EPA 608 Certification Lookup: How to Find or Verify a Section 608 Card

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified September 27, 2026

There's no single EPA database where you can look up every Section 608 technician. EPA approves the testing organizations; each organization issues its own cards and keeps its own records, so the lookup that works is the one run by whoever certified you (EPA technician Q&A).

Start here: what's your situation?

• I know who certified me.

  Use that organization's lookup in the table below. No online tool? Call or email them. Federal rules require certifying programs to maintain test and certification records indefinitely unless the records are transferred to another approved program or EPA.

• I have a card or certificate number, but need to prove it.

  The certifying organization's name appears on current cards. Check the number with that organization, or ask it for written confirmation. Then see Check an EPA 608 card in 60 seconds.

• I lost my card or don't know who certified me.

  Work through Find out who certified you, then follow EPA's replacement steps.

• I'm an employer, refrigerant seller, or customer checking someone.

  Ask for the card or a copy, check it, then confirm with the issuer. See How to verify a technician.

EPA 608 lookup tools by certifying organization

These are public lookups we opened on September 27, 2026. They're examples, not a complete list. EPA's current list of approved Section 608 programs has many more, including trade schools, union training funds, and military training units. If yours isn't below, find it there and contact it directly.

Ferris State note for older ACCA certifications: ACCA's page still tells people certified before May 2001 to call Ferris State University. EPA's current list of programs that no longer test shows Ferris State voluntarily withdrew on May 22, 2026. Because those current pages conflict, contact ACCA first for the present record/replacement route rather than assuming the older Ferris instruction is still current.

Watch for sites that look official. A website with "EPA" or "608" in its name isn't necessarily EPA or the organization that holds your record. Some private sites build their own lists from records submitted to them. Not showing up on one of those proves nothing.

Not showing up in a lookup? That doesn't mean you aren't certified

The federal online-list requirement took effect January 1, 2018, and requires non-federal programs to list technicians they certified on or after January 1, 2017. Technicians can opt out. A real, valid certification can therefore be missing from a public list. The rule is 40 CFR 82.161(b)(6).

Check an EPA 608 card in 60 seconds

For cards issued under the current rule, federal standards specify what a Section 608 wallet card must show (Appendix D, section f). Check that the card has all five:

1. The certifying program's name and the date EPA approved it
2. The technician's name
3. The certification type: Type I, Type II, Type III, and/or Universal
4. A unique certification number. It must not be a Social Security number.
5. A statement that the person passed the exam on responsibly handling refrigerants, as required by EPA's national recycling and emissions reduction program

Then find the program on EPA's current list or its list of programs that no longer test. Both lists show approval information. A credential from a program that no longer tests is still valid if it was issued while that program was approved.

Older cards: EPA says pre-January 1, 2018 cards remain valid and don't have to be replaced merely because they lack the newer required wording. A missing current-format field on an old card isn't proof of a problem. Confirm with the issuer.

Lost your EPA 608 card or don't know who certified you?

EPA doesn't issue certification cards and can't replace a lost one (EPA lost-card steps). Your certification doesn't expire, though (EPA certification requirements). What you need back is the record, and that record is normally held by the organization that tested you or by a successor custodian if records were transferred.

Find out who certified you

EPA suggests looking for anything that names the organization (EPA technician Q&A):

• Paperwork: a certificate, plaque, receipt, canceled check, credit card record, study materials, test scores, résumé, or job application
• Your email: search for "Section 608," "EPA 608," "Universal," or "Type II." Under the current rule, programs must give you a notice after the test that names the certifying program and its contact information (Appendix D, section a).
• Current or former employers: they may have kept a copy of your card or a note of the organization
• Refrigerant suppliers you've bought from: they may have a copy of your card on file
• Your state: if your state environmental or licensing agency made you register the certification, it may have a copy
• Where you took the test: ask the school, union hall, supply house, or employer which program's test they used
• People who tested with you: ask them what organization is printed on their card

Still stuck? EPA suggests calling some major programs to ask whether they have your record. Its Q&A names ESCO Institute, Ferris State University, Mainstream Engineering, REPA, RSES, Universal Technical Institute, and Video General. That EPA Q&A is partly stale: Ferris State withdrew from EPA-approved testing on May 22, 2026, and REPA has been off the approved list since November 11, 2022. Start with organizations that remain on EPA's current approved-program list, or use EPA's stationary refrigeration contact form if a former program may hold or have transferred your record.

EPA's replacement steps, with the current contacts

1. Is the organization that certified you still operating? Check EPA's approved list. If it is, ask it for a replacement card. Certifying programs are required to maintain the applicable records indefinitely unless those records are transferred.
2. Do you have proof you passed? That can be paperwork from the original organization, or a copy of your card that you or an employer kept. EPA's lost-card page says documentation can be sent to an organization it identifies as willing to issue replacement cards.
   • EPA's lost-card page currently lists ESCO Institute, (800) 726-9696, and Ferris State University.
   • EPA's current program list shows Ferris State voluntarily withdrew on May 22, 2026. Because the two EPA pages are not synchronized, ESCO is the clearly current option on both the replacement page and the approved-program list. You can also contact EPA about stationary refrigeration if your documentation or former provider creates an edge case.
3. Did your organization go out of business or stop testing? Check EPA's list of programs that no longer test. Your certification is still valid if it was issued while that program was approved. Under Appendix D, a voluntarily withdrawing program must transfer its records to another currently approved program if one accepts them; otherwise the records go to EPA. To ask where yours went, use EPA's Stationary Refrigeration contact form.
4. No record and no documentation anywhere? EPA says neither it nor a certifying organization will be able to issue a replacement. You'll need to retake the Section 608 test with an approved program.

