West Virginia Code 21-16-3 – License required; exemptions
(a) On and after January 1, 2016, a person performing or offering to perform work on a heating, ventilating, and cooling system in this state shall have a license issued by the Commissioner of Labor, in accordance with the provisions of this article and the legislative rules promulgated pursuant hereto: Provided, That the commissioner shall issue HVAC residential technician licenses to qualified applicants without examination who present satisfactory evidence no later than December 31, 2019, of having at least 2,000 hours of experience and/or training working on heating, ventilating, and cooling systems: Provided, however, That if a license issued under the authority of this subsection subsequently lapses, the applicant is subject to all licensure requirements, including the examination.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 21-16-3
- Commissioner: means the labor commissioner or his designated agent. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- Cooling system: means a system in which heat is removed from air, surrounding surfaces, or both, and includes an air-conditioning system. See West Virginia Code 21-16-2
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Employee: means any public employee of the state, or any state agency. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means one or more individuals. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- Routine maintenance: means work performed on a routine schedule that includes cleaning and/or replacing filters, greasing or lubricating motor bearings, adjusting and/or replacing belts, checking system temperature, checking gas temperature, adjusting gas pressure as required, and checking voltage and amperage draw on heating, ventilating, and cooling systems. See West Virginia Code 21-16-2
- Single family dwelling: means a building that is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a single residence for one or more persons. See West Virginia Code 21-16-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, the commissioner shall credit verified military service, training, or education toward the licensing requirements, including examination requirements pursuant to § 21-16-11 of this code, for a license issued under this article. The commissioner shall expedite the issuance of a provisional license or a license by endorsement or reciprocity under this article to an applicant who has verified military experience or holds a current license issued by another jurisdiction that has license requirements that are substantially equivalent to the license requirements of this state.
(c) A person licensed under this article shall carry a copy of the license on any job in which heating, ventilating, and cooling work is being performed.
(d) This article does not apply to:
(1) A person who personally performs work on a heating, ventilating, and cooling system in a single family dwelling owned by that person or by a member of that person’s immediate family;
(2) A person who performs work on a heating, ventilating, and cooling system at a manufacturing plant or other industrial establishment as an employee of the person, firm, or corporation operating the plant or establishment;
(3) A person who performs only electrical or plumbing work on a heating, ventilating, and cooling system, which includes, but is not limited to, thermostats, bathroom fans, and tankless water heater ventilation, so long as the work is within the scope of practice which the person is otherwise licensed or authorized to perform; or
(4) A person who performs routine maintenance on any heating, ventilating, and cooling system.