Utah replaced the S350 with the H100 HVAC Contractor classification. Here are the two exams, the gas certificate, the 4,000 hour qualifier rule and the S350 deadlines, from DOPL's rule text.
Utah no longer issues new S350 HVAC contractor licenses. HVAC now sits in the general tier as the H100 HVAC Contractor classification, and every H100 company must employ a certified H100 Qualifier who holds a natural gas certification, passes two exams and documents 4,000 hours of supervised HVAC work. This guide walks through what the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) and Utah Admin. Code R156-55a require today, the dates that matter for S350 holders, and who can legally qualify your company. For the full statewide picture see the Utah contractor license requirements, and for every other state see how to get a contractor license in each state.
At a glance Issued by: Utah DOPL, as the H100 HVAC Contractor classification Exams: Utah HVAC Written and Utah Business and Law, $85 each through ProV Qualifier: 4,000 supervised HVAC hours or a Utah plumber license, plus an RMGA or equivalent gas certificate Insurance: $1,000,000 each incident and $2,000,000 in total under R156-55a-302d S350 holders: covered as H100 through November 30, 2027
Is There an Individual HVAC License in Utah?
No. Utah licenses plumbers and electricians as individuals, from apprentice through master. It does not issue a journeyman or master HVAC license to a person.
The HVAC credential lives at the company level. The company holds the H100 contractor license, and one qualified individual, the H100 Qualifier, stands behind it. If you install and service HVAC equipment in Utah, the real question is which licensed company you work for and whether you are properly employed by it.
The H100 License That Took Over From the S350
The statute came first. H.B. 442 (2025 General Session), "Construction Trades Licensing Amendments," sponsored by Rep. Thomas W. Peterson, took effect May 7, 2025. In the Legislature's own words, the bill "provides the requirements for an HVAC contractor license." It added HVAC contractor to the license list in Utah Code 58-55-301, defined HVAC to include the gas line, and required two years of full time paid HVAC specific experience plus an exam.
DOPL then built the classification into its rule, in a filing that took effect March 30, 2026, and into its forms. The Contractor Application, All Classifications, version v20260327 (dated March 27, 2026), lists H-100 HVAC among the general classifications beside E-100, B-100, R-100, E-200, E-201, P-200 and P-201.
The specialty list on the same form runs B200, R101, R200, S202, S220, S230, S260, S270, S280, S310, S330, S354, S370, S410, S440, S510 and S700. There is no S350. Rule R156-55a-301g now carries the H100 scope, and R156-55a-302g sets out who may qualify it.
The S350 to H100 Transition Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| May 7, 2025 | H.B. 442 takes effect |
| January 1, 2026 | Active S350 in good standing is deemed an H100 |
| March 1, 2026 | Interim qualifiers may start petitioning |
| April 1, 2026, midnight | S350 qualifier on record becomes Interim H100 Qualifier |
| November 30, 2027 | Interim period and license period end |
Notes on the table
- Deemed H100. Under R156-55a-301g(4), an S350 license active and in good standing on January 1, 2026 is treated as an H100 for the licensing period ending November 30, 2027.
- Interim H100 Qualifier. R156-55a-102(9) defines this as the person registered as qualifier on an S350 license that was active and in good standing at midnight on April 1, 2026.
- The upgrade. Between March 1, 2026 and November 30, 2027, an Interim H100 Qualifier becomes a regular H100 Qualifier by giving DOPL proof of natural gas technician certification or an equivalent gas license (R156-55a-302g(1)(a)(i)).
- Missing the deadline. An H100 company still relying on an Interim Qualifier after November 30, 2027 without that proof is engaged in unprofessional conduct, and a qualifier who has not filed it by 11:59 pm that day must apply through the full route (R156-55a-302g(1)(a)(ii) and (iii)).
If you hold an S350 today, get your qualifier's gas certificate to DOPL well before November 30, 2027.
What an H100 License Covers
Rule R156-55a-301g ties the H100 scope to the statutory HVAC definition. It includes complete warm air heating, air conditioning and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment such as built in refrigerators and refrigerated rooms, and attaching a condensate drain to an existing receptacle. It also includes the full scope of the S354 Radon Mitigation classification.
