EPA Section 608 certification is the federal credential required of anyone who purchases, handles, or works with refrigerants. It operates under the Clean Air Act and is administered by the EPA — completely separate from Texas TDLR licensing.
There are four certification types:
- Type I — small appliances (5 lbs or less of refrigerant)
- Type II — high-pressure appliances
- Type III — low-pressure appliances
- Universal — all of the above
Two distinctions matter for Texas licensees:
- EPA 608 never expires. It is a lifetime certification with no continuing education. Your TDLR ACR license expires every year, and contractors owe 8 hours of CE annually.
- Neither credential substitutes for the other. EPA 608 alone does not authorize you to perform ACR work in Texas, and a TDLR license alone does not authorize you to handle refrigerants. Most HVAC professionals hold both.
One forward-looking note: A2L refrigerant safety training (for R-454B) is increasingly important as the industry transitions, but it is not yet required by EPA 608 — which makes state CE the place most contractors will actually learn it.
What it means for your renewal
Do not confuse the two credentials at renewal time: there is no "EPA 608 renewal" to track, but your TDLR ACR contractor license still expires annually, and your renewal attestation isn't safe until the 8 CE hours are actually complete. OnlineTexasCE reports your completion to TDLR within 24 hours.
Authority: Clean Air Act, Section 608 (federal)