HVAC license · by state

HVAC license requirements by state

HVAC licenses come from each state's HVAC licensing authority. We publish a state only after reading its official requirements.

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Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Requirements: each state's HVAC licensing authority or its rules

Quick answer

HVAC technicians are licensed state by state, and what it takes differs: the license levels, the hours of supervised experience, the exam and the application. Of the 23 states verified so far: a state apprentice or trainee license or registration is issued in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. A state licensing exam is required in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The statewide HVAC license is a contractor license in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. The state HVAC credential is a qualifier certification in Wisconsin; the sources we read do not state who must hold it. The table shows each state's license, experience requirement and exam.

By state

HVAC license requirements by state

Data

HVAC license requirements, verified states
State	License	Experience and training	Licensing exam
Alabama	Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor (or Refrigeration Contractor) certification	To sit for the exam, you must have held a Board apprentice registration for two or more calendar years, or completed 3,000 hours of coursework or experience as defined by the Board, or graduated from an approved HVAC or refrigeration curriculum. Proof includes notarized employer affidavits that you worked in the industry at least two years within the past five years, with the W-2 forms.	A written examination before the Board: the Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors exam or the Refrigeration Contractors exam.
Alaska	Mechanical Administrator License (Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal or Residential HVAC category)	Unlimited HVAC/Sheet Metal: practical experience as a journeyman in HVAC and sheet metal work, or management experience as a field superintendent or similar position (or a combination), for at least four of the six years before you apply; a mechanical engineering degree or registration plus at least one year of qualifying experience is an alternative. Residential HVAC: practical experience as a journeyman in residential HVAC work for at least two of the four years before you apply. A year of experience means at least 1,500 hours within 12 consecutive months.	The mechanical administrator examination, given by PSI Exams. You need a score of at least 70 percent within the 12 months before you apply; exam results are valid for one year.
Arizona	Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License (C-39, R-39 or CR-39)	The Qualifying Party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience in the type of work being licensed, with at least two of those years within the last ten years. Accredited technical training may count for up to two of the four years.	The Qualifying Party must pass the required exams with at least 70%: the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) and a trade exam for the classification, unless the trade exam is waived. Trade exams are taken online or at a testing center through PSI.
Arkansas	HVACR Class A or Class B license	Applicants with no licensing background show at least two years of experience as an HVACR contractor or as an employee of one, documented by records, affidavits or evidence from current or former employers. The Board may accept approved HVACR-related education in place of experience. The application needs a separate employer affidavit for each employer.	A Board-approved examination, unless you already hold a license in another state; Class A, B, D and E exams are offered at least four times a year.
California	C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor License	At least four full years of experience in the classification within the ten years before applying, at journey level or as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor or owner-builder. A journeyman is a fully qualified worker who can do the trade without supervision, or someone who has completed an apprenticeship. A qualified person who observed your work must certify the experience.	The Law and Business examination and the trade examination, scheduled and paid for directly with PSI after CSLB accepts your application. You have 18 months after acceptance to pass.
Delaware	Master HVACR	With a journeyman certificate from a federally approved HVACR apprenticeship program (such as the Delaware Department of Labor's), you need at least two years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee after receiving the certificate. Without a journeyman certificate, you need at least seven years of work experience under the supervision of a master licensee. Supervisors complete the Verification of Employment form.	The Board must approve you to sit for the master examination. If you qualify on experience alone (no journeyman certificate), you first pass the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam with at least 70% after the Board approves your experience. The licensure exams are given by the testing vendor ProV; the minimum passing score is 70%.
Florida	Certified Air-Conditioning Contractor (Class A or B) or Certified Mechanical Contractor	Have at least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker who learned it through an apprenticeship, or as a foreman, with at least 1 year as a foreman. Other routes combine a related 4-year degree with 1 year of experience, or foreman and skilled-worker years with accredited college credits. A full year counts as at least 2,000 person-hours.	Pass the appropriate examination approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and certified by the Department to establish competency for statewide contracting.
Georgia	Conditioned Air Contractor License (Class I Restricted or Class II Non-restricted)	Four years of conditioned air experience for Class I and five years for Class II. Class I: two years of residential installation as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician, one year of residential supervisory experience, EPA certification and a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course. Class II adds commercial installation and two years of commercial supervisory experience. A technical school engineering diploma can count for up to two years and a vocational-technical certificate for up to one year. Three references (architect, professional engineer, inspector or licensed conditioned air contractor) attest to your experience.	The Conditioned Air examination (minimum score 70), taken through the testing vendor PSI after the Board approves you; exam approval letters are valid for one year. If you fail twice, you must complete a Board-approved review course before testing again.
Hawaii	C-52 Ventilating and Air Conditioning Contractor	At least 4 years of supervisory experience within the past 10 years before you apply, backed by at least 3 notarized experience certificates and a Chronological History of Projects form. Certain technical training may count, but never for more than one year of experience. You must be at least 18.	A written exam in two parts: Part I business and law, and Part II trade knowledge in the classification requested. It is given by the testing service Prometric; once the Board approves you, you register with Prometric and pay its exam fees.
Iowa	Journeyperson HVAC-Refrigeration License (or Journeyperson Mechanical License)	At least four years of practical experience as an apprentice; since January 1, 2010 it must come from an apprenticeship program registered by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, and you must have graduated from the program. Experience as a helper does not count. (A master license in the same discipline from another jurisdiction is the alternative route.)	The Iowa journeyperson examination for each trade discipline, given by the Board's approved provider, Kirkwood Community College, after you receive an Exam Approval Letter; approval lasts one year. Apprentices may apply to test up to 6 months before completing the 48 months of required apprentice credit.
