Going back to the 1860s, Maryland sided with other so-called border states as a supporter of the Union. Virginia, a little further south, favored slavery and seceded from the Union. The rest is Civil War history.

Tensions have certainly subsided since then; people freely travel the byways between the states; and many live in one state while working in another.

However, it wasn’t until September 2008 when the Air Conditioning Contractors of America National Capital Chapter (ACCA-NCC) invited Maryland’s Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton to speak at a monthly meeting, when the two states really began to patch things up with regard to the HVAC industry. At that meeting, ACCA-NCC members requested license reciprocity between the two jurisdictions. But, good things take time.

As of July 31, 2009, what this means for licensed HVAC contractors in both states is that the Virginia Board for Contractors, and the Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors agreed to waive the normally required written examination for non-residents of the respective states, and issue Journeyman or Master HVAC licenses, provided the applicant has met certain requirements.

This is another example of partnering at its best. The political machine does work sometimes. A tip of the hat to our friends in Maryland and Virginia for a job well done!