HVAC License North Dakota: No State Board, One Shared City Exam (2026)

North Dakota has no state HVAC license and no state board that registers heating, ventilation, air conditioning or refrigeration contractors. Instead, the state runs on two separate layers: a journeyman mechanical license or master mechanical license from the city where you work, earned through a shared reciprocity exam, and a Secretary of State contractor license for the company once a job passes $4,000.

The City of Fargo puts the exam side in one sentence: a passed exam "is valid in all participating jurisdictions within the State of North Dakota. However, a mechanical, fuel gas, or dual license must be obtained in each jurisdiction employed." Pass the exam once, then apply for a license in every city you work in. The company side runs on a different track entirely, tied to insurance and workers' compensation standing rather than a trade credential.

New to licensing in North Dakota? Start with the North Dakota contractor license requirements, and for every other state see how to get a contractor license in each state.

At a glance State HVAC license: none. Fargo, Bismarck, Minot and Grand Forks license mechanical and fuel gas installers. Exam: one shared reciprocity exam. Fargo tests the 2024 IMC and IFGC; Bismarck and Grand Forks test the 2021 editions. Journeyman hours: 6,000 in Fargo; 4 years (7,600 hours) in Bismarck. Master license fees: Fargo and Bismarck $125 a year, Minot $130, Grand Forks $170. Company license: Secretary of State contractor license for any job over $4,000, $100 to $450 by class.

What North Dakota Licenses Around HVAC Work

Five credentials can touch a single heating and cooling job in North Dakota, and only one of them is a trade license for mechanical work as such.

The North Dakota State Plumbing Board lists plumber, sewer and water, water conditioning, and certified backflow assembly tester as its tracks. Nothing on that list reaches mechanical or HVAC work, and the board runs no mechanical contractor registration of its own.

The North Dakota State Electrical Board licenses electrical work under NDCC 43-09-09, which requires a license of anyone who plans, lays out, supervises, installs, adds to, alters or repairs wiring, apparatus or equipment for electric light, heat or power, or for a power limited system. That statute reaches the circuit feeding a furnace or a condenser, but it does not turn the Electrical Board into an HVAC regulator. A narrow exemption at NDCC 43-09-16(3) lets an employee of a household appliance dealer connect an appliance such as a room air conditioner to an existing receptacle without an electrician's license; running a new circuit is a different matter.

The Secretary of State license is not an HVAC license either. It is a general contractor license that reaches every construction trade, and the Secretary of State says in plain terms that Electrical Board and Plumbing Board licenses sit outside it.

Common Questions About North Dakota HVAC Rules

North Dakota has no state HVAC board, no single statewide apprenticeship hour count, and no state filing that puts a master mechanical installer on record with a state agency. Each line below names the law, board or city page behind it.

North Dakota sets the trade rules city by city, so confirm with the city or agency that issues the credential before you bid a job.

Layer One: the Secretary of State Contractor License

This statewide license covers every construction trade, HVAC included. Under NDCC 43-07-02, no one may act as a contractor in North Dakota when the "cost, value, or price per job" exceeds $4,000 without a license. The Secretary of State applies that threshold to subcontractors, general contractors, public contractors and nonresident contractors, so a mechanical sub on a large project sits squarely inside it.

The threshold runs per job, not cumulative across a year. Four separate $3,000 jobs do not add up to a licensing requirement; one $4,001 job does.

The license is graded by the largest single contract the company may take:

What the application asks for is revealing. Under NDCC 43-07-04 and the Secretary of State's own instructions, a contractor files:

• A certificate of liability insurance in the same name as the license, listing the North Dakota Secretary of State as certificate holder.
• Workforce Safety and Insurance proof: a current certificate of payment if the company has employees living in North Dakota, or a WSI letter of good standing if it does not.
• A business registration with the Secretary of State where the business structure requires one.
• A signed statement of experience and qualifications, made under oath by an applicant 18 or older.

That is a signed statement, not an exam, not verified hours, and not a named master. The state license checks a company's insurance and workers' compensation standing, not its technical skill at the trade.

Renewal is due on or before March 1 each year. The renewal lists every project, contract or subcontract completed in North Dakota in the prior calendar year that exceeded $50,000, certifies that payroll taxes, Workforce Safety and Insurance premiums and unemployment insurance premiums are paid, and carries a current insurance certificate. Miss March 1 and NDCC 43-07-10 treats the license as not in good standing and the contractor as unlicensed; a contractor then has until June 1 to renew with a $50 penalty fee, and after June 1 the license expires outright.

