New Hampshire HVAC Apprenticeship Hours and Requirements

New Hampshire's mechanical licensing pathway is structured around a Fuel Gas Fitting Trainee registration, followed by documented classroom hours and supervised field experience that vary by license tier.

The practical difference matters: you are registering as a trainee under a sponsoring licensed gas fitter, accumulating hours at a pace that depends on your employer and your education schedule.

Trainee Registration

Before you start counting hours, you must register as a Fuel Gas Fitting Trainee with the OPLC. Requirements:

• At least 16 years old
• A licensed gas fitter who agrees to sponsor and directly supervise your work
• Enrollment in a board-approved educational program
• $90 registration fee

As a registered trainee, all your on-site gas work must be performed under the direct supervision of your sponsoring fitter. You cannot independently diagnose, install, or service gas systems.

Hours by License Tier

The hours escalate with the scope of work each tier authorizes:

The classroom hours stack across tiers. If you earn your GPI license (60 hours) and later decide to upgrade to Installation Technician, you need only 40 additional classroom hours — not a fresh 100. The same stacking applies from Installation Technician to Service Technician.

Field hours, however, do not stack the same way. Each tier has its own minimum, and the 2,000-hour requirement for the Service Technician tier means reaching that total from your supervised work across your trainee period.

The 60-Month Expiration Window

This catches trainees who take long breaks. All documented field experience must have been completed within the 60 consecutive months immediately before your license application date. Hours older than five years are voided entirely.

If you registered as a trainee, worked 800 hours over two years, then took a four-year break from the trade, those 800 hours no longer count. You would need to re-accumulate field experience within a fresh 60-month window.

The practical implication: do not let your field hours sit idle for years before applying. Once you have the required hours and education, move to the exam and application promptly.

Documenting Your Hours

Field experience documentation uses the OPLC's Affidavit for Proof of Field/Work Experience. Your supervising licensed gas fitter completes and signs this form, swearing under oath that you performed the stated hours under their direct supervision.

The affidavit must include the supervisor's active OPLC license number. A generic employment verification letter from an HR department or an unsigned timesheet will not satisfy the board.

Keep your own running log of hours as you accumulate them — dates, job addresses, type of work performed, and supervising fitter name. If your sponsor leaves the company or you change employers, getting them to sign an affidavit years later becomes significantly harder. Get partial affidavits signed at regular intervals rather than trying to reconstruct thousands of hours at the end.

Classroom Training Providers

The Mechanical Licensing Board approves specific educational institutions to deliver the required classroom curriculum. Current approved providers include Granite State Trade School, NH School of Mechanical Trades, and Advanced Trade School, among others. The curriculum transitioned from the CETP framework to the updated Propane Education Program (PEP), so confirm with your provider that their coursework aligns with the current PEP requirements.

Program costs vary significantly — from roughly $1,100 to over $3,600 depending on the provider and license tier. These are separate from the OPLC application fees and exam costs.

After Your Hours Are Complete

Once you have the classroom hours and field experience documented, the sequence is exam first, then application. Schedule and pass your state exam through an approved testing provider ($100 exam fee), then submit your OPLC application with the exam certificate, experience affidavit, and $190 licensing fee.

The New Hampshire HVAC License Guide maps the complete path from trainee registration through each licensing tier, including the exact forms, the hour-tracking system, and the common affidavit mistakes that delay applications.

See more New Hampshire guides →