A certified ACR technician is the advanced technician designation under TDLR's Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program. Where the registered technician designation has no prerequisites, certification requires:
- Being at least 18 years old
- Either 24 months of practical ACR experience under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor or completion of a TDLR-approved 2,000-hour certification program — the two are alternative paths, not a combined requirement. If you qualify through the program, apply within 48 months of completing it
- A passing score on the certified technician exam
- A $50 application fee
Renewal works like the registered designation, at a higher fee: $35 per year ($20 for registered technicians), with no continuing education requirement — CE applies only to licensed contractors.
The real payoff is the accelerated contractor path. The standard route to a Class A or Class B contractor license requires 48 months of practical experience within the past 72 months. A certified technician instead qualifies by holding the certification for 12 or more months plus 36 months of practical experience under a licensed contractor within the past 48 months — then passing the TDLR contractor exam (a $115 application). That trims a full year off the experience requirement for technicians who invested in the certification early.
What it means for your renewal
As a certified technician, your renewal is the $35 fee and nothing more. But if the designation is your stepping stone to a contractor license, budget for what comes after: a $65 annual renewal, commercial general liability insurance, and 8 hours of CE every year.
Our TDLR-approved 8-hour contractor course is online, $22.95, and has no final exam — ready when you upgrade.
Authority: Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302