HVAC License Requirements by State: Who Holds the License and What Happens When That Person Leaves (2026)

State HVAC licensing registry

Checked Checked once for this edition; to be rechecked at each update and at least every six months. Last checked 2026-11-02. Entries are neutral records of public data; each links to its source record.

HVAC license requirements by state: 32 jurisdictions license the trade, 16 leave it to cities

Of the 50 states and DC, 32 issue a state HVAC or mechanical license; 4 of those require it only above a job value. Three more license only refrigeration or fuel trades, and in 16 states we found no state HVAC contractor license.

We coded each jurisdiction from the statute, administrative rule or licensing-board page itself, not from training-school or software-vendor summaries. Every row in the matrix below carries the citation, a link to the official text, the date checked (2026-11-02) and a confidence field.

Census County Business Patterns counted 111,207 establishments in NAICS 238220 (plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, which includes plumbers) across the 50 states and DC in 2023 (Census CBP 2023). Of those, 31,628 establishments, or 28.4%, are in the 16 states where we found no state HVAC contractor license.

Three of the 10 largest contractor states by establishment count are in the no-state-license group: New York (7,061 establishments), Pennsylvania (4,154) and Illinois (4,070). California (11,686), Florida (9,353) and Texas (8,966) all license the trade statewide.

For an owner, the license type decides what a buyer has to line up before closing: a named individual, a business license with a new qualifier, or only local registrations.

In 14 jurisdictions the license belongs to a person, not the company

In 14 jurisdictions the license is issued to an individual and the business operates under it; in 10 more states the business holds the license but only through a named qualifier. Either way, the company's state authority rests on one person.

Texas is the clearest example of a person-held license. A Texas air conditioning and refrigeration contracting company must employ full time, in each permanent office, a license holder whose license is assigned to that company, and a company without one when a contract is signed and performed may not collect a fee (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.252).

Ohio licenses the individual and lets that person assign the license to one contracting company. The assignment becomes invalid 90 days after the contractor dies or files a change of company form (Ohio Rev. Code 4740.07).

California sits in the qualifier group: the license can be issued to a corporation or LLC, but the entity qualifies through a responsible managing officer or employee, and an employee qualifier must work at least 32 hours a week for the business (Bus. & Prof. Code 7068).

Qualifier: The individual whose exam, experience and license qualify a business to contract. States call this person the qualifying agent (Florida), qualifying party (Arizona, South Carolina), responsible managing officer or employee (California, Hawaii), qualified individual (Virginia), contractor of record (Michigan) or bona fide representative (New Jersey).

Two states write the sale itself into the rule. Michigan gives the buyer of a business whose licensed owner sells out 90 days to designate a licensed employee or officer as the new contractor of record (MCL 339.5815). New Jersey requires the bona fide representative to own at least 1 percent of the business and to be entitled to 1 percent of the net proceeds if the business is sold (P.L.2018, c.125).

What it means for a sale: in a person-held state the buyer needs the seller, a key employee or a new hire to hold or obtain the state license; in a qualifier state the license number can stay with the company if a new qualifier is approved in time. The wider sale process is covered in the site's main guide.

Zero to 90 days: how long a business has after its qualifier leaves

Twelve states state a replacement window in the text we opened. The median is 75 days. Alabama and Georgia give none: the business must stop contracting until a new qualifier is approved.

Alabama requires the certified contractor and the entity to notify the board within 5 days of a separation, and the entity must immediately stop entering contracts and doing installation, service or repair work until a new certified contractor is approved. A 90-day emergency certification is available only after death or incapacity (Ala. Admin. Code 440-X-3).

Georgia's rule says that if a licensee no longer qualifies a business, the business shall cease conditioned air contracting until a licensee qualifies it (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.05).

Nevada is the shortest of the states that allow a window: notice within 10 days, and the license stays in force no more than 30 days unless the board extends it for good cause (NRS 624.285). Florida allows 60 days to employ a new qualifying agent (Fla. Stat. 489.119), and California allows 90 days plus one 90-day extension, 180 days at most (Bus. & Prof. Code 7068.2).

Kentucky sets a 180-day interim period only when the company's master HVAC contractor dies; we found no window for a resignation (815 KAR 8:010). Kentucky is therefore not counted in the median.

Virginia requires a change of qualified individual to be reported to the Board for Contractors within 60 days, and a change of designated employee within 120 days, but the rule we read does not state how long a firm may operate without a qualifier (18VAC50-22-220). Virginia is listed in table t3 as a reporting deadline and is not counted in the median.

