do you renew, and how many CE hours does Idaho require?
Idaho HVAC certificates of competency expire 24 calendar months from the date of issue.
Renewal can be requested up to 60 days before expiration, and an expired certificate can be revived within 1 year with a $35 revival fee.
On continuing education: our research did not find a CE hour figure in Idaho's current HVAC rules (IDAPA 24.39.70) — the statute lets the board set continuing education by rule, so confirm with DOPL what applies to your certificate before you plan a renewal cycle.
Renewal fee amounts were also not in the sources we read; ask DOPL.
“Certificates of competency shall expire twenty-four (24) calendar months from the date of issue”
Does Idaho accept HVAC licenses from other states?
Our research did not find reciprocity terms for HVAC contractors in the Idaho HVAC statute or rules we read, and we did not confirm what DOPL accepts from an incoming HVAC license holder.
Until DOPL tells you otherwise, do not assume another state's HVAC license carries over to Idaho — which exams you may still have to sit, and how to apply, are questions for the board.
Contact DOPL's HVAC program before you plan to work in Idaho on an out-of-state license.
How do you look up an Idaho HVAC license?
DOPL's eDOPL online services include a Search for a License tool covering Idaho HVAC and plumbing licenses.
Search it before you take a job with a company whose certificate you cannot confirm, and again once your own certificate is issued to make sure it shows up.
If a result looks wrong — a lapsed certificate or a name that does not match — resolve it with DOPL before you rely on the record.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Idaho board pages, statutes, rules and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state HVAC licensing series, current as of September 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the Idaho HVAC Board, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Idaho, see plumbing licensing in Idaho, HVAC apprenticeships in Idaho, HVAC contractor licensing in Idaho, and hvac technician pay in Idaho.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get an HVAC license in Idaho?
The hour paths set the timeline.
The journeyman certificate requires 8,000 hours of work experience as an apprentice making HVAC installations plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience, plus a passing board exam.
Our research does not translate those hours into years for Idaho, so ask DOPL how it counts hours before you apply.
How much does an HVAC license cost in Idaho?
The amounts the sources we read state are: $20 to register as an HVAC apprentice, $35 to revive an expired certificate within 1 year, and a $2,000 compliance bond for the HVAC contractor certificate.
Application and renewal fees for the journeyman and contractor certificates were not in those sources — get current amounts from DOPL before you apply.
Do HVAC apprentices have to register in Idaho?
Yes.
Each HVAC apprentice and specialty apprentice must register with DOPL and maintain the registration during the entire period in which work experience is accrued.
Registration costs $20, lasts 2 years and expires on the apprentice's birthday.
An apprentice may do HVAC work only under the supervision of an HVAC journeyman or HVAC contractor.
Is there a journeyman HVAC license in Idaho?
Yes.
Idaho's statute builds a journeyman classification into the four classifications of HVAC competency, alongside apprentice, HVAC contractor and HVAC specialty contractor.
The journeyman certificate takes 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of board-approved instruction, or 16,000 hours of HVAC experience, plus a passing board exam, and a journeyman works in the employ and under the direction of an HVAC contractor.
Do you need EPA 608 certification to do HVAC work in Idaho?
Federal law is a separate layer from the state certificate.
Under 40 CFR 82.161, anyone who could reasonably be expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit while maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of appliances containing CFC/HCFC or non-exempt substitute refrigerants must pass an exam from an EPA-approved technician certification program.
That certification is federal, not a DOPL credential.
More Idaho Resources
Sources
- Idaho Code, Title 54, Chapter 50 (HVAC) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Idaho Administrative Code, IDAPA 24.39.70 (HVAC Rules) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Idaho DOPL: HVAC program (examinations) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Idaho DOPL: HVAC (eDOPL online services) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- 40 CFR 82.161 (EPA Section 608 technician certification) (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the Idaho HVAC Board, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).