Texas HVAC License: The Complete Guide to Getting Licensed in 2026

HVAC licensing in Texas is administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Law (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302). The program is commonly called the ACR program — Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.

TDLR is one of the largest state licensing agencies in the country, regulating 39 different programs and over 1 million licenses. The ACR program is one of its major programs, covering an estimated 54,024 active licenses across all HVAC license categories. Texas has approximately 31,910 working HVAC professionals according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, with a 17% projected growth rate — significantly above the national average.

Texas uses a tiered licensing system: technicians are registered or certified, while contractors hold Class A or Class B licenses. Only contractors are required to complete continuing education. Every ACR company must employ a licensed contractor in each permanent business location.

If you are entering the HVAC field or planning to advance from technician to contractor, understanding the licensing structure is essential. This guide covers every license type, the law behind the program, the application process, exam details, insurance mandates, and costs — plus the CE requirements you will need to maintain your license.

Chapter 1302 is the state law that created the HVAC licensing system in Texas. Its full name is the "Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Law," and it establishes the rules that every HVAC professional must follow. Here is what it covers, section by section:

• Subchapter A (General Provisions): Defines what counts as "air conditioning and refrigeration contracting" — the design, installation, construction, repair, maintenance, service, or modification of equipment in environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling/heating systems.
• Subchapter E (Advisory Board): Creates the ACR Contractors Advisory Board, which advises the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TCLR) on industry-specific matters.
• Subchapter F (Contractors): Establishes the two contractor license classes (Class A and Class B), qualification requirements, and examination standards.
• Subchapter G (Municipal Licensing): Addresses the relationship between state and municipal licensing (more on this below).
• Subchapter J (Technicians): Creates the technician registration and certification system for entry-level HVAC workers.

The administrative rules in 16 TAC Chapter 75 provide the detailed implementation: CE course requirements, fee schedules, enforcement procedures, and technical standards. When you see a requirement cited in this guide, it comes from one of these two sources.

Legal Reference	What It Covers	Who It Affects
TX Occ. Code Ch. 1302	Licensing structure, definitions, penalties	All HVAC professionals
16 TAC Ch. 75	CE rules, fees, procedures, technical standards	All HVAC professionals
EPA Section 608	Refrigerant handling certification	Anyone handling refrigerants

Understanding this framework helps you stay compliant. Every CE course, fee, and enforcement action traces back to these statutes.

TDLR issues four categories of ACR credentials. Here they are at a glance:

License Type	Scope of Work	CE Required	Renewal Fee
Class A Contractor	Any size unit — unlimited tonnage/BTU	8 hours/year	$65/year
Class B Contractor	Cooling: 25 tons and under; Heating: 1.5 million BTU/hour and under	8 hours/year	$65/year
Registered Technician	Works under licensed contractor supervision	None	$20/year
Certified Technician	Advanced; 24 months of supervised experience or a TDLR-approved 2,000-hour program, plus the exam	None	$35/year

Contractor Licenses (CE Required)

• Class A Contractor — Work on any size unit with unlimited tonnage and BTU capacity. This is the unrestricted contractor license.
• Class B Contractor — Limited to cooling units of 25 tons and under and heating units of 1.5 million BTU/hour and under. Suitable for most residential and light commercial work.

Technician Designations (No CE Required)

• Registered Technician — Entry-level designation. Must work under a licensed contractor's supervision. No exam required; just an application ($20) and annual renewal ($20).
• Certified Technician — Advanced designation. You qualify through either 24 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor or completion of a TDLR-approved 2,000-hour certification program (apply within 48 months of completing it). You must also be at least 18 and pass the certified technician exam. Application fee is $50; annual renewal is $20.

The key distinction: contractors can operate independently (or run a business), while technicians must work under a licensed contractor. Only contractors have a CE requirement.

