- Total Cost Overview for 2026
- PSI Exam Fees: Trade Exam vs. Business and Law
- Application and Initial Licensing Fees
- Liability Insurance Requirement
- Annual Renewal and Continuing Education Costs
- Retake Costs and the 60-Day Wait
- Study Materials and Other Costs Candidates Overlook
- Budgeting Strategy by Domain Priority
- Frequently Asked Questions
- PSI charges $69 per exam attempt - the trade exam and the Business and Law exam are billed separately.
- Application costs $25 and initial license issuance costs $25, separate from PSI testing fees.
- Active contractors must carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance to hold the license.
- Standard annual renewal is $60 with 10 continuing-education hours required.
Total Cost Overview for 2026
Budgeting for the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor License Exam involves more than a single test fee. Candidates pursuing this license through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance, encounter costs at three distinct stages: testing with PSI, applying for licensure, and maintaining the license once issued. Because refrigeration licensing in Ohio covers food and product preservation systems rather than comfort-cooling HVAC, the exam content and fee structure are specific to this trade classification, not a generalized mechanical license.
The table below summarizes every fee documented for the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor pathway.
| Cost Item | Amount | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Trade Examination (PSI) | $69 | Per attempt, including retakes |
| Business and Law Examination (PSI) | $69 | Per attempt, including retakes |
| Application Fee | $25 | Submitted with license application |
| Initial License Issuance | $25 | Paid once license is approved |
| Standard Annual Renewal | $60 | Every year, with 10 CE hours |
| Compliant Contractor 3-Year Renewal | $180 | Optional, after qualifying year, with 24 CE hours |
| Liability Insurance | $500,000 minimum coverage | Maintained while actively licensed |
For a deeper look at who qualifies to sit for these exams in the first place, see the full OH-REF Requirements 2026 guide before you start budgeting for testing dates.
PSI Exam Fees: Trade Exam vs. Business and Law
PSI, the testing provider for OCILB, charges $69 for each examination attempt. This applies identically whether you are sitting for the trade examination or the separately required Business and Law examination - and importantly, these are billed as two distinct $69 charges, not a bundled fee.
- Trade Examination: 60 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions (70 questions administered total), a 3-hour time limit, and a 70% passing requirement.
- Business and Law Examination: 50 scored questions plus 5 pretest questions, a 2-hour time limit, and a 70% passing requirement.
Because the two exams are scheduled and paid for separately through PSI, candidates should plan for a combined $138 in testing fees just to sit for both exams one time each. Anyone who needs to retake either portion pays another $69 for that specific exam.
To understand exactly how the trade exam's 60 scored questions are distributed, review the OH-REF Exam Domains 2026 guide, which breaks down each content area's weight in detail.
Application and Initial Licensing Fees
Passing both exams is only part of becoming licensed. Candidates must also submit a formal application to OCILB, which carries its own fee structure separate from PSI's testing charges.
- Application Fee: $25, submitted with your experience documentation and background check materials.
- Initial License Issuance: $25, paid once your application and exam results are approved.
Applicants must also complete BCI/FBI background checks and submit documentation proving five years of trade experience immediately preceding application (or an accepted alternative pathway, such as an Ohio professional engineer license combined with three years of trade construction-business experience, or five years as an Ohio governmental trade inspector). These documentation and background-check steps don't carry a separate testing fee, but they do require lead time - factor that into your exam scheduling. For the full eligibility breakdown, see OH-REF Requirements 2026.
Liability Insurance Requirement
Once licensed, active Ohio refrigeration contractors are required to maintain at least $500,000 in liability insurance. This is not a one-time cost paid to OCILB or PSI - it's an ongoing business expense that varies by insurer, coverage history, and business size. Candidates budgeting for licensure should treat this as a recurring line item alongside renewal fees, not a fixed government charge.
Key Takeaway
Shop for liability insurance quotes before you finish testing so you know your true post-licensure carrying cost, not just the exam and application fees.
Annual Renewal and Continuing Education Costs
Licensure isn't a one-time expense. Ohio refrigeration contractors must renew annually, and the renewal path you choose affects both cost and continuing-education (CE) obligations.
Standard Annual Renewal
Most license holders renew every year under the standard track.
- $60 renewal fee, paid annually
- 10 hours of continuing education required each renewal cycle
Compliant Contractor Program
Existing licensees admitted to this program after a qualifying year unlock an alternative renewal structure.