The stakes are real. Contracting without a license is a class A misdemeanor under NDCC 43-07-02, the Secretary of State may add a civil penalty of up to three times the license fee, and an unlicensed contractor cannot bring a claim in a North Dakota court over its contracting work. On public work, NDCC 43-07-12 requires a copy of the license in the bid bond envelope and requires the contractor to have held the license at least 10 days before bids open.

Layer Two: the City Mechanical License

The competency test lives with the cities, not the state. Fargo proctors what it calls the State of North Dakota Reciprocity Exams for master and journeyman HVAC licenses, and Bismarck's exam allows reciprocity with Grand Forks, Fargo and Minot. The exams come in two disciplines, mechanical and fuel gas, at two grades, journeyman and master, and a city may issue a mechanical, fuel gas or dual license on that basis.

Passing the exam is not the license. Fargo says so directly: the exam fee is separate from the license fee, and a candidate applies for the license only after receiving a passing result.

Fargo

Fargo offers four exams: journeyman mechanical, journeyman fuel gas, master mechanical and master fuel gas. Exams run by appointment on an individual basis; call 701.241.1561 to schedule one.

• Journeyman experience: at least 6,000 hours of practical experience.
• Master experience: at least 6,000 hours of journeyman experience plus 4,000 hours of practical experience, 10,000 hours in total.
• Education: a certificate of education with a degree audit report or transcript can count for up to half of the journeyman hours. Hands on experience still has to cover the rest.
• Proof of hours: a professional letter of qualifications on company letterhead, signed by an employer or a master, listing the type of work, the dates of employment and the exact hours worked. The examiner reviews master hours case by case.
• Exam fees: $40 per journeyman appointment and $125 per master appointment. Both exams of one grade taken the same day cost one fee; separate days cost a fee each.
• Format: open book, four hours per exam, cell phones handed in at the front desk before the exam starts.
• Code books: since January 1, 2026, exams are based solely on the 2024 International Mechanical Code and the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code. Fargo does not sell the books; a candidate buys them elsewhere.
• Retest: 30 days after a failed exam.

Once a candidate passes, the license itself is a separate application through Fargo's online license and permit portal, processed by the city's Audit Department (701-241-8108). Fargo's published license fees are $100 for a Journeyman Heating license, good for 3 years, and $125 a year for a Master Heating license, both expiring December 31. At renewal a journeyman supplies no documents, while a master must supply a new certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Fargo as certificate holder.

Fargo also limits who may do the work without a license. A homeowner may install a furnace, air conditioner, water heater or gas line only in an owner occupied home, after filing a mechanical permit application. All other mechanical work must be done by a licensed contractor, who pulls the permit and carries the job through a rough in inspection and a final inspection.

Bismarck

Bismarck licenses HVAC installers under Chapter 4-10 of Title 4 of its Code of Ordinances, run by the Building Inspections Division. Under 4-10-01, no one may work in the HVAC trade in the city unless they hold a master HVAC installer license or work as a journeyman under a licensed master's direct supervision; apprentices work under the direct supervision of a master or a journeyman. Homeowners working on their own residence, and subcontractors working under a Bismarck licensed mechanical contractor, fall outside the contractor definition.

• Journeyman experience: 4 years (7,600 hours) of verified work experience, or an education equivalent of up to 3,800 practical hours plus at least 2 years (3,800 hours) of work.
• How school hours count: a graduate of an accredited trade school with at least 1,020 hours of HVAC or pipe fitting instruction earns credit by multiplying course hours by a grade factor: 1 for a D, 1.5 for a C, 1.75 for a B and 2 for an A (Title 4-10-02).
• Master experience: 2 years (3,400 hours) of verified work as a licensed journeyman to sit the exam.
• Supervision: all work experience must be completed under a Licensed Master Installer, and the city verifies it before it schedules a candidate.
• Exam fee: $125, brought on exam day with a state or federal photo ID.
• Pass marks: 80% for master, 75% for journeyman.
• Retest: 90 days after a failed exam, per the city's current Exam Information page.
• Schedule: applications are due the first business day of the month, and exams run on the third Thursday at the City/County Building, 221 N 5th St. Check in at Building Inspections at 8:30 AM; testing starts at 9:00 AM, with lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.
• Code books: the exam is built on the 2021 IMC and the 2021 IFGC, and the city supplies the books, calculators and writing tools.
• Annual license fees: $125 for a master and $75 for a journeyman. Licenses expire December 31, and fees paid after January 31 carry a late fee of 20 percent.
• Continuing education: 4 hours a year for every license holder (Title 4-10-04).