Kentucky	Journeyman HVAC Mechanic	Two years of HVAC experience, listed with the Kentucky master HVAC contractors under whom it was obtained where applicable, plus your HVAC employers and work hours. Proof is required, such as W-2s, an affidavit from a master HVAC license holder, an out-of-state journeyman HVAC license or a DD 214.	The journeyman HVAC mechanic examination, an open-book exam held at regional sites around Kentucky. You register by sending the examination registration form with the fee and a 2x2 passport-style photo to the main office; the official exam result report is then enclosed with your license application.
Maryland	HVACR Journeyman	At least four years licensed as an apprentice, with at least 6,000 hours of HVACR training under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR contractor; you must currently hold an apprentice license.	The journeyman examination, passed with a score of 70%. You apply for the exam with PSI, the Board's testing vendor, and pay the exam fee with that application. Graduates of a Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council approved program with a Department of Labor certificate of completion have a route to the journeyman license without the exam.
Mississippi	Mechanical or HVAC Contractor License	You must show experience in the classification you apply for: list at least 3 completed jobs in that classification, and state the construction experience of the owner, officers and qualifying party.	Every applicant takes the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam. The Mechanical and HVAC classifications also require a trade exam; Residential HVAC requires the Residential HVAC exam, and Residential Mechanical requires both the residential HVAC and plumbing exams. All exams are administered by PSI and are open book.
Nevada	Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Contractor License (Classification C-21)	The contractor, or a qualifying individual who represents the contractor, needs at least 4 years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification applied for, within the 15 years before the application. Training at an accredited college, university or equivalent program accepted by the Board can count for up to 3 of those years. Work experience documentation goes in with the application.	The qualifying individual passes the written Business and Law exam and, for classifications that have one, a trade exam for the trade applied for, unless a waiver applies. PSI administers the exams; after your experience is verified the Board mails an Examination Eligibility Letter with your Candidate ID number for scheduling.
New Mexico	Journeyman Refrigeration Certificate of Competence (JR)	Two years. Under the statute you can sit the exam after two years' experience in the trade (or the equivalent as determined by the commission), or after completing a course in the trade approved by the vocational education division of the state department of public education. The Division's rule says the mechanical-plumbing journeyman classifications (which include JR) require two years of experience unless otherwise specified, documented within the 10 years before you apply; accredited training counts as half a year of experience per year, for no more than half of the requirement.	A Division-approved exam on the rules governing the trade and your technical knowledge, administered by PSI. You can test only after your work experience documentation is accepted; the passing score is 75 percent.
North Carolina	Heating Technician License (Heating Group 1, 2 or 3)	A total of 3,000 hours of experience in installation, maintenance, service or repair to sit for a technician examination. Trade courses at a college, community college or technical institute can count for 50%. Each licensee who verifies your hours must hold the qualification you are seeking, and W2s and/or 1099s must support the verification.	The technician examination, scheduled with the exam provider after the Board approves your application; it must be taken within 90 days of the eligibility notice. The business and law exam is for contractor licenses, not technicians.
Ohio	HVAC Contractor	At least five years as a tradesperson in the HVAC trade immediately before you apply, shown with the last five consecutive years of tax documents (W-2s or Schedule C) plus one of: a permit for each of the last five years pulled by the licensed contractor you worked under, an active journeyman's card, an approved apprenticeship completion certificate, or 40 hours of OCILB-approved code continuing education. Alternatives: an Ohio registered professional engineer with three years of business experience in the trade, or five years as an Ohio government inspector in the trade.	The OCILB licensing exam, taken after the Board approves your application. Approved candidates receive a PSI Candidate Information Bulletin explaining how to schedule; exams are computer-based by appointment, and you must pass both sections.
Oklahoma	Mechanical Journeyman, HVAC/R Limited or HVAC/R Unlimited	Be at least 18 with three years of verifiable experience in the mechanical trade in the category you apply for; one year of verifiable experience equals 2,000 hours, earned while employed by a licensed mechanical contractor. Oklahoma experience counts only while you hold an apprentice registration. An approved program of 1,000 hours or more plus one year of experience, or 500 hours or more plus two years, can also qualify.	The journeyman exam in your category. Once the Board approves your application, it forwards your information to its national testing provider, PSI, and you contact PSI to schedule.
Tennessee	Contractor license with the CMC-C (HVAC, Refrigeration and Gas Piping) classification	The Board looks at experience (it prefers three years), equipment and financial information; the license's monetary limit is based on a CPA-prepared financial statement and experience.	Two exams: the Tennessee Business and Law exam (required of all new applicants) and the CMC-C trade exam. No preapproval is needed for the CMC-C exams (only the plumbing CMC and CMC-A exams need it).
Texas	Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License (Class A or Class B)	At least 48 months of practical air conditioning and refrigeration work under a licensed contractor in the past 72 months, or 36 months in the past 48 months if you have held a technician certification for the past 12 months. Your supervisors document the experience on an Experience Verification Form.	The licensing exam, taken after TDLR approves your eligibility; the test depends on the license class and the endorsements you choose. Every step of the application, including passing the exam, must be completed within one year of filing the application.
Virginia	Journeyman HVAC Tradesman (tradesman license)	Practical experience in the trade, combined with education: eight years with no formal training; seven years with 40 hours of formal vocational training; six years with 80 hours; five years with 160 hours; four years with 240 hours; two years with an associate degree or a two-year certificate program in a tradesman-related field; or one year with a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the trade.	If the Board finds your application satisfactory, you take an oral or written exam on your general knowledge of the trade; the license is issued when you pass. Anyone who completes an apprenticeship program approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, shown by a certificate of completion, is exempt from the journeyman exam.
West Virginia	HVAC Technician	At least 2,000 hours of HVAC-related work, training and experience for the HVAC Technician certification. You certify the experience by documentation (for example previous employers' information, pay stubs or W-2s) or by sworn affidavit.	A written exam (HVAC Technician or HVAC Residential Technician), given by ProV, Inc.
Wisconsin	HVAC Qualifier certification	To qualify for the exam: at least 1,000 hours a year for at least 4 years supervising or performing the design, installation, servicing or maintenance of HVAC systems or equipment; or at least 4 years in a school of mechanical engineering or an accredited HVAC-related program; or a combination of 4 years of the two. Experience is documented on the Trades Experience Form signed by witnesses.	The HVAC Qualifier exam: open book, with a passing score of 70%. Exam instructions are sent once you meet the qualifications for the exam.