There are two paths to a TDLR ACR contractor license:

Standard Path

1. Accumulate 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months
2. Submit your contractor license application to TDLR ($115)
3. Pass the TDLR contractor exam (Class A or Class B)
4. Obtain commercial general liability insurance meeting TDLR minimums and submit your certificate of insurance (details in the insurance section below)
5. Receive your license and begin operating

Certified Technician Path

1. Hold a TDLR certified technician designation for at least 12 months
2. Accumulate 36 months of practical experience under a licensed contractor within the past 48 months
3. Submit your application and pass the contractor exam

The contractor exam covers Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302, administrative rules (16 TAC Chapter 75), mechanical codes (IMC, UMC), refrigerant handling, and system design. It is administered at a testing center — not online.

Most HVAC professionals start as registered technicians, advance to certified technician, and eventually earn their contractor license. Each step requires documented experience under licensed supervision.

If you are starting in the HVAC field, your first step is becoming a Registered Technician with TDLR. This is the entry-level designation — no exam or prior experience is required.

Registered Technician

• Requirements: Application only — no exam, no experience
• Application fee: $20
• Annual renewal: $20 (no CE required)
• Scope: Perform ACR work under a licensed contractor's supervision

Certified Technician

• Requirements: Be at least 18, pass the certified technician exam, and qualify through either 24 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor or a TDLR-approved 2,000-hour certification program (apply within 48 months of completing it)
• Application fee: $50
• Annual renewal: $35 (no CE required)
• Scope: Advanced technician work under a licensed contractor; also a pathway to contractor licensing

Neither technician designation requires continuing education for renewal. You simply pay the annual renewal fee ($20 registered, $35 certified). However, technicians should consider voluntarily taking CE courses to stay current on code changes, refrigerant transitions, and safety standards — especially if planning to advance to a contractor license.

One of the most common points of confusion for HVAC professionals is the difference between EPA 608 certification and a TDLR ACR license. They are completely separate credentials serving different purposes.

EPA 608 Certification

• Issued by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (federal)
• Purpose: Authorizes purchasing, handling, and working with refrigerants
• Types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), Universal (all)
• Expiration: Does not expire (lifetime certification)
• CE: None required

TDLR ACR License

• Issued by: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (state)
• Purpose: Authorizes performing HVAC work in Texas
• Expiration: Annual renewal required
• CE: 8 hours annually for contractors

Most HVAC professionals in Texas need both — an EPA 608 for refrigerant handling and a TDLR license for performing HVAC work. Having an EPA 608 alone does not make you a licensed HVAC professional in Texas.

Here is a breakdown of all TDLR ACR licensing costs:

Initial Application Fees

• Registered Technician: $20
• Certified Technician: $50
• Class A or Class B Contractor: $115

Annual Renewal Fees

• Registered Technician: $20/year
• Certified Technician: $35/year
• Class A or Class B Contractor: $65/year

Late Renewal Fees

• Technician (1-90 days late): $30 registered / $52.50 certified (50% surcharge)
• Technician (91 days-18 months late): $40 registered / $70 certified (100% surcharge)
• Contractor (1-90 days late): $97.50 (50% surcharge)
• Contractor (91 days-18 months late): $130 (100% surcharge)
• 18 months-3 years late: Same 2x fee, with TDLR executive director approval (mail-in request); past 3 years you must reapply as a new applicant

Additional costs include the contractor exam fee (paid to the testing provider), general liability insurance, and continuing education. Our 8-hour TDLR-approved CE course at OnlineTexasCE.com is $22.95. Renewal deadlines and late-fee details are in our Texas HVAC license renewal guide.

Once licensed, your total annual cost to maintain an HVAC contractor license is $87.95 ($65 TDLR renewal + $22.95 CE). That is the cost of legal compliance for an entire year.

Every TDLR HVAC contractor must carry commercial general liability (CGL) insurance at all times while the license is active. This is not optional — it is a condition of licensure. Your insurance certificate must be submitted to TDLR after passing the contractor exam and before your license is issued.

Minimum coverage limits:

Coverage Type	Class A Minimum	Class B Minimum
Per occurrence (property damage and bodily injury)	$300,000	$100,000
Aggregate (property damage and bodily injury)	$600,000	$200,000
Products and completed operations aggregate	$300,000	$100,000

Your insurance must come from a provider authorized to sell liability insurance in Texas. The certificate of insurance must include your license holder name and business name.