There is a grandfather rule worth knowing if a company is buying a Bismarck shop or hiring a long tenured installer. Anyone who tested before July 1, 2017 need not retest and may keep working at their current class and discipline inside the city under a Mechanical Legacy license. A Legacy holder who wants to work outside the city, or move to a new class or discipline, must pass the new exam. A veteran master on the payroll may be fully licensed in Bismarck and unable to travel, which tends to surface only after a Grand Forks job has already been bid.

Bismarck adds one more threshold that catches masters who plan to travel. A master applicant needs 2 years and 3,400 hours as a licensed journeyman to sit the exam, but 3 years and 5,300 hours to receive the Certificate of Reciprocity that carries the license to other participating cities. Sitting the exam and taking the credential on the road are two separate thresholds, 1,900 hours apart.

Coming the other way, Bismarck's reciprocal application skips the exam entirely: bring a photo ID and a valid reciprocal license or Certificate of Reciprocity from a reciprocal city. Building Inspections answers at 701-355-1465.

Minot

Minot's licensing sheet sets the order for mechanical contractors. First get the Secretary of State contractor license; then hold a reciprocal license from your city or schedule a test with Minot; then apply for the Minot mechanical license through the city's online portal. A reciprocal applicant still needs proof of a passed test from an approved city, and anyone without one tests in Minot at $75 per test until they pass.

Minot's Building Safety office is at 1025 31st St. SE, and the phone is 701-857-4102.

Grand Forks

Grand Forks, one of Bismarck's reciprocal cities, licenses installers under Article 5 of Chapter XIX of its City Code. A city mechanical board approves the tests and issues the licenses (section 19-0505). Anyone who installs, alters, repairs or replaces heating, ventilating, cooling or refrigeration systems needs a journeyman or master mechanical installer's license (19-0506). A business doing that work must have a licensed master mechanical installer in charge of the work at all times (19-0508).

• Bond and insurance: a master's application carries a surety bond of at least $5,000 payable to the city, plus liability insurance of at least $100,000 for injury to one person, $300,000 for injury to more than one person in one accident and $100,000 for property damage (19-0510).
• State license: the city's contractor page also requires the Secretary of State contractor license and a certificate of insurance.
• Place of business: a master's place of business must sit in a commercial or industrial zoning district (19-0509).
• Expiry and codes: master licenses expire December 31 (19-0512), and the city enforces the 2021 IMC and 2021 IFGC (19-0515 and 19-0517).
• Penalty: up to $1,000 per violation, with each day a separate offense (19-0519).

Other Cities

Outside the four cities named here, including smaller communities such as Ellendale, ask the building official in each city where the work will happen whether it licenses mechanical installers and which exam it honors. The rule is set city by city, and a small city is more likely to accept a reciprocal license from Fargo, Bismarck, Minot or Grand Forks than to run its own exam.

Fargo and Bismarck Side by Side

Two cities, one state, one trade, and materially different rules. A company that has only worked one North Dakota market will find this table is the surprise.

The two cities are not even testing the same code. Fargo moved to the 2024 IMC and IFGC on January 1, 2026 and expects a candidate to bring their own books; Bismarck's exam is still built on the 2021 editions and the city hands out the books. Two cities in one state, three code years apart, on the same trade, and the rules that apply are the ones on the permit in that city.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Log hours under a licensed master. Keep a letter from each employer on company letterhead with the type of work, the dates and the exact hours.
2. Choose where to test. Fargo tests by appointment on the 2024 codes, Bismarck tests monthly on the 2021 codes, Grand Forks tests by arrangement with the city, and Minot tests applicants who hold no reciprocal license.
3. Apply on time. Call Fargo at 701.241.1561 for an appointment, or file Bismarck's exam application by the first business day of the month.
4. Pass the exam. Bismarck and Grand Forks require 80% for master and 75% for journeyman.
5. Apply for the city license. Fargo licenses through its online portal, Bismarck through Building Inspections, and Minot through its online portal.
6. Add each city worked in. Use a reciprocal license, or Bismarck's Certificate of Reciprocity, to license in the next participating city.
7. License the company. Before the company takes any job over $4,000, file for the Secretary of State contractor license with the insurance certificate and WSI proof.
8. Certify refrigerant handlers. Anyone who opens a refrigerant circuit needs EPA Section 608 certification for that equipment type.
9. Renew on the calendar. Fargo and Bismarck city licenses expire December 31, as do Grand Forks master licenses. Bismarck adds a late fee after January 31 and Grand Forks doubles its renewal fee after that date; the state contractor license renews by March 1.

