HVAC Technician License Requirements by State
HVAC technicians install, service, and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. The one federally mandated credential is EPA Section 608 Certification, required nationwide to legally purchase and handle refrigerants, but beyond that floor, state and local licensing requirements — training hours, apprenticeship terms, and journeyman or contractor exams — vary widely and are administered by individual state boards or third-party vendors such as PSI Services and Prometric.
- States verified
- 51
- Median wage (BLS 2024)
- $59,810/yr
- Employment (BLS 2024)
- 425,200
- Outlook (10-yr)
- +8.1%
Pick your state
Requirements at a glance
| State | Training hours | Upfront cost | Renewal cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | $720 | Every 1 year |
| Alaska | — | $500 | Every 2 years |
| Arizona | — | $707 | Every 2 years |
| Arkansas | — | $200 | Every 1 year |
| California | — | $752 | Every 2 years |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | 8000 hrs | $90 | Every 1 year |
| Delaware | — | $173 | Every 2 years |
| District of Columbia | 8000 hrs | — | Every 2 years |
| Florida | — | $409 | Every 2 years |
| Georgia | — | $110 | Every 2 years |
| Hawaii | — | $200 | Every 2 years |
| Idaho | 576 hrs | $260 | Every 3 years |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | $314 | Every 3 years |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | 3000 hrs | $150 | Every 1 year |
| Louisiana | — | $200 | — |
| Maine | — | $100 | Every 2 years |
| Maryland | 6000 hrs | $175 | Every 2 years |
| Massachusetts | — | $75 | Every 2 years |
| Michigan | — | $400 | Every 3 years |
| Minnesota | — | $100 | Every 2 years |
| Mississippi | — | $290 | Every 1 year |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | $490 | Every 2 years |
| New Hampshire | 100 hrs | $190 | Every 2 years |
| New Jersey | — | $100 | Every 2 years |
| New Mexico | — | $143.88 | Every 3 years |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | 4000 hrs | $250 | Every 1 year |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | $50 | Every 1 year |
| Oklahoma | 6000 hrs | $167 | Every 3 years |
| Oregon | 16 hrs | $460 | Every 2 years |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | 4000 hrs | $75 | Every 2 years |
| South Carolina | — | $355 | Every 2 years |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | $364 | Every 2 years |
| Texas | 2000 hrs | $244 | Every 1 year |
| Utah | 25 hrs | $175 | Every 2 years |
| Vermont | 2000 hrs | $275 | Every 3 years |
| Virginia | 8000 hrs | $271.75 | Every 3 years |
| Washington | 4000 hrs | $179.6 | Every 3 years |
| West Virginia | 2000 hrs | $178.9 | Every 1 year |
| Wisconsin | 4000 hrs | $155 | Every 4 years |
| Wyoming | 4000 hrs | $215 | Every 3 years |
Upfront cost = application fee + license fee + exam fees, from each state's verified fee schedule. States marked "coming soon" are being verified against their issuing board and will be published shortly.