The scope stops at the other trades. H100 work does not include electrical trade work or plumbing trade work, and it includes gas line work only when both the qualifier and the technician doing it are Certified Natural Gas Technicians.
| Work | Who may do it |
|---|---|
| Furnaces, air conditioning, ventilation | H100 licensee |
| Gas piping, venting, altitude derating | Certified Natural Gas Technician |
| Electrical work on the job | E200 or E201 contractor |
| Plumbing work on the job | P200 or P201 contractor |
| HVAC on houses up to four units | B100 contractor may also perform |
Notes on the table
- Subcontracting. An H100 licensee may not hire or subcontract anyone for work outside its scope, except that it may contract with E200, E201, P200 and P201 contractors (R156-55a-301g(3)(b)).
- The B100 line. A B100 General Building Contractor's scope excludes H100 work unless it is performed on a single family residence or a multi family residence up to four units, and natural gas work still requires a Certified Natural Gas Technician (R156-55a-301c(2)(b)(viii)).
Who Can Be an H100 Qualifier
An H100 licensee may use only a certified H100 Qualifier as its qualifier (R156-55a-301g(3)(a)). Outside the grandfather route, a person earns that status by petition under R156-55a-302g, meeting the statute plus the rule's experience, exam and evidence requirements. The experience requirement has three parts.
1. HVAC specific experience. The applicant must have completed 4,000 hours over no more than a five year period as an employee of one or more licensed contractors designated H100, B100, S350, P200 or P201. At least 90 percent of the workload must have been directly related to HVAC work.
2. Supervision. During those hours the applicant must have been directly supervised by an H100 Qualifier, free of actual or apparent conflicts of interest. The rule presumes no conflict when both worked for the same licensee and the applicant had no say over the supervisor's pay or employment.
3. The plumber route. Instead of the hours, the applicant may hold an active Utah Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber, Residential Journeyman Plumber or Residential Master Plumber license. A shop with a licensed Utah plumber on staff may already have its experience problem solved. The gas certificate and the exams still apply.
Two points are often missed. The old S350 was a specialty classification, and Utah requires no experience for a specialty license, so this experience test is new. And hours earned at a B100, P200 or P201 company do count when 90 percent of the work was HVAC under an H100 Qualifier's supervision.
How DOPL Wants the Hours Proven
The application's H100 box asks for a W-2, K-1, or tax return showing qualified HVAC employment. A 1099 is not on that list, and DOPL's FAQ says it is illegal to pay an employee who is an unlicensed contractor on a 1099. The rule itself requires the hours to be earned as an employee of a licensed contractor.
Rule R156-55a-302g(4) puts the burden on the applicant to give DOPL adequate, accurate and verifiable proof, and says that proof may include three things: tax documents showing the employment, affidavits from the HVAC contractors or supervisors under whom the applicant earned the experience, and the applicant's own attestation under oath that the work met the rule's experience criteria. A supervisor may certify the hours only if the supervision was free of actual or apparent conflicts of interest (R156-55a-302g(2)(b)(ii)). Gather all three before you file.
One wording point matters for veterans. The rule counts 4,000 hours within any span of five years or less, while the application checklist says "within the past 5 years." If your HVAC years are more than five years behind you, confirm with DOPL in writing first.
The Natural Gas Certification
Every H100 Qualifier must be a Certified Natural Gas Technician, and the application asks for an RMGA (Rocky Mountain Gas Association) or equivalent certificate. The 4,000 supervised hours do not substitute for it.
Rule R156-55a-308b covers gas piping, combustion air vents, exhaust venting and altitude derating of residential and commercial gas appliances. Approved programs include the RMGA, the Home Builders Association of Utah, and union, college and federal apprenticeship programs. Participants in every approved program except the federal apprenticeship must pass the RMGA Gas Appliance Installers Certification Exam or an approved equivalent with at least 80 percent.
A person who skipped the program is still exempt if he passed the RMGA gas exam at 80 percent or the Utah journeyman or residential journeyman plumber exam at 70 percent. Anyone doing this gas work must carry proof of certification or exemption (R156-55a-308b(8)), and DOPL may exempt a person working under the immediate one to one supervision of a Certified Natural Gas Technician (Utah Code 58-55-308(3)).
The Two Exams
An H100 Qualifier passes two exams, both administered by ProV in person at one of 21 testing centers or online through Examroom AI.
| Exam | Questions | Time | Passing score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah HVAC Written | 110 (100 scored) | 2 hours | 70% |
| Utah Business and Law | 60 | 2 hours | 70% |
Notes on the table
- Fees. Each exam costs $85 per attempt, paid to ProV, and the fee is the same for a retake.
- Open book. The HVAC exam allows approved references, including the 2024 International Mechanical Code, the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, the 2024 International Residential Code and ACCA Manuals J, D and S.
- Retakes. After a failure you may retake no sooner than 30 days later, up to three failures; after that, no sooner than six months (R156-55a-302a).