EPA Section 608 Is a Federal Card, Not a License

Nothing above covers refrigerant. That piece is federal. EPA rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F) require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere to be certified, and certification comes from an EPA approved certifying organization, not from North Dakota, Fargo or Bismarck. EPA itself does not issue the cards.

Section 608 credentials do not expire. It is not a license and does not substitute for one, and the reverse holds too: a Fargo master mechanical license does not let a technician recover refrigerant without 608. We cover the difference in EPA 608 certification vs. an HVAC license.

Boilers, Plumbing and Electrical Lines Around HVAC Work

Three adjacent scopes catch mechanical contractors in North Dakota, and each belongs to a different state agency.

Boilers. The Department of Environmental Quality's Boiler Inspection Program inspects boilers in public and commercial locations statewide. Under NDAC 33.1-14-08-01, a heating or low pressure boiler must carry the ASME Section IV stamp, needs at least 36 inches of clearance above and on all sides, and must be reported to the chief boiler inspector by the owner or user and by the installer on the DEQ's installation report, form SFN 59530. Boilers over 400,000 Btu per hour input installed after January 1, 2006 also need an emergency shutoff switch just outside the boiler room door.

Plumbing. NDCC 43-18-01 defines plumbing as the piping, fixtures and appliances that bring water into a building and carry liquids and water carried wastes out of it. Hydronic work that ties into the potable water supply can therefore pull the State Plumbing Board into a job that looks purely mechanical on the drawings; the board's FAQ confirms that hooking a backflow preventer to the main water supply requires a plumbing license. See plumbing license North Dakota for the plumbing ladder and where its scope lines fall.

Electrical. Setting a furnace is mechanical work; running the circuit and making up the connection is electrical work under NDCC 43-09-09, and the statute's scope is broad. The exemption closest to HVAC work, NDCC 43-09-16(3), covers installers working for household appliance dealers who connect appliances such as room air conditioners to an existing receptacle. See how to get an electrician license in North Dakota for that ladder.

What This Means for a North Dakota Mechanical Company

Put the two layers together and the practical picture is simple. The company needs a Secretary of State contractor license once a job exceeds $4,000, and that license turns on insurance and workers' compensation standing, not on anyone's trade credential. The people need city licenses in every city where they work, and those turn on documented hours under a licensed master and a passed exam.

So the real constraint on a North Dakota mechanical company is not the state filing. It is whether a licensed master is on the payroll. In Bismarck, HVAC work may be done only by a master, a journeyman under a master's direct supervision or a supervised apprentice (Title 4-10-01), every project needs a journeyman working under a master's direct supervision at a ratio of five apprentices to one journeyman, and Title 4-10-03 bars a master from exercising master privileges for more than one shop or business at a time. Grand Forks requires a licensed master mechanical installer in charge of the work at all times (City Code 19-0508), and in Fargo the master heating license is the one that carries the liability insurance certificate naming the city.

That master has to be a real employee doing real work. A qualifying agent qualifies the company as its owner or as a full time W-2 employee who actually supervises the work, which is the only lawful model here: a licensed master mechanical installer genuinely on staff, not a name listed on paper alone. Where a company does not have that person in house, contractor qualifier services place one as a real employee. North Dakota's version of the problem has a particular shape, because the state license and the trade competency sit in different places; we take that apart in North Dakota's two track system, and the difference between the two kinds of license is laid out in contractor license vs. business license.

The Licensing Company, led by industry authorities Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, places qualifying agents as full time W-2 employees who actually supervise the work. If a company needs a licensed master mechanical installer and does not have one, start at hire a qualifying agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does North Dakota require an HVAC license?

Not at the state level. North Dakota issues no state HVAC or mechanical trade license. Cities including Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot license mechanical installers, and a Secretary of State contractor license is separately required for any job over $4,000, whatever the trade.

Is there a North Dakota HVAC state exam?