What it means for a sale: a closing that removes the only licensed person should have the replacement approved before that person leaves, because 6 of the 12 windows are 60 days or less.

Exams are stated almost everywhere; bonds, fees and experience often sit in rules

Among the 32 jurisdictions with a state license, the text we opened states an exam for 23, experience years for 11, a bond or insurance figure for 9 and a fee for 9.

• Experience: Ohio requires 5 years as a tradesperson before the contractor exam (R.C. 4740.06); Texas requires 48 months in the preceding 72 (Occ. Code 1302.255); Florida 4 years including 1 as a foreman; Maryland 3 years plus 1,875 hours in the prior year; Virginia 1 year for a Class C qualified individual.
• Bonds and insurance: California requires a $25,000 contractor bond (BPC 7071.6); Alabama a $20,000 performance bond; Oklahoma a $5,000 surety bond and $50,000 of general liability coverage (CIB application).
• Fees: California charges a $450 application fee plus a $200 (individual) or $350 (entity) initial license fee; Virginia $235 to $400 by class; Oklahoma $330; Kentucky $250; Alabama $220 for initial certification.
• Thresholds: Louisiana requires the license above $10,000 of job value; South Carolina above $10,000 for mechanical contracting (raised from $5,000 in 2023); Tennessee at $25,000 or more.
• Reciprocity: Connecticut, Delaware, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama provide for licenses based on another state's license, generally where the other state's standards are substantially similar or a written agreement exists.

What it means for an owner: the bond, insurance and fee lines are small costs; the binding constraint in most states is the experience and exam a replacement qualifier must already have.

Sixteen states with no state HVAC license we could find, and three that license only part of the trade

In 16 states we found no state HVAC contractor license; Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont license only refrigeration, fuel or electrical-specialist work. These are findings of absence from the pages we could open, not proof.

Washington registers contractors without a trade license: it makes it a gross misdemeanor to work as a contractor without registering (RCW 18.27.020). South Dakota's labor department index lists plumbing licensing but no HVAC entry (SD DLR).

What it means for an owner: in these states the license question moves to each city or county where the company pulls permits, and those local licenses can also follow a named master.

EPA 608 certifies the technician, not the company

Federal Section 608 certification is a refrigerant-handling credential for individual technicians, with Type I, II and III categories; it does not license a contracting business (40 CFR 82.161).

For refrigerant rules and the R-410A transition, see our separate report at /research/r410a-phase-out/; for workforce counts, see /research/hvac-technician-shortage/.

Counts and distributions

Download the calculations (CSV)

Key findings

1. 32 of 51 jurisdictions (50 states plus DC) issue a state HVAC or mechanical contractor license as of 2026-11-02, including 4 that require it only above a job value.^{[3][11][17][25][38][39][40]}
2. In 14 jurisdictions the HVAC license is issued to an individual, including Texas, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan and Alabama (registry, 2026-11-02).^{[40][17][35][18][29][3]}
3. 36,763 HVAC and plumbing establishments, 33.1% of the US total of 111,207 in 2023, are located in those 14 person-held license jurisdictions (Census CBP 2023, NAICS 238220).^[1]
4. 71,481 establishments, 64.3% of the US total in 2023, are in states where the company's state license depends on a named licensee or qualifier.^[1]
5. Across the 12 states whose official text states a qualifier replacement window, the median is 75 days and the establishment-weighted median is 90 days (2026-11-02).^{[3][6][11][17][18][21][29][31][35][38][39][41]}
6. Alabama and Georgia require the business to stop contracting until a new qualifier is approved; 4,748 establishments were located in those two states in 2023.^[3][18][1]
7. Nevada allows at most 30 days, after notice within 10 days, before a business must replace its qualifying person (NRS 624.285).^[31]
8. California allows 90 days to replace a disassociated qualifier, extendable once to 180 days at most (Bus. & Prof. Code 7068.2).^[11]
9. Michigan's buyer of a business whose licensed owner sells has 90 days to designate a licensed contractor of record (MCL 339.5815).^[29]
10. New Jersey's bona fide representative must own at least 1 percent of the HVACR business and be entitled to 1 percent of net proceeds on a sale (P.L.2018, c.125).^[32]
11. Texas requires 48 months of supervised experience in the preceding 72 for an air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.255).^[40]
12. California requires a $25,000 contractor bond; Alabama a $20,000 performance bond; Oklahoma a $5,000 bond and $50,000 of general liability coverage.^[12][3][36]
13. South Carolina raised its mechanical contracting license threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 effective 2023-05-19 (S.C. Code 40-11-30).^[38]
14. We found no state HVAC contractor license in 16 states, where 31,628 establishments (28.4%) were located in 2023.^{[1][51][52][53][50]}

