Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Maryland's official board.
Dedicated state HVACR board. EPA 608 required for refrigerants.
| Requirements | Master: at least 3 years licensed as a journeyman providing all areas of HVACR services, minimum 1,875 hours in the preceding year, and pass the master exam at 70% (holding current journeyman-or-higher licensure). Master Restricted: same experience/hours/exam, restricted scope. Limited: 2 years journeyman experience, 1,000 hours in the prior year, and 70% on the limited exam. Journeyman: 4+ years as a licensed apprentice with 6,000+ training hours and 70% on the journeyman exam. Contractor levels (except journeyman) must carry general liability of at least $300,000 and property damage liability of at least $100,000. |
| Reciprocity | Yes. The Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors states that the HVACR law permits individuals holding HVACR licenses in other states to apply for a Maryland license where the state and the Board have entered into a reciprocal agreement and the individual meets the qualifications of Maryland's HVACR law, holds an active license in good standing in the other state, holds a license equivalent to the Maryland HVACR license, and became licensed in the other state after meeting requirements at least equivalent to Maryland's, including the years of work experience Maryland requires. The Board's reciprocity page states that the Board currently has reciprocal agreements with Delaware and Virginia, and its reciprocal application covers applicants currently licensed as Master, Master Restricted, Journey or Journey Restricted in Delaware or Virginia. Two official sources differ on scope: the Board's April 9, 2025 business meeting minutes record that a draft agreement for reciprocal licensing with Washington D.C. exists but there has been no progress from DC on next steps, that reciprocal licensing discussions with Delaware are in the early stages, and that Maryland currently accepts reciprocity for the master license with Delaware but not for the journey license, a narrower position than the live reciprocity page, which names both Delaware and Virginia and both the Master and Journey classes. The statutory basis is Business Regulation Article Title 9A and COMAR 09.15. No reciprocity fee is stated. |
| Renewal | Biennial, on a fixed staggered calendar date. Md. Code Ann., Business Regulation § 9A-309 provides that unless the license is renewed for a two-year term, a license expires on the first October 1 that comes after the effective date of the license and in an odd-numbered year, and may then be renewed for additional two-year terms. Restoration within 90 days of expiration requires only the renewal fee; beyond 90 days the Board may require the full initial-application process. Continuing education: none. The Board states directly that the Maryland Board of Heating Ventilation Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors does not require continuing education credits, and COMAR 09.15.02 contains no continuing education provision across all nine sections, the only training requirement is the one-time initial apprentice standard at COMAR 09.15.02.07 of 6,000 hours over at least four years before the journeyman examination. Fees, paid once per two-year renewal term rather than annually: Master $94.50; Master Restricted $31.50 per area; Limited $94.50; Journeyman $25.00; Journeyman Restricted $25.00 per area; Apprentice $12.00; Inspector $56.00; letter of good standing $25; inactive license $31.50. Two official Maryland pages give the same amounts with different effective dates, COMAR 09.15.01.03 states they apply as of January 1, 2025, while the Department's fee page states July 1, 2025. |
| Notes | Dedicated state HVACR board. EPA 608 required for refrigerants. |
A free report on your market: what the trade pays, how that compares with nearby counties, and where your credential sits against the local licensed workforce. No account needed.
Sources: www.labor.maryland.gov, www.labor.maryland.gov, labor.maryland.gov, labor.maryland.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
This page is a free snapshot of Maryland. Track the same market every night and see which contractors just got licensed, added a trade, or dropped off, and pull the full record, with contact details where available, on any of them. Get the weekly intelligence email on the markets you follow. ATI is in private beta; apply for access.