Not a single statewide exam run by a state agency. What exists is a shared reciprocity exam, proctored by the participating cities, that a passing candidate can carry from one participating jurisdiction to the next once they also hold that city's license.

How many hours do I need for a journeyman mechanical license in North Dakota?

It depends on the city. Fargo requires 6,000 hours of practical experience, with education counting for up to half. Bismarck requires 4 years and 7,600 hours under a Licensed Master Installer, with education able to cover up to 3,800 of those hours. There is no single statewide number.

What is the passing score for the North Dakota HVAC exam?

Bismarck and Grand Forks both publish 80% for master and 75% for journeyman. Fargo does not publish a cut score on its exam page. Ask the city giving the exam before sitting it.

Which code year is the North Dakota mechanical exam based on?

It depends on the city. Fargo's exams have been based solely on the 2024 IMC and 2024 IFGC since January 1, 2026, and a candidate brings their own books. Bismarck's exam uses the 2021 IMC and 2021 IFGC, and the city supplies books, calculators and writing tools. Grand Forks enforces the 2021 editions under its City Code.

How much does an HVAC license cost in North Dakota?

The exam and the license are separate charges. Fargo charges $40 or $125 per exam appointment, then $100 for 3 years (journeyman) or $125 a year (master); Bismarck charges a $125 exam, then $75 or $125 a year; Minot charges $50 or $130 a year plus $75 per test; Grand Forks charges $55 or $170 a year, and a master also files a $5,000 bond. The Secretary of State contractor license adds $100 to $450 by class, then $30 to $90 a year.

Does this cover the cost of a central air conditioner or installation job?

No. This guide covers licenses and exam fees only, not equipment prices or installation bids, including in Bismarck. A call to 615-219-2110 can point a company toward the licenses a given job needs; it is not a source for equipment pricing.

What does it take to license an HVAC company across North Dakota?

The published fees are the fixed part. The variable part is everything else: how many cities a company works in and so how many city licenses it carries, whether a licensed master is on staff, which Secretary of State class its contract sizes need, its liability insurance, and whether it has employees living in North Dakota and so a Workforce Safety and Insurance account. A call to 615-219-2110 maps which licenses a company's jobs actually need.

If I pass the exam in Fargo, can I work in Bismarck?

Yes, once a candidate also holds a Bismarck license. The exam result is honored across participating cities but the license is not, so a candidate applies for Bismarck's reciprocal license with a valid license from a reciprocal city such as Fargo, and Bismarck waives its exam. Going the other way, a Bismarck master needs 3 years and 5,300 hours as a licensed journeyman for the Certificate of Reciprocity.

Do I need EPA 608 certification in North Dakota?

Yes, if a technician opens equipment that contains regulated refrigerant. It is a federal requirement under the Clean Air Act, separate from any state or city license, and neither one substitutes for the other.

Can a homeowner do their own HVAC work in Fargo?

Only in an owner occupied home. Fargo lets a homeowner install a furnace, air conditioner, water heater or gas line in the home they live in, after filing a mechanical permit application. All other mechanical work must be done by a licensed contractor.

Can one master HVAC installer qualify two companies in Bismarck?

No. Bismarck's Title 4-10-03 says a master HVAC installer may not exercise master privileges for more than one shop or business at a time. Each company working in Bismarck needs its own master.

Does a $3,500 furnace replacement need the state contractor license?

Not by itself, because the state threshold is per job and $3,500 does not exceed $4,000. The city license still applies: in Fargo and Bismarck the work must be done by a licensed installer or contractor whatever the job size, apart from a homeowner working on their own home, and Grand Forks requires a mechanical installer's license for the work itself (City Code 19-0506).

Talk to Us About a Licensed Master

The structural takeaway for a North Dakota mechanical contractor is this: the state licenses the business on the strength of its insurance certificate, and the cities decide who can do the work based on who holds the license. If a company needs a licensed master mechanical installer on the payroll, call 615-219-2110 or start at hire a qualifying agent. A company that already holds a North Dakota master mechanical license can see become a qualifying agent.

City fees, hour requirements, pass marks, exam calendars and code years are set by each city and the Secretary of State and change over time. Confirm with Fargo Inspections (701.241.1561), Bismarck Building Inspections (701-355-1465), Minot Building Safety (701-857-4102) or Grand Forks Building Safety before relying on them. Last reviewed October 20, 2026.

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