How To Renew a New Mexico Mechanical Certificate (HVAC)

Written by Kacie Goff

Every few years, you need to take steps to keep your journeyman mechanical certificate active. But because the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) website isn’t overly easy to navigate — and sends you to PDFs from outside sources like PSI — it can be tricky to figure out what you need to do. 

It’s worth navigating the process, though, because late certificate renewal comes with a late fee. And if you’re more than six months late, your certificate gets canceled.

Basically, the clock is ticking. So you can keep your New Mexico journeyman certificate active, you need to take continuing education (CE) and do a few other things every three years. Let’s take a look at exactly what’s required to renew. 

When mechanical certificate renewals are due

New Mexico mechanical journeyman certificate holders need to renew every three years. Your certificate expires on the last day of the month it was issued, so check your certificate for your expiration date. 

Theoretically, you should get a renewal form in the mail before your certificate expires. But if the RLD doesn’t have the right address on file for you, you won’t get that form — but your renewal is still due. 

Continuing education requirements for mechanical certificate holders

The State of New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) requires that all journeyman mechanical certificate holders take 16 hours of CE during each three-year renewal cycle. 

You can’t take the hours on just any topic. The state requires you to take:

• Eight of the hours on code changes and updates (see this course description for details)
• The remaining eight hours on industry-related, state-approved topics (see this link for more details)

Fortunately, you don’t need to go take two days off work and spend them in a classroom to meet this CE requirement. The state allows you to take your hours online. That way, you can take them whenever it’s convenient for you — at night or on weekends, even — from any internet-connected laptop, tablet, or phone. 

Once you finish your hours, your education provider issues you a certificate of completion. Hang onto that because you’ll need it for your renewal packet. 

Submitting your certificate renewal

If you don’t get the renewal form in the mail, you can access a PDF version of it. Print it out, fill it out, and have it notarized before sending it in or the RLD won’t accept it. 

If you did get a renewal form and any of the information on it is no longer correct, it’s your responsibility to update the information on the form before sending it in.

In addition to the completed and notarized journeyman certificate renewal form, you also need to send in:

• The renewal fee
• Your continuing education certificate(s) of completion
• A letter-sized envelope with your address on it and sufficient postage

The state uses that self-address envelope to send your new wallet card if your renewal is accepted. If not, they’ll use the envelope to send your renewal materials back to you so you can correct what’s necessary.

The RLD uses a company called PSI (the same one that proctors their exams) to handle journeyman certificate renewals. Mail your renewal packet to them at:

PSI

2820 Broadbent Parkway NE Ste. E&F

Albuquerque, NM 87107

If you have any questions about renewing a journeyman certificate, you can contact the Mechanical Plumbing Bureau Chief, Jerome Baca, at (505) 490-2997 or jerome.baca@state.nm.us.