Executive summary

• 32 of the 50 states and DC issue a state HVAC or mechanical license; 4 of them (Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee) require it only above a job value.
• In 14 jurisdictions the license is issued to a person and the business operates under it; another 10 states license the business through a named qualifier.
• 64.3% of US HVAC and plumbing establishments (71,481 of 111,207 in CBP 2023) are in states where the company's state license depends on a named individual.
• 12 states state how long a business has to replace a departed qualifier; the median is 75 days and the range runs from 0 to 90. Virginia sets only a 60-day reporting deadline.
• Michigan gives a buyer 90 days after a licensed owner sells to name a new contractor of record; New Jersey's qualifier must own at least 1 percent and share 1 percent of net sale proceeds.
• In 16 states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, we found no state HVAC contractor license; 28.4% of establishments are there.
• EPA Section 608 is a federal technician credential for refrigerant handling and is not a state contractor license.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides, services and research

• Sell my HVAC business: the owner's guide
• HVAC Business Profit Margin: What the Census and IRS Data Show (2026)
• HVAC Technician Shortage by State: Openings, New Graduates and Pay (2026 Index)
• R410A Phase Out Tracker: The Dates, the HFC Cap and What Refrigerant Prices Did (2026)
• Heat Pump Sales vs Gas Furnaces: US Shipments From 2009 to August 2026
• All HVAC business research

Reproduce this analysis

Every figure comes from the files below. The scripts that pulled and computed them are kept with the report and can be re-run.

Data quality and exclusions

• CBP file: kept 51 of 262 NAICS 238220 rows (lfo = '-' totals for the 50 states and DC); the other 211 rows are legal-form splits. All 51 employment fields carry flag G (no suppression).
• Registry: 16 states coded 'not found' because no state HVAC contractor license appeared in the official pages and statutes we could open; 8 rows coded 'interpretation needed'.
• Holder type left uncoded for 5 states (Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Wisconsin) because the opened text did not settle it; they are excluded from person-held counts.
• Replacement windows: 1 death-only window (Kentucky, 180 days) and 1 reporting-only deadline (Virginia, 60 days) excluded from the median; Tennessee's three months converted to 90 days.
• Sources reached only through the Internet Archive copy of the official page: 16 of 53 sources, each labelled in the source list.

Methodology

Selection: for each of the 50 states and DC we opened the statute, administrative rule or licensing-board page that governs HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration contracting and saved it in raw/states/. Trade-press, distributor, insurer and training-school summaries were used only to locate official texts and are not evidence for any row.

Coding: each row records state license scope, holder (individual, business through a qualifier, or either), experience, exam, bond or insurance, fee, reciprocity, and the days to replace a departed qualifier where the text states one, plus citation, official URL, date checked (2026-11-02) and confidence (clear text, interpretation needed, not found). Fields the opened text did not state are marked n.c. and are not treated as 'no requirement'.

Access: several official sites timed out or blocked automated requests from our network. For those we used an Internet Archive copy of the official page, labelled in the source list. We did not use proxies, browser impersonation or CAPTCHA solving.

Conflicts: where a board page and a statute differed we used the statute or rule; Tennessee's 'three months' is coded as 90 days; Virginia's 60-day rule is a deadline to report a new qualified individual, not a replacement window, so Virginia is excluded from the window set; Kentucky's 180-day period applies only after death and is excluded from the median.

Establishments: Census County Business Patterns 2023 state file (released 2025-05-29), NAICS 238220, all legal forms. CBP 2024 was not posted on www2.census.gov on 2026-11-02. NAICS 238220 includes plumbing contractors and excludes nonemployer businesses. The 51-jurisdiction sum (111,207) matches the national file.

Derived metrics: shares are establishment sums by license type divided by 111,207; the median window is the simple median of the 12 stated windows, and the weighted median uses establishments as weights. Formulas and inputs are in derived_metrics.csv and scripts/build.py.