If you do have to retest: check which test-bank version your program gives. ESCO Institute says it released an updated Section 608 test bank in August 2026 and that its 2018 exam remains available until January 1, 2027 (ESCO EPA 608 page). Our free EPA 608 Universal practice test covers Core and all three Types with original, unofficial questions and sourced explanations.

Once you have your card back, photograph both sides and email the photos to yourself. EPA suggests keeping a picture of your card on your phone. Federal rules also require technicians covered by the rule to keep a copy at their place of business until three years after they stop operating as a technician (40 CFR 82.161(a)(4)).

How employers, sellers, and customers can verify a technician

There's no EPA-wide lookup to run instead. Ask for proof, check it, and confirm with the issuer:

1. Get the card or a clear copy. Technicians covered by the recordkeeping rule must keep a copy of their certification at their place of business.
2. Run the 60-second card check.
3. Confirm with the issuer. Use its lookup in the table above, or ask it for written confirmation.
4. Match the type to the work:
   • Type I covers small appliances.
   • Type II covers medium-, high-, and very-high-pressure appliances, except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances.
   • Type III covers low-pressure appliances.
   • Universal covers all three.
   • Our EPA 608 exam guide explains the certification types and exam route.
5. Don't treat one list as final. A name missing from a single public list, especially a private multi-provider list, doesn't show that someone isn't certified. See why technicians can be missing.

For refrigerant sales counters

Sellers must verify that a buyer is a certified technician or currently employs one. EPA says acceptable documentation includes (EPA technician Q&A):

• a copy of the technician's certification card
• a certificate issued by the certification program
• for an employer, documentation showing it currently employs a certified technician

Wholesalers must also retain invoices showing the purchaser's name, the date of sale, and the quantity of refrigerant purchased (EPA refrigerant sales restriction).

For homeowners checking a contractor

Ask the company which technician will handle the refrigerant, and ask to see that person's card or other proof. A Section 608 card is a federal refrigerant-handling credential, not a state or local contractor license. Check your state or local licensing agency separately if contractor licensing applies where you live.

Common questions

Does EPA have a database of certified technicians?
No. EPA says it doesn't keep a database of all certified technicians. The testing organizations track who they certify. The federal online-list requirement took effect January 1, 2018, for technicians certified on or after January 1, 2017, excluding federally run programs; technicians must also be allowed to opt out (40 CFR 82.161(b)(6)).

How do I look up my EPA 608 certification number?
Through the organization that issued it or the current custodian of its records. Some providers let you search by name and display your record; others require the certificate number. If you have neither, work through Find out who certified you.

Does EPA 608 certification expire?
No. EPA says Section 608 credentials don't expire (EPA certification requirements). The regulation reserves EPA's right to require recertification in the future, but no general recertification requirement is in effect now.

Is my old card still good now that there's a new exam?
Yes. EPA says credentials issued by programs while those programs were approved remain valid, and Section 608 credentials do not expire. A later exam-bank update does not by itself cancel an existing credential.

My testing company went out of business. Am I still certified?
Yes, if you were certified while the company was EPA-approved. EPA says credentials issued during the period a former program was approved remain valid (EPA program list).

Do I have to carry my card on the job?
EPA doesn't require you to carry it while servicing appliances, although customers may ask for proof. EPA suggests keeping a photo on your phone. You do have to keep a copy at your place of business for the federal recordkeeping period (EPA technician Q&A).

Will a photo or digital copy work?
For buying refrigerant, EPA says a copy of the card or a certificate issued by the program is acceptable documentation. Employers and other parties can set their own proof procedures, so ask what they require.

Can I work under someone else's card?
You cannot use another person's certification as if it were your own. An uncertified person may perform covered work only under the apprentice exception: the person must qualify as a registered apprentice and be closely and continually supervised by a technician certified for the work involved. EPA's Q&A says apprentice status requires current registration with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship or a recognized State Apprenticeship Council (EPA technician Q&A). Using another person's card to purchase refrigerant for someone who isn't certified or doesn't employ a certified technician violates EPA's sales restriction.

Is an EPA 608 lookup the same as an EPA 609 lookup?
No. Section 609 covers motor vehicle air conditioning and is a separate certification program. For a Section 609 credential, use the verification or records process of the organization that issued it.

Sources we checked

All checked September 27, 2026:

• 40 CFR 82.161, Technician certification: public lists (b)(6), keeping a copy (a)(4), apprentices (a)(2)
• 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F, Appendix D: post-test notice (a), card contents (f), records and transfers (g)
• EPA, Questions and Answers for Section 608 Certified Technicians
• EPA, Steps for Replacing a Lost Section 608 Card
• EPA, Certification Programs for Section 608 Technicians
• EPA, Organizations No Longer EPA-Approved
• EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements
• EPA, Refrigerant Sales Restriction
• Lookup and replacement pages of ESCO Institute, Mainstream Engineering, RSES, ACCA, NATE, SkillCat, Titan Training Solutions, and CHEERS, linked in the table above
• ESCO Institute, EPA Section 608 Certification, for its 2026/2018 exam-bank transition

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We aren't affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or any Section 608 certifying organization. We can't look up, issue, or replace certifications. We checked the published process and links on this page, not any individual's credential. Organization and credential names are used to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice.

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