EPA Section 608 Technician Certification guideStart here
EPA 608 vs 609: Which Certification Covers Your Work?
Section 608 covers stationary refrigeration and air conditioning; Section 609 covers servicing car and truck air conditioning. They overlap on off-road equipment, buses and refrigerant purchases. Here is where each applies and when you need both.
Short answer
Section 608 certification covers stationary refrigeration and air conditioning, from household refrigerators to chillers, sorted into Types I, II and III. Section 609 covers servicing motor vehicle air conditioners for pay and is a separate EPA program with its own required training and test. They overlap in a few places: off-road vehicle AC (MVAC-like appliances) may be serviced with either Type II or 609, and only 608 lets you buy refrigerant for stationary equipment (40 CFR 82.161 and 82.154). If you work on both cars and buildings, you need both.
The short answer: the equipment decides between 608 and 609
The two certifications come from different sections of the Clean Air Act and cover different equipment. EPA's page on their overlap sums it up: the Section 608 rules in 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F address refrigerants in stationary refrigeration and air conditioning, and the Section 609 rules in Subpart B "specifically address the servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs)."
| Section 608 | Section 609 | |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Stationary refrigeration and air conditioning: small appliances, split systems, rooftop units, commercial refrigeration, chillers | Motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs), such as car and truck air conditioning |
| Who must be certified | Anyone who could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit while maintaining, servicing or repairing covered equipment (except MVACs), or disposing of equipment other than small appliances, MVACs and MVAC-like appliances (40 CFR 82.152 and 82.161) | Anyone who services or repairs MVACs "for consideration," meaning for pay (40 CFR 82.161(a)(1)(vi)) |
| Training | Voluntary: "only passing the test is mandatory" (EPA overlap page) | Required: an EPA-approved training and certification program, then a test |
| Certification types | Type I, Type II, Type III, Universal | A separate certification from an EPA-approved Section 609 program |
| Test | 25-question Core plus 25 per type | A test taken after the training, different from the Section 608 tests |
Neither one replaces the other. A 609 card does not count toward any 608 type, and a 608 card does not cover servicing car air conditioning for pay.
What Section 609 certification involves
EPA's overlap page says technicians who repair or service MVACs "must be trained and certified by an EPA-approved Section 609 Technician Training and Certification Program." Those programs cover MVAC recycling equipment under Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards and the Section 609 rules, and after the training the technician passes a test that is different from the Section 608 tests. That is the structural difference: 608 is test-only, while 609 builds the training into the certification.
Because this guide is about the 608, the details of 609 programs (providers, formats and fees) are outside its scope. EPA's overlap page links to its Section 609 fact sheet for those.
Where Section 608 and 609 overlap
- Off-road vehicle air conditioning (MVAC-like appliances). An MVAC-like appliance is a mechanical vapor compression, open-drive compressor system with a full charge of 20 pounds or less, cooling the driver's or passenger's compartment of off-road vehicles or equipment, such as farm or construction vehicles. The definition excludes appliances using R-22 (40 CFR 82.152). Technicians may service these with either Type II or Section 609 certification (40 CFR 82.161(a)(1)(v)), and EPA recommends 609 because of their similarity to MVACs
- Buses. EPA's overlap page says buses using CFC-12 (R-12) are MVACs, but buses using HCFC-22 (R-22) are not MVACs or MVAC-like appliances. They are high-pressure equipment covered by Type II
- Disposal of vehicles. Disposal of MVACs falls under Section 608, not 609. People who dispose of MVACs and MVAC-like appliances do not need to be certified (40 CFR 82.161(a)(1)(vii)), but whoever recovers refrigerant from them for disposal must follow Subpart B or reduce the system pressure to 102 mm of mercury vacuum or lower (40 CFR 82.156(c) and (d)). The final processor, such as a scrap recycler, must recover any remaining refrigerant or keep a signed statement that it was recovered (40 CFR 82.155)
- Buying refrigerant for vehicles. Also a Section 608 rule, covered in the next section
If your off-road work makes Type II worth having anyway, the Type II questions planned in full EPA 608 prep cover that section; they do not cover Section 609.
Buying refrigerant with a 608 or 609 card
The sales restriction in 40 CFR 82.154(c) is a Section 608 rule, and it treats the two cards differently. EPA's sales restriction page, updated March 23, 2026, sets it out:
| Buyer | What they may buy |
|---|---|
| Section 608 certified technician, or an employer showing written evidence that it employs one | Refrigerant consistent with the appliances covered by the technician's certification |
| Section 609 certified technician, or an employer showing written evidence that it employs one | Refrigerant acceptable for use in MVACs only. Never refrigerant intended for stationary equipment, "regardless of container size" |
| Anyone, without certification | Small cans (2 pounds or less) of a non-exempt substitute refrigerant for MVACs, such as R-134a, with a unique fitting and a self-sealing valve, for do-it-yourself vehicle use (40 CFR 82.154(c)(1)(ix)) |
EPA's overlap page adds that Section 609 technicians cannot buy HCFC-22 in any size container. So a mechanic with only a 609 card who starts installing mini-splits needs Section 608 Type II (or Universal) certification, both to buy refrigerant for that work and for the installation itself: EPA's technician questions-and-answers page says installing an R-410A mini-split requires 608 certification. The EPA 608 certification types guide shows which type covers which equipment, and EPA 608 prep planned for the four stationary-equipment tests lets Core and Type II be practiced one at a time.
Common jobs and whether they need 608, 609 or both
| Work | Certification |
|---|---|
| Car and light truck AC, for pay | Section 609 |
| Tractor, combine or construction equipment cab AC (open-drive, 20 lb or less, not R-22) | Type II or Section 609 (EPA recommends 609) |
| Bus AC using R-22 | Section 608 Type II |
| Bus AC using R-12 | Section 609 (an MVAC under EPA's overlap page) |
| Household refrigerators, window units, dehumidifiers | Section 608 Type I |
| Residential split systems, mini-splits, rooftop units, walk-ins | Section 608 Type II |
| Low-pressure centrifugal chillers | Section 608 Type III |
| Recovering refrigerant from scrapped cars for disposal | No certification required; recovery levels and final-processor rules still apply |
| Both cars and buildings | Both certifications |
If you need both EPA 608 and 609
Technicians who split their time between vehicles and buildings earn the two certifications separately. For the 608 side, the order is the one in the how to get EPA 608 certified guide: choose Core plus your types, pick a program from EPA's list, then test. EPA's list covers Section 608 programs only; Section 609 training and certification programs are approved separately.
For 608 study, the free EPA 608 practice questions give five original questions for each of the four tests, and the EPA 608 study plan spreads your days across the ones you pick. Passy's planned full prep covers the Section 608 tests only, not 609; you can check the planned 30-, 90- and 180-day options for EPA 608 prep while checkout is not yet open.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.
- Section 608 and Section 609 OverlapU.S. EPA↗
- 40 CFR 82.161: Technician certificationeCFR↗
- 40 CFR 82.152: DefinitionseCFR↗
- 40 CFR 82.154: ProhibitionseCFR↗
- 40 CFR 82.155: Safe disposal of applianceseCFR↗
- 40 CFR 82.156: Proper evacuation of refrigerant from applianceseCFR↗
- Refrigerant Sales RestrictionU.S. EPA↗
- EPA's Refrigerant Management Program: Questions and Answers for Section 608 Certified TechniciansU.S. EPA↗