Limitations and update: the registry codes state rules only, not city or county licenses, and records rules as read on 2026-11-02. It will be rechecked at each update. Owners who want a separate business valuation can use the form at /#valuation.

This report presents published data with its limitations. It is not legal, financial or investment advice.

Sources, ranked by quality

Tier 1: primary and official sources (53)

• [1] U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns 2023, state file cbp23st (NAICS 238220). 2023 (released 2025). Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [2] U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns 2023, U.S. file cbp23us. 2023. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [3] Alabama Legislative Services Agency. Ala. Admin. Code ch. 440-X-3, Licensing and fees. current as read. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [4] Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors. Code of Alabama 1975 s. 34-31-18 et seq. (board compilation). compilation posted 2018. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [5] Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Alaska Stat. 08.40, mechanical administrators (department compilation). current as posted. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [6] Arizona State Legislature. A.R.S. 32-1127.01, Qualifying parties; disassociation. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [7] Arizona State Legislature. A.R.S. 32-1152, Bonds. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [8] Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. 17 CAR pt. 261, HVACR Licensing Board rules. current as posted. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [9] Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. HVACR license application (2022). 2022 form. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [10] California Legislative Information. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7068 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). as amended 2021. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [11] California Legislative Information. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7068.2 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). as amended 2012. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [12] California Legislative Information. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7071.6 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [13] California Legislative Information. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7137 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [14] Connecticut General Assembly. Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 393. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [15] Delaware General Assembly. 24 Del. C. ch. 18, subch. III. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [16] Council of the District of Columbia. D.C. Code 47-2853.202, Eligibility requirements (refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [17] Florida Legislature. Fla. Stat. ch. 489 (2026). 2026. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [18] Georgia Secretary of State. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 121-3. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [19] Georgia Secretary of State. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 121-2. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [20] Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board. Application for business registration, conditioned air companies (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current form. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [21] Hawaii Contractors License Board. Maintain Entity: RME Requirements. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [22] Idaho Legislature. Idaho Code 54-5005 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [23] Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code ch. 105 (2026). 2026. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [24] Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 815 KAR 8:010. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [25] Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration classification. released 2025-08-08. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [26] Maine Legislature. 32 M.R.S. ch. 33, Oil and Solid Fuel Board. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [27] Maryland General Assembly. Md. Code, Business Regulation 9A-301 and 9A-302. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [28] Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apply for a Refrigeration Technician License (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [29] Michigan Legislature. Skilled Trades Regulation Act, Act 407 of 2016, Article 8 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [30] Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Mississippi State Board of Contractors home page. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [31] Nevada Legislature. NRS ch. 624 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current incl. 2025 amendments. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [32] New Jersey Legislature (chaptered law, Rutgers Law Library copy). P.L.2018, c.125 (amending N.J.S.A. 45:16A-2) (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). 2018. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [33] New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. 14.6.6 NMAC, Classifications. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [34] North Carolina General Assembly. N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 87, art. 2 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [35] Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Rev. Code 4740.06 and 4740.07 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [36] Oklahoma Construction Industries Board. Mechanical license application. form rev. 2022. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [37] Rhode Island General Assembly. R.I. Gen. Laws 28-27-6 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [38] South Carolina Legislature. S.C. Code tit. 40 ch. 11. current incl. 2023 Act 69. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [39] Tennessee Secretary of State. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 0680-01 (rev. November 2025) (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). November 2025. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [40] Texas Legislature. Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1302 (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). 2024 snapshot. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [41] Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-55-304 and ch. 55 pt. 3. current; recodified effective 2027-01-01. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [42] Virginia Legislative Information System. 18VAC50-22, Board for Contractors regulations. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [43] Vermont Department of Public Safety. Division of Fire Safety licensing. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [44] Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. HVAC Qualifier profession page. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [45] West Virginia Legislature. W. Va. Code ch. 21 art. 16 (index) (Internet Archive copy of the official page; direct request timed out or was blocked from our network). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [46] eCFR, Office of the Federal Register. 40 CFR 82.161, Technician certification. as of 2026-10-01. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [47] Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.27.020. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [48] Hawaii Contractors License Board. Requirements for license, contractor entity (Oct. 2025). October 2025. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [49] Oklahoma Construction Industries Board. Mechanical industry page. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [50] South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Department of Labor and Regulation A to Z index. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [51] New York Department of State. Licensing Services. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [52] Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Montana Contractor (registration). current. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [53] Wyoming State Fire Marshal. Electrical licensing. current. Accessed 2026-11-02.