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HVAC Technician — License Requirements by State
Installs and services heating, ventilation and cooling equipment. Licensing varies widely — many states require a contractor license or EPA Section 608 certification.
12 of 51 states populated with official data (retrieved 2026-08-20).
By The LicenseFig Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
How to get your HVAC Technician license
- Check your state requirements. Open the requirements table for your state on this page — education hours, exam vendor, fees and retake rules.
- Complete pre-license education. Finish the required education hours (or approved equivalent) from an accepted provider.
- Pass the background check. Submit fingerprints and clear the required criminal background check where applicable.
- Register and pass the exam. Register with the exam vendor (PSI, Pearson VUE or Prometric), then pass the national and state portions.
- Pay the license fee. Submit the application and license fee to the state board to receive your license.
- Keep it active. Track renewal dates and continuing-education hours using the License Renewal Calculator.
How much does it cost to get your HVAC Technician license?
Costs vary by state. Most charge a modest application or license fee — often between $0 and $120 — and a handful of states also require a small exam fee. A few occupations add pre-license education tuition. See the Fees column in the table below for your state, then compare costs across states with the Exam Cost Compare tool.
| State | Education | Exam | Pass % | Fees | Retake | Reciprocity | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AZ | — | · 70% | — | — | — | Endorsement with trade-exam waiver available for substantially similar out-of-state licenses (e.g. CA, NV, UT, LA, NC); EPA Section 608 required | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) — HVAC Contractor ↗ |
| AR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CA | — | · 72% | — | App $450 · Lic $200 | — | Trade exam waiver available to licensees from some states (e.g. AZ, NV, UT, LA, NC) with 5+ years active; EPA Section 608 required | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) — C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor ↗ |
| CO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FL | — | · 70% · $199 | — | App $249 | — | No state-level technician license — FL licenses air-conditioning CONTRACTORS (Class A / Class B) via DBPR CILB; EPA Section 608 required | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Construction Industry Licensing Board ↗ |
| GA | — | · 70% · $267 | — | App $30 · Lic $75 | — | Reciprocity with Louisiana only (as of 2026); EPA Section 608 required — GA licenses Conditioned Air CONTRACTORS (Class I / Class II), not individual technicians | Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) — Division of Conditioned Air Contractors ↗ |
| HI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ID | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IL | — | — | — | — | — | No state HVAC technician/contractor license — EPA Section 608 (federal) required; licensing is municipal in Illinois | City of Chicago Department of Buildings (no state-level HVAC license in Illinois) ↗ |
| IN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ME | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MI | — | — | — | · Lic $300 | — | None — qualifying experience must be gained under a Michigan-licensed Mechanical Contractor; EPA Section 608 required | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) — Bureau of Construction Codes, Mechanical Division ↗ |
| MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NH | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NY | — | — | — | — | — | No state HVAC technician/contractor license — EPA Section 608 (federal) required; NYC DOB licenses oil-burner equipment installers locally | New York City Department of Buildings (no state-level HVAC license in New York) ↗ |
| NC | — | · 70% · $100 | — | App $50 · Lic $150 | — | Trade-exam waiver for GA, SC and TN heating contractors; EPA Section 608 required — NC licenses Heating Contractors (Groups 1-3), not individual technicians | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors ↗ |
| ND | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OH | — | — | — | — | — | No state-level technician license — OCILB licenses HVAC contractors (commercial) at the state level; EPA Section 608 required | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce ↗ |
| OK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PA | — | — | — | — | — | No state HVAC technician/contractor license — EPA Section 608 (federal) required; Pennsylvania does not license HVAC at the state level | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (no state-level HVAC license) ↗ |
| RI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TX | — | · 70% · $74 | — | App $115 | — | No blanket reciprocity — TDLR ACR contractor licenses are state-specific; EPA Section 608 (federal) is required for refrigerant handling | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) Program ↗ |
| UT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WA | — | — | — | — | — | No state HVAC technician license — EPA Section 608 (federal) is required for refrigerant handling; HVAC electrical connection work requires an L&I 06A specialty electrician certificate | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) ↗ |
| WV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
● Data updated 2026-08-20Data retrieved 2026-08-20 from state boards, PSI, Pearson VUE and CMS. Requirements change — verify with your state board before enrolling or paying. Dash (—) = not published / pending verification.
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