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EPA Section 608 certification

The certification U.S. technicians need to maintain, service or repair refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, and to dispose of most appliances that contain refrigerant.

Fact-checked against official sources · Last checked

What these pages cover, and what they don't

The real test or credential

The official test is given by an EPA-approved certifying organization, not by EPA, and EPA does not issue certification cards. Tests are specific to the type of equipment you will work on.

Our pages

These pages cover the EPA rules in 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F and EPA guidance. Our questions are our own; the official test uses questions from EPA's test bank.

Checked against these official pages on November 6, 2026. Practice here does not replace the official training or test.

The four certification types

Technicians must pass an EPA-approved test for the type of equipment they work on. These are EPA's descriptions of each type.

EPA Section 608 certification types
TypeWhat it covers
Type IServicing small appliances
Type IIServicing or disposing of high- or very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and MVACs
Type IIIServicing or disposing of low-pressure appliances
UniversalServicing all types of equipment

Key facts from EPA

  • Section 608 technician certification credentials do not expire.
  • EPA does not give the tests or issue cards. EPA-approved certifying organizations do, and they have up to 30 days after the test to issue results.
  • Universal certification requires passing the examinations at all levels.
  • The passing score for the closed-book Type I, Type II, Type III and Universal tests is 70 percent (84 percent for mail-in Type I tests).
  • Keep a copy of your certification at your place of business until three years after you stop working as a technician. EPA does not require you to carry the card while servicing.
  • A small appliance is one fully manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory with five pounds or less of refrigerant.
  • If you lose your card, contact the organization that certified you. Its name is on the card.

How to get certified

Choose a program from EPA's list of approved technician certification programs and pass its test for the types you need. Study the topics EPA lists for each section, then use our practice tests to check what you know.

Sources

Independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA or any certifying organization. Found an error? See our contact page.