North Dakota HVAC License Requirements
No. North Dakota has no statewide HVAC license; cities and counties license HVAC work. Anyone who handles refrigerant also needs federal EPA 608 certification.
Local only · By BrazeJobs Team · Updated
Requirements
| Local license | Varies by city |
Local licenses in North Dakota
Fargo
CityCity mechanical, fuel gas or dual license (journeyman and master)
Fargo Inspections Department
Fargo proctors North Dakota reciprocity exams for master and journeyman HVAC; a passed exam is valid in participating cities, but a license is needed in each jurisdiction. Journeyman exams need 6,000 hours' experience; $40 per exam.
- Source: fargond.gov · checked November 5, 2026
Bismarck
CityCity mechanical license (exam on 2021 IMC and IFGC)
Bismarck Building Inspections Division
Mechanical licensing exam (open book, city supplies 2021 IMC/IFGC) with reciprocity with Grand Forks, Fargo and Minot; pre-July 2017 holders keep a legacy license. Title 4-10, Bismarck Code.
- Source: bismarcknd.gov · checked November 5, 2026
Grand Forks
CityCity mechanical license (reciprocity exam)
- Source: bismarcknd.gov · checked November 5, 2026
Federal: EPA 608 certification
| Rule | Federal certification required to service or dispose of refrigerant equipment and to buy refrigerant |
Who: anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant (attaching gauges, adding or removing refrigerant). Types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high- and very high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), Universal (all types). Expiry: credentials do not expire. Buying refrigerant: sellers may sell only to certified technicians or employers of one, with limited exceptions (e.g. small cans of MVAC refrigerant). EPA does not issue cards; approved certifying organizations do. Universal requires a proctored core exam.
Apprenticeship
| Registering agency | U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship (no state agency) |
Programs register through the Office of Apprenticeship; use the Partner Finder for local sponsors.
- Source: apprenticeship.gov · checked November 6, 2026
Mechanical code
| Code in force | 2024 IMC with state amendments |
2026 ND State Building Code (2024 I-codes with state amendments) effective Jan 1, 2026; applies only where a city, county or township elects to enforce building codes.
- Source: commerce.nd.gov · checked November 5, 2026