Bonding: Texas does not require a state-level contractor license bond for ACR contractors. However, individual municipalities may impose their own bonding requirements. Check with your local jurisdiction if you are working in a city that has additional requirements.

A lapse in insurance coverage can jeopardize your license. If your CGL policy is cancelled or expires, TDLR may take enforcement action. Treat your insurance renewal as seriously as your license renewal — both must stay current to practice legally in Texas.

Only ACR contractors (Class A and Class B) are required to complete continuing education. The requirement is 8 hours annually, broken down as follows:

• 1 hour (mandatory): Texas state law and rules (Occupations Code Chapter 1302 and 16 TAC Chapter 75)
• 7 hours (flexible): Mechanical codes (IMC, UMC), safety, refrigerant handling, energy efficiency, industry updates, new technologies, and diagnostic techniques

One CE credit hour equals 50 minutes of instruction time. All 8 hours must be completed before your license expires. You cannot repeat the same course for credit.

Recordkeeping: keep your completion certificate for at least 1 year. ACR contractors are not part of TDLR's random post-renewal CE audit program — your approved CE provider reports the completion to TDLR directly, which is why the program does not apply here. TDLR does retain general authority to inspect or investigate licensee records, so hold on to your certificate.

OnlineTexasCE.com offers a TDLR-approved 8-hour ACR CE course (Provider #2273) for $22.95. The course covers all required topics, is self-paced and available 24/7, works on any device, and has no final exam — just short in-lesson knowledge or attendance checks, depending on the approved course design. We report your completion to TDLR within 24 hours.

Texas operates a system where both the state (TDLR) and local municipalities have authority over HVAC licensing. Understanding how these interact will save you headaches:

• Your TDLR license is the baseline. Since January 1, 1986, you cannot perform ACR work in Texas without a TDLR license or a recognized municipal/regional license.
• Municipalities cannot charge you registration fees. Under Occupations Code Section 1302.304 (effective September 1, 2021), cities are prohibited from charging registration fees to TDLR-licensed ACR contractors. This eliminated the "double-dipping" problem.
• Municipalities can charge building permit fees. While they cannot charge contractor registration fees, cities can still require and charge for building permits on individual projects.
• Local codes may be more strict. Municipalities can adopt additional amendments or codes beyond the state-adopted standards. TDLR adopted the 2015 editions of the IMC, UMC, International Residential Code, and International Fuel Gas Code (effective January 1, 2018). Your local jurisdiction may have more recent or additional requirements.

Authority	Can Require	Cannot Require
TDLR (State)	License, CE, insurance, exam	N/A
Municipality	Building permits, local code compliance	Registration fees from TDLR-licensed contractors

For HVAC contractors working across multiple Texas cities, the TDLR state license provides statewide portability. You do not need separate licenses for different cities, but you do need to comply with each city's building permit and code requirements. Staying current on your CE — including mechanical codes covered in the 8-hour course — helps you meet both state and local requirements.

The HVAC industry is undergoing a major refrigerant transition that every Texas HVAC professional should understand:

EPA AIM Act Phase-Down

• January 1, 2025: All newly manufactured residential HVAC systems must use refrigerants with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) below 700
• R-410A (GWP ~2,088) is being phased out for new equipment manufacturing
• R-454B (GWP ~466) is the primary replacement — an A2L (mildly flammable) refrigerant
• R-32 (GWP ~675) is another alternative being adopted by some manufacturers

What This Means for Texas HVAC Professionals

Existing R-410A systems can continue to be maintained and serviced throughout their useful life — there is no forced replacement. However, new installations are shifting to R-454B, which requires updated safety protocols due to its mildly flammable classification. Systems cannot be retrofitted from R-410A to R-454B; they are not interchangeable.

New A2L equipment generally costs more, and its safety requirements make staying current on CE more important than ever. Our 8-hour HVAC CE course covers refrigerant transition topics, updated safety protocols, and the practical implications for Texas contractors.

Related HVAC guides: dive deeper with the step-by-step contractor application guide, our breakdown of HVAC certification costs and exams, and the Class A vs. Class B comparison.