For the career itself (what HVAC technicians do, the path and what they earn) see the national guide to becoming an HVAC technician below. Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.

Go further

CareerHow to become an HVAC technician

The career path, nationally.

Open →PayHVAC technician salary

What HVAC technicians earn.

Open →CareerHVAC technician career guide

The job, skills and outlook.

Open →ResumeHVAC technician resume

How to present your experience and licenses.

Open →InterviewHVAC technician interview questions

What hiring managers ask.

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FAQ

Questions people ask

What are the HVAC license requirements by state?

Do all states require an HVAC licensing exam?

Of the 23 states verified so far, a state licensing exam is required in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Each state page shows what its licensing authority requires.

Method

How this page is built

Each state's requirements come from its HVAC licensing authority or the rules it publishes, read on the dates shown on each state page. The answer and table on this page are computed from the verified states only. Not legal advice; each authority's current instructions govern.

What this page can't tell you

Not legal advice.
Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
States not listed have not been verified yet; they are not shown as having no requirements.
This page covers the HVAC license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.

Sources

Alabama: sources listed on the state page.
Alaska: sources listed on the state page.
Arizona: sources listed on the state page.
Arkansas: sources listed on the state page.
California: sources listed on the state page.
Delaware: sources listed on the state page.
Florida: sources listed on the state page.
Georgia: sources listed on the state page.
Hawaii: sources listed on the state page.
Iowa: sources listed on the state page.
Kentucky: sources listed on the state page.
Maryland: sources listed on the state page.
Mississippi: sources listed on the state page.
Nevada: sources listed on the state page.
New Mexico: sources listed on the state page.
North Carolina: sources listed on the state page.
Ohio: sources listed on the state page.
Oklahoma: sources listed on the state page.
Tennessee: sources listed on the state page.
Texas: sources listed on the state page.
Virginia: sources listed on the state page.
West Virginia: sources listed on the state page.
Wisconsin: sources listed on the state page.