EPA 608 guide
EPA 608 vs 609 — different equipment, different certification
Both are Clean Air Act certifications about refrigerant handling, and technicians regularly confuse them. The split is simple: 608 is stationary equipment, 609 is mobile air conditioning. If your work crosses both worlds — fleet service for a contractor, for example — you need both.
Section 608 — stationary refrigeration and HVAC
Covers appliances and systems that are not motor vehicles: residential and commercial air conditioning, heat pumps, refrigeration racks, chillers, and the small appliances covered by Type I. It is the certification employers ask for in HVAC service, facilities maintenance and refrigeration.
Section 609 — motor-vehicle air conditioning
Covers refrigerant handling in cars, trucks and other vehicles, including recovery and recycling equipment and the rules around refrigerant sale. It is tested separately and does not cover stationary systems; the reverse is also true.
Do the exams overlap?
They share some chemistry (refrigerants, pressure–temperature behaviour, recovery logic) but the legal content and equipment context differ. If you only need one, study that one — mixing the rule sets under exam pressure costs marks.
Frequently asked
- I have 609. Can I service a stationary AC?
- No. Section 609 does not authorise stationary equipment work. You need the matching Section 608 type for the appliance in front of you.
- Do either expire?
- No. Neither EPA 608 nor EPA 609 certification expires once passed.
Practise the 608 rules for free →
The free exam covers Core and Types I–III, not 609.
Practise the 608 rules for free →