Mold Remediation Training: How to Get Started

What does mold remediation training cover?

A proper mold course teaches the ANSI/IICRC S520 workflow end to end: identify the contamination, control it, remove it physically, verify it is gone. Everything else on the syllabus hangs off those four steps.

• Mold biology and the conditions for growth — moisture, food source, temperature, and why moisture is the one you control.
• Conditions 1, 2 and 3 — the S520 classification that drives every other decision on the job.
• Health and safety — exposure routes, hazard communication, and OSHA respiratory protection obligations.
• Containment — source, limited and full containment, critical barriers, and decontamination chambers.
• Engineering controls — negative pressure, HEPA filtration, air changes per hour and negative air machine sizing.
• PPE selection — matching respiratory protection and protective clothing to the Condition and the size of the job.
• Remediation methods — source removal, HEPA vacuuming, damp wiping, and what happens to porous materials.
• Why biocides are not the answer — killing mold in place is not remediation.
• Post-remediation verification — the visual inspection, the role of the independent IEP, and clearance.
• Documentation — the paperwork that proves what you did, in the order you did it.

Our S520 explainer walks through each of those topics in detail if you want to preview the material before you book.

The IICRC AMRT class

The AMRT class is four days long, taught by an IICRC-approved instructor at a third-party school, with the certification exam sat at the end of the final day. AMRT stands for Applied Microbial Remediation Technician and it is the technician credential covering the mold remediation standard of care.

Because the exam comes at the end, the class is not the place to start learning the material. Candidates who read the S520 concepts first spend the four days connecting them to field practice; candidates who arrive cold spend the last night cramming definitions. The AMRT certification guide breaks down every exam topic, and the free practice test shows you what the questions feel like.

Do you need WRT first?

Yes — WRT is the IICRC prerequisite for AMRT. Water Damage Restoration Technician has to be in hand before you can hold the mold credential.

The reason is practical. Nearly every mold job starts as a moisture problem, and AMRT material assumes you already know water categories, drying principles and how to read a moisture meter. If WRT is still ahead of you, work that exam first — WRTTraining.com is our sister site for it.

Online / livestream vs in-person training

Livestream classes cover the same syllabus and save you travel; in-person classes give you hands-on time with containment, negative air machines and respirators. Pick based on how much field experience you already have.

If you have never built a containment, sit in the room. If you have run jobs for years and need the credential, livestream is usually the cheaper, faster route. Either way, confirm two things before paying: that the school is IICRC-approved, and — if you are in a licensing state — that the agency accepts the format. The agency's own page is the only answer that counts on that second one.

How do I find an AMRT class near me?

Use the class directory below — it lists upcoming IICRC-approved AMRT classes with dates, locations and livestream options. These are third-party schools; AMRTTraining.com does not teach the class or issue the certification.

State-required mold training (Texas, Florida, New York, Louisiana, DC)

Five jurisdictions license mold work, and in each of them the license — not the certification — decides which training counts. Confirm the current requirement on the agency's own page before you book anything.

• Texas (TDLR). Texas licenses both mold remediation and mold assessment, and approved training is part of the licensing process. Required hours and the approved provider list are published at tdlr.texas.gov.
• Florida (DBPR). Florida licenses mold remediators and mold assessors separately, with training and experience conditions attached. The current conditions are at myfloridalicense.com.
• New York (Department of Labor). New York licenses mold work and publishes a list of approved mold training course providers, with the hours for each license type at dol.ny.gov.
• Louisiana (State Licensing Board for Contractors). Mold remediation is licensed through the contractors' board rather than a health agency; the training and exam requirements are at lslbc.gov.
• District of Columbia (DOEE). DC licenses mold assessment and remediation professionals through the Department of Energy & Environment, which publishes approved training and renewal terms at doee.dc.gov.

The full comparison table, with each agency's official link, is in the state licensing section of our certification guide.

What training does NOT cover

A certification class does not make you licensed and does not bank experience for you. Those are separate systems with separate paperwork.

• State licensing exams and applications. Passing AMRT does not register you with TDLR, DBPR, NYSDOL, LSLBC or DOEE — that is a separate application, and often a separate exam.
• ACAC experience requirements. ACAC credentials such as CMR and CMRS are experience-based; classroom hours do not substitute for documented field time. The current requirements are at acac.org.
• Business licensing, bonding and insurance. Required to sell the work in most markets, and unrelated to your technician credential.
• OSHA compliance. Respirator fit testing and medical clearance are employer obligations that a class does not satisfy.

Free training resources on this site

You can start studying today without paying anyone. Everything in this list is free and needs no account.

• Free AMRT practice test — 30 scenario questions with explanations.
• AMRT flashcards — every S520 term you are expected to know cold.
• mold remediation calculators — containment volume, NAM sizing, ACH and a Condition-based PPE selector.
• Mold remediation glossary — plain-language definitions.
• Study modules — the S520 broken into structured lessons.

Training for supervisors and assessors

Supervisors and assessors train on a different track than technicians. Supervisor-level work points to the IICRC's mold specialist credential or ACAC's CMRS; assessment is its own licensed activity in most of the licensing states.

Assessment and remediation are also deliberately kept apart — the party who verifies the work is generally not the party who performed it. Our certification pillar compares every path side by side.

Frequently asked questions