Overview
Under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F), technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere must be certified. To earn certification a technician passes an EPA-approved test, and the test must be given by an EPA-approved certifying organization.
Who can apply
The rule applies to technicians, defined by EPA as people who attach or detach hoses and gauges to measure pressure, add or remove refrigerant, or do other work that breaks the integrity of certain appliances. Apprentices are exempt if a certified technician closely and continually supervises them.
Levels or stages
EPA has four types of certification, and the tests are specific to the equipment type:
Type I: servicing small appliances.
Type II: servicing or disposing of high- or very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners.
Type III: servicing or disposing of low-pressure appliances.
Universal: servicing all types of equipment.
The EPA site also lists a core test. A core test taken as an open-book exam cannot be used toward Universal certification; for Universal, the core test must be a proctored exam.
After the exam
Section 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire. EPA has a page on replacing a lost card.
How to apply
Choose an EPA-approved certifying organization from the list on EPA's certification programs page and register with it.
FAQs
Does EPA 608 certification expire?
No. EPA states that Section 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire.
Can I use an open-book core test for Universal certification?
No. The core test must be taken as a proctored exam to count toward Universal certification.