- Order. The rule requires the HVAC exam to be passed before the qualifier petition is submitted.
The Rest of the Application
H100 is a general classification, so the general requirements apply on top of the HVAC items.
Pre-licensure course. The qualifier completes the 25 hour pre-licensure course plus the 5 hour Business and Law Course, which H.B. 442 extended to HVAC contractors. Alternatives on the application: current qualifier on an active unrestricted Utah contractor license, an accredited 2 or 4 year Construction Management degree, or an active unrestricted Utah professional engineer license.
General experience. General classifications require two years, meaning 4,000 hours, of paid construction industry experience. DOPL also accepts a Construction Management degree, a Utah PE license, two years as a qualifier on a Utah license, or a passing score on the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors (see NASCLA exam accredited states). The HVAC specific hours are a separate test.
Liability insurance. Rule R156-55a-302d requires coverage of at least $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total, with DOPL named as certificate holder, covering the full scope of work for the entire duration of licensure. Those amounts took effect June 25, 2026, and the rule controls over any DOPL form that shows a different total.
Workers' compensation. Required if the company has employees or owner workers holding less than 8 percent. A company with no employees files a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission.
Financial responsibility. The application asks about judgments, liens, tax liens and child support delinquencies within eight years, and bankruptcy within seven years, for the applicant, proposed qualifier, owners, officers and managers. A bond may be required before issuance under Utah Code 58-55-306 and R156-55a-602.
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Processing, per qualifier | $50 | DOPL |
| Processing, per classification | $175 | DOPL |
| Electronic Reference Library surcharge | $1.00 | DOPL |
| Each owner under 8 percent (unincorporated) | $20 | DOPL |
| HVAC Written or Business and Law exam | $85 each | ProV |
| Renewal, every two years | $128 | DOPL |
DOPL processing fees are non-refundable. Every fee is set by DOPL or the testing vendor and can change, so confirm each one on the current application before you pay.
The Licensing Steps in Order
- Register the business entity with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, since the license is issued to the entity.
- Choose the qualifier: an owner of at least 20 percent or a W-2 employee in a management position.
- Confirm the qualifier's route: 4,000 supervised HVAC hours in a span of five years or less, or an active Utah plumber license.
- Get the qualifier's RMGA or equivalent natural gas certificate.
- Complete the 25 hour pre-licensure course and the 5 hour Business and Law Course.
- Pass the Utah HVAC Written exam and the Utah Business and Law exam through ProV.
- Bind liability insurance at $1,000,000 each incident and $2,000,000 in total, naming DOPL, and set up workers' compensation or the waiver.
- File the Contractor Application with the H100 box, the Qualifier Affidavit, tax records and fees, online through My License One or on paper.
- If DOPL has not responded after four weeks, contact the office, and answer any request for more information promptly.
The Qualifier Rules That Decide Who Can Hold the Seat
Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-304 requires the qualifier to be paid for not less than 12 hours of work per week by the licensee. That floor can drop only if all owners and employees together work under 50 hours a week, and even then it cannot fall below 20 percent of their total hours.
The rule then splits by role. If the qualifier is an owner, pay may take the form of profit distributions or dividends, but only with at least 20 percent ownership. If the qualifier is an officer or manager, the rule says pay "shall be in the form of W-2 wages."
DOPL's Qualifier Affidavit offers exactly two boxes: Owner of at least 20% or W-2 Employee in Management Position. The qualifier also initials that he will "always exercise material authority in the conduct of the contracting business." DOPL's contracting FAQ is blunt: "The only legal way to 'work under' any license is as an officer or W2 employee of a licensed contractor." The same FAQ says that when a license holder lets an outside company contract under his license, both commit class A misdemeanors.
For an H100 company, R156-55a-304(4) adds that the qualifier must be a certified H100 Qualifier and may hold up to two additional licenses unless the Commission and DOPL approve more under R156-55a-304(3).
This is where most HVAC owners get stuck: if no one on payroll has the gas certificate, the exams and the hours, the company cannot hold an H100. A qualifying agent is a credentialed professional who joins your company as a real W-2 manager, supervises the work and qualifies the license as the rule describes. If your shop needs an H100 Qualifier who clears this bar, start at hire a qualifying agent. If you hold the credentials yourself, see become a qualifying agent.
What Happens If Your H100 Qualifier Leaves
The clock is the same one that governs every Utah contractor classification. Per DOPL's FAQ, both the qualifier and the licensee must notify DOPL in writing within 10 days of the qualifier's last day of employment. The licensee then has 60 days from that date to replace the qualifier, and if the notice is late and no replacement arrives, the license can be revoked.
