StateLicensed

HVAC Technician License Requirements in Texas

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
2000 hrs
Upfront cost
$244
Exam
Certified Technician Examination, Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class A, Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class B
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, No specific education requirement. Certified Technician applicants must show either 24 months of supervised ACR-related work experience or completion of a TDLR-approved 2,000-hour certification training program (see training notes)., pass a criminal background check. TDLR runs a criminal background check on all applicants (1-6 weeks). Applicants with a felony or misdemeanor conviction must submit a Criminal History Questionnaire for case-by-case review. (Note: Registered Technician, a lower entry tier not chosen as the primary record here, allows a minimum age of 16 for students enrolled in a public/private high school or career-and-technical program, per HB 1859 from the 88th Legislature.) [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 2000 hours of training. TDLR does not license individual 'HVAC technicians' as a single tier — it licenses a Registered Technician (entry-level, no training/exam required, must work under a licensed ACR contractor), a Certified Technician (mid-level, chosen as the primary record here because it is the individual-level credential closest to a journeyman technician), and a Class A/Class B Contractor license (business/entity level, allows independent contracting). For Certified Technician, applicants qualify via EITHER 24 months of supervised ACR-related work experience under a licensed contractor (military occupational specialty experience may count), OR completion of a TDLR-approved certification training program totaling 2,000 hours of combined instruction and practical experience (application must be filed within 48 months of program completion) — so a formal program is not strictly required. Registered Technician requires no training hours or exam at all (minimum age 16, background check, $20 fee). Contractor License requires 48 months of supervised practical experience (or 36 months if the applicant already held Certified Technician status for the prior 12 months). [1]

  3. 3

    Certified Technician Examination

    Pass the Certified Technician Examination (fee: $60). 60 scored items plus 4 non-scored items, 112 minutes (120 with non-scored time), closed book except for approved code-book references; 70% correct to pass. Covers refrigeration components, controls, testing, safety, service, and Texas laws and rules. Per the PSI Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 2026-07-09). Unlimited retakes are allowed within the applicant's 1-year eligibility window; each attempt requires a separate fee. [2]

  4. 4

    Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class A

    Pass the Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class A (fee: $74). 120 scored items plus 5 non-scored items, 230 minutes (240 with non-scored time), closed book except for approved code-book references; 70% correct to pass. Required for the Class A Contractor License (unrestricted unit size), not for individual technician tiers. A separate Class A exam exists for each endorsement chosen (Environmental Air Conditioning and/or Commercial Refrigeration). [2]

  5. 5

    Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class B

    Pass the Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class B (fee: $60). 100 scored items plus 5 non-scored items, 170 minutes (180 with non-scored time), closed book except for approved code-book references; 70% correct to pass. Required for the Class B Contractor License (cooling systems 25 tons and under; heating systems 1.5 million BTU/hour and under), not for individual technician tiers. [2]

  6. 6

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) with the $50 application fee. [3]

  7. 7

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) issues your Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) Certified Technician for Texas.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $50
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $35
Certified Technician Examination [2] $60
Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class A [2] $74
Environmental Air / Commercial Refrigeration Exam — Class B [2] $60
Registered Technician application [3] $20
Registered Technician renewal [3] $20
ACR Contractor License application (Class A/B) [3] $115
ACR Contractor License renewal [3] $65
Certified Technician exam fee (paid to PSI) [3] $60

Fees shown are for the Certified Technician tier chosen as the primary record ($50 nonrefundable application, $35 annual renewal); TDLR does not itemize a separate 'license issuance' fee beyond the application fee, so license is null. 'other' lists the fees for TDLR's two alternate ACR tiers (Registered Technician and Contractor License) for completeness, since HVAC work in Texas can be pursued via any of the three. All figures per TDLR's official ACR At-A-Glance summary (form dated December 2025).

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year.

Certified Technician (and Registered Technician) credentials are valid for 1 year and renew annually; TDLR's technician pages list no continuing-education hour requirement for either technician tier, so ceHours is null. (By contrast, the Contractor License — a separate, business-level tier — does require 8 hours of CE per year, including 1 hour of Texas law and rules.) Late renewal within 90 days of expiration costs 1.5x the normal fee; beyond that, 2x the normal fee.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

TDLR's published reciprocity page addresses the Contractor License tier, not the technician tiers: it recognizes Georgia's Class II Conditioned Air unrestricted license (toward a Texas Class A Environmental Air Conditioning license) and several South Carolina Mechanical Contractor license types (toward specific Texas Class A/B endorsements), provided the applicant held the out-of-state license for at least one year, submits a $115 application fee, a letter of good standing, and proof of insurance. No exam is required for these two states' equivalent license types. No interstate compact exists for HVAC/ACR licensing.

26 state-approved training providers in Texas — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $50
  • $60
  • $74
  • $60
Total$244

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas license individual HVAC technicians?

Yes, but through two separate tiers rather than one: a Registered Technician credential (entry-level, no exam, must work under a licensed ACR contractor) and a Certified Technician credential (requires either 24 months of supervised experience or a 2,000-hour approved training program, plus a PSI exam). Independent contracting still requires a separate Class A or Class B Contractor License.

How much training does a Texas Certified Technician need?

Either 24 months of supervised air-conditioning and refrigeration work experience under a licensed contractor, or completion of a TDLR-approved certification training program totaling 2,000 hours of combined instruction and practical experience.

Who administers the Texas ACR exams and what do they cost?

PSI Services LLC, under contract with TDLR. The Certified Technician exam costs $60. Contractor-tier exams cost $74 (Class A) or $60 (Class B), depending on unit size and endorsement.

How long is a Texas ACR Certified Technician credential valid?

One year from issuance, renewing annually for $35. TDLR's technician pages do not list a continuing-education requirement for renewal (unlike the Contractor License, which requires 8 CE hours per year).

Can an out-of-state HVAC license transfer to Texas?

TDLR's published reciprocity applies to the Contractor License tier: it recognizes specific Georgia and South Carolina contractor license types (held for at least one year) toward an equivalent Texas Class A or Class B license, without requiring the applicant to retake the Texas exam. No interstate compact covers HVAC/ACR licensing.

Sources

  1. [1] tdlr.texas.gov/acr/certified-tech-apply.htm — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/5994 — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] tdlr.texas.gov/media/pdf/ACR%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] tdlr.texas.gov/acr/technician-renew.htm — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] tdlr.texas.gov/acr/acrreciprocity.htm — accessed 2026-07-12