- 8 CE hours for annual renewal, or
- 24 CE hours for a $180 three-year renewal
The three-year option can simplify long-term budgeting by consolidating renewal fees into a single $180 payment covering three years, versus $180 in standard annual fees paid separately ($60 x 3) but with a different CE hour distribution. Contractors should weigh which CE structure fits their schedule and workload better, since both paths total the same fee over three years but differ in hour requirements per cycle.
Retake Costs and the 60-Day Wait
Not every candidate passes both exams on the first attempt, and understanding the retake cost structure helps you budget realistically. If you fail a portion of either exam, PSI requires a 60-day wait before you can retest that portion, and up to five retests are permitted per year.
- Each retake costs $69, same as the original attempt.
- Retakes apply per exam - failing the trade exam does not require retaking Business and Law, and vice versa.
- The 60-day wait applies specifically to the failed portion, so plan your study calendar around this mandatory gap.
If you're worried about needing a retake, it's worth reviewing how the exam is actually structured and scored before test day. The OH-REF Passing Score 2026 breakdown explains exactly what 70% translates to on each exam, and How Hard Is the OH-REF Exam? covers common reasons candidates fall short the first time.
Study Materials and Other Costs Candidates Overlook
Beyond the fees charged by PSI and OCILB, several practical costs affect your total spend, and they're easy to underestimate.
- Reference materials: The PSI bulletin lists the 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 22nd edition, as approved references for the open-book trade exam. Purchasing current editions of both is a necessary cost most first-time candidates don't anticipate.
- Tabbing and indexing time: Advance highlighting, underlining, and indexing of your approved references are permitted, but handwritten notes and loose papers are prohibited. Budget time (not just money) to properly prepare your code books before test day.
- Practice testing: Structured practice questions modeled on the actual domain weighting can reduce the odds of a costly retake. Working through a dedicated Ohio refrigeration contractor practice test before scheduling your real exam is far cheaper than paying for a second $69 attempt.
- Travel and testing center logistics: Since the exam is computer-based through PSI, factor in travel time and any related costs to reach an approved testing location.
None of these are billed by OCILB or PSI directly, but they're real costs in the total path to licensure - and they're the ones candidates most often forget to plan for.
Budgeting Strategy by Domain Priority
Because the trade exam's 60 scored questions are unevenly distributed across five domains, spending your preparation time (and money on materials) proportionally can reduce your retake risk. The official scored-question allocation is:
- Domain 1 - General Knowledge & Requirements: 18 questions
- Domain 2 - Refrigeration Piping: 12 questions
- Domain 3 - Refrigerants: 6 questions
- Domain 4 - Refrigeration Systems & Controls: 15 questions
- Domain 5 - Testing & Inspection: 9 questions
General Knowledge & Requirements and Refrigeration Systems & Controls together account for over half the scored questions on the trade exam. Allocating study time and reference-book tabbing toward these two domains first is a cost-efficient strategy, since it directly targets where most points are available.
General Knowledge & Requirements + Refrigeration Systems & Controls
- Tab the 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code sections tied to these two highest-weighted domains
- Work through practice questions matching this domain split
Refrigeration Piping, Testing & Inspection, Refrigerants
- Review Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning chapters relevant to piping and inspection procedures
- Finish indexing references before scheduling your PSI appointment
For a domain-by-domain walkthrough of exactly what each area tests, see the complete OH-REF exam domains guide, and pair it with the OH-REF Study Guide 2026 for a first-attempt-focused approach. A full Ohio refrigeration exam prep platform with domain-tagged practice questions can also help you confirm you're ready before paying for test day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Testing costs $69 per exam for the trade exam and $69 for the Business and Law exam, plus a $25 application fee and $25 initial license issuance fee. Ongoing costs include $60 annual renewal and required liability insurance of at least $500,000.
No. PSI charges $69 for each examination separately. You'll pay $69 to sit for the trade exam and another $69 to sit for the Business and Law exam.
Each retake costs $69, the same as the original attempt. You must wait 60 days before retesting a failed portion, and PSI permits up to five retests per year.
The three-year Compliant Contractor renewal costs $180 for 24 CE hours, compared to $60 annually (also $180 over three years) with 10 CE hours per year under the standard track. The dollar total is similar, but the CE hour structure differs, so choose based on which schedule fits your workload.
No. OCILB requires active contractors to carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance, but this coverage is purchased through a private insurer, not paid to the state as a licensing fee.