DOPL states the ownership point plainly: "The license stays with the company; it does not 'belong to' nor does it 'go with' the qualifier."
For an H100 company this bites harder than under the S350: the replacement must already hold the gas certificate, both exams and the supervised hours, and you have 60 days to find him. Build the bench before you need it with the contractor qualifier contingency plan.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Utah contractor licenses expire on November 30 of each odd year, so the next deadline is November 30, 2027, the same day the H100 grandfather period ends. DOPL emails renewal notices at least 60 days ahead, renewal is online through a UtahID, and the renewal fee is $128.
Each licensee completes 6 hours of continuing education per two year term: at least 3 hours of core education, at least 3 hours taught live (a live webinar counts), and at least 1 hour in energy conservation (R156-55a-303b). The rule text still requires S350 contractors to spend 3 of the 6 hours on HVAC installation, repair or replacement, so plan those hours in HVAC topics unless DOPL tells you otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a journeyman HVAC license in Utah? No. Utah issues individual licenses to plumbers and electricians, not to HVAC technicians. HVAC technicians work as employees of a company that holds the H100 classification, and the company's H100 Qualifier carries the credential.
Is the S350 still valid? DOPL no longer lists the S350 for new applications. An S350 that was active and in good standing on January 1, 2026 is treated as an H100 through November 30, 2027, and its qualifier must file gas certification proof with DOPL by that date.
Can a B100 general building contractor do HVAC work? Only on a single family residence or a multi family residence up to four units, under R156-55a-301c. Gas work still requires a Certified Natural Gas Technician. On larger commercial work, HVAC belongs to an H100 licensee.
Does a Utah plumbing license help with the H100? Yes. An active Utah journeyman, master, residential journeyman or residential master plumber license substitutes for the 4,000 supervised HVAC hours, and a journeyman plumber license also counts as gas certification exemption. The qualifier still passes the HVAC and Business and Law exams.
How much does it cost to get an H100 in Utah? The state side is published: $50 per qualifier and $175 per classification to DOPL, a $1.00 surcharge, and $85 for each ProV exam. Add the courses, the gas certification and premiums on a $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 liability policy. What varies most is whether you already employ a qualifier who meets the rule.
Can one person qualify more than one HVAC company? A qualifier may not serve more than three licensees at one time without showing material authority over each business and getting written approval from the Commission and DOPL (R156-55a-304(3)). An H100 Qualifier may hold up to two additional licenses on top of the H100.
Related Utah Reading
- Plumbing license Utah: a Utah plumber license replaces the H100 hours requirement.
- Electrician license Utah: the E200 and E201 work an H100 company contracts out.
- General contractor license Utah: the B100 and R100 classifications and where they stop.
- How to get an HVAC contractor license: the national picture.
Talk to Us About Your H100 Qualifier
The H100 left a smaller pool of people who can qualify a Utah HVAC company, and a hard November 30, 2027 date for every S350 shop still running on an interim qualifier. Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built The Licensing Company around this problem: matching contractors with credentialed qualifiers who join as real employees and meet the rule as written. Call 615-219-2110 or start at hire a qualifying agent and we will walk through your H100 situation with you.
Sources
All retrieved 2026-09-28.
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55a, Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act Rule (Utah Office of Administrative Rules), sections 102, 301c, 301g, 302a, 302b, 302d, 302f, 302g, 303b, 304, 308b
- Utah Code 58-55-302, Qualifications for licensure (Utah Legislature)
- Utah Code 58-55-308, gas appliance scope of practice (Utah Legislature)
- Utah State Bulletin, April 15, 2026, rule effective dates including filing 57745 (Utah Office of Administrative Rules)
- Utah State Bulletin, July 1, 2026, rule effective dates including filing 57949 (Utah Office of Administrative Rules)
- H.B. 442, Construction Trades Licensing Amendments, 2025 General Session, enrolled copy (Utah Legislature)
- H.B. 442 bill page (Utah Legislature)
- DOPL Contractor Application, All Classifications, v20260327
- DOPL Contracting Exam Information
- ProV Utah HVAC Examination Handbook
- ProV Utah Contracting Examination Handbook (Business and Law)
- DOPL Contracting Frequently Asked Questions
- DOPL Apply for a General Contractor License
- DOPL Renew a Contracting License
- DOPL Contractor Continuing Education
Fees and requirements are set by DOPL and the testing vendor and can change without notice. Verify with DOPL before you file.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.