Idaho HVAC License Renewal

The Biennial Renewal Transition

Idaho's Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) is in the middle of a significant structural change. The state is moving all trade licenses from annual renewal cycles to biennial (two-year) cycles. For individual HVAC licenses — apprentice, journeyman, and contractor — the new expiration date aligns with your birthday. Business entity licenses renew on the anniversary of their original registration date.

This transition has been rolling out in phases, which means some licensees are still on the old annual cycle while others have already switched to biennial. Check your specific expiration date in the DOPL OASIS portal rather than assuming you're on either system.

The Active Fee Holiday

During the biennial transition, DOPL has implemented a fee holiday for timely renewals. If you renew on time — before your expiration date — the renewal fee is currently $0.

This is a transitional benefit, not a permanent policy. Once the fee holiday ends, expect biennial renewal costs to aggregate to roughly $300 for contractors and $150 for journeymen per two-year cycle. The exact post-holiday fee schedule hasn't been finalized, so check DOPL's press releases before your next renewal window.

The fee holiday applies only to timely renewals. Late renewals still owe the full accumulated fees.

What Happens When Your License Expires

If you miss your renewal deadline, several things happen simultaneously:

Your license status changes to expired. You cannot legally perform HVAC work, pull permits, or supervise apprentices while your license is in expired status. Any work performed during a lapse exposes you to regulatory action.

Late fees apply. The fee holiday does not cover renewals submitted after the expiration date. You'll owe the full renewal fee plus reinstatement penalties.

Reinstatement requirements vary. Follow DOPL's current OASIS instructions for the length of your lapse before resuming work.

Apprentice hours are affected. If a supervising journeyman or contractor lets their license expire, any apprentice hours logged under that person during the lapse period are invalid. This can affect apprentices who don't even realize their supervisor's license has lapsed.

Continuing Education: Idaho Doesn't Require It

Idaho is one of the few states that does not mandate continuing education for HVAC license renewals. You do not need to complete CE hours, attend code update courses, or submit proof of ongoing education to renew your journeyman or contractor license.

This is a meaningful difference from neighboring states. Washington requires periodic license renewal education, and several other western states mandate code update courses after each ICC code adoption cycle. In Idaho, your license stays valid through timely renewal alone.

That said, DOPL can change this requirement through rulemaking, and the HVAC Board periodically reviews whether CE should be added. The current code editions adopted by Idaho (2018 IMC and 2018 IFGC) haven't changed in several years, but if the state adopts newer ICC editions, CE requirements could follow.

Contractor Renewal Has Extra Requirements

Journeymen just need to renew the license itself. Contractors have additional obligations that must remain current alongside the license:

Compliance Bond: Your $2,000 surety bond (Form HVC-02A) must remain effective for the entire licensing period. If you purchased a one-year bond, you'll need to renew it before it lapses — even if your license renewal isn't due yet. A three-year bond aligned to your license period avoids this timing mismatch.

Insurance: General liability and workers' compensation coverage (if you employ staff) must remain active. If your insurance lapses and a local building department discovers it, they can block you from pulling permits until coverage is reinstated.

General Contractor Registration: If you hold a separate Idaho Contractors Board registration, it has its own renewal cycle and fees independent of your HVAC license.

How to Renew

Renewals are processed through DOPL's OASIS portal at edopl.idaho.gov. Mark your renewal date independently.

The process is straightforward: log into OASIS, confirm your information, and submit. During the fee holiday, there's no payment to process. Check OASIS for confirmation that the renewed license is active.

For a complete walkthrough of the renewal process and compliance tracking — including bond renewal timing and the biennial calendar — the Idaho HVAC License Guide covers the current rules in detail.

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