EPA 608 certification: who needs it and how you get it

Who has to be certified

The regulation says any person who “could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit” while maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of these appliances must pass a certification exam offered by an approved technician certification program. [40 CFR 82.161] It sorts the work by type:

• Small appliances (maintain, service or repair; not disposal): Type I. [40 CFR 82.161]
• Medium-, high- or very high-pressure appliances (except small appliances, MVACs and MVAC-like appliances): Type II. [40 CFR 82.161]
• Low-pressure appliances: Type III. [40 CFR 82.161]
• All of the above: Universal. [40 CFR 82.161]

Three cases the regulation handles separately. “Technicians who maintain, service, or repair MVAC-like appliances must either be certified as Type II technicians or be certified in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B.” Persons who maintain, service or repair motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs) for consideration must be certified under 40 CFR part 82, subpart B, not under this test. And “Persons who dispose of small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances are not required to be certified.” [40 CFR 82.161]

What counts as being a technician

EPA lists three activities. Attaching and detaching hoses and gauges to and from an appliance to measure pressure within it. Adding refrigerant to or removing refrigerant from an appliance. And any other activity that violates the integrity of an MVAC-like appliance or small appliance (other than disposal). [EPA certification requirements]

Apprentices

“Apprentices are exempt from certification requirements provided they are closely and continually supervised by a certified technician.” [EPA certification requirements]

Who gives the test

You pass an EPA-approved test, and “Tests must be administered by an EPA-approved certifying organization.” [EPA certification requirements] EPA publishes the list of approved programs. [EPA certification programs] It says programs on the list “are approved to provide the EPA Section 608 technician certification test,” that many offer testing locations throughout the country, and that some offer remote or online testing that does not require you to travel to a physical testing location. [EPA certification programs] A program marked with an asterisk is “intended specifically for the employees of those programs’ companies.” [EPA certification programs]

EPA does not give the test and does not approve study materials: “EPA does not review or approve any training preparatory programs or materials.” [EPA certification programs] That includes this site.

What it costs

We found no price on an EPA page. The regulation says only that “Certifying programs may charge individuals reasonable fees for the administration of the tests.” [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D] Fees are set by each certifying organization, so check the organizations on EPA’s list before you book.

Type I: on-site or mail-in

Type I is the one test that can be taken a different way. “Organizations providing Type I certification only may choose either an on-site format or a mail-in format similar to what is permitted under the MVACs program.” [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D] EPA says “Most Type I programs provide on-site testing. Type I programs that offer a mail-in testing option are identified.” [EPA certification programs]

• The passing score for a mail-in Type I test is 84 percent. The closed-book Type I, II, III and Universal test is 70 percent. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• Training material that comes with a mail-in Type I test “must not include sample test questions mimicking the language of the certification test.” [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• “Mail-in format Type I tests cannot be used toward a Universal certification.” [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• Type II and Type III must be passed on a closed-book, proctored test administered in a secure environment. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]

EPA also says that “Core tests taken as an open book exam cannot be used to get your Universal Certification. The core test must be taken as a proctored exam in order to attain Universal Certification.” [EPA certification requirements]

Test day and after

• Proctors verify identity by examining photo identification. Acceptable forms include drivers’ licenses, government identification cards, passports, and military identification, and the regulation says the list is not limited to those. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• The certifying program must inform you of your result no later than 30 days from the date of the test. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• It must issue a wallet-sized identification card no later than 30 days from the date of the test. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• For a mail-in Type I test the 30 days run from receipt: programs “must notify the applicants of their test results no later than 30 days from the date the certifying programs received the completed test and any required documentation.” The card deadline runs from the same date. [40 CFR 82 Subpart F, Appendix D]
• You must keep a copy of your certificate at your place of business. [40 CFR 82.161]

The card

“EPA does not issue certification cards.” [EPA Section 608 certification] If you lose yours, EPA says it “cannot replace” it. The organization that certified you is the one to ask, and it is required to maintain records of the cards it issues. [EPA lost-card steps] If that organization is gone, EPA’s page has further steps. [EPA lost-card steps]

“Section 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire.” [EPA certification requirements]

Not covered here

Retake rules, waiting periods and test times are set by each certifying organization, and we did not state them. Read the rules of the organization you choose.

Next: Universal certification, or the free practice test.