HVAC Technician License in Arkansas — Requirements, Fees & Exam

How to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Arkansas: Prov exam — verified from Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (HVAC/R Section.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (HVAC/R Section, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing) (official site) and last verified July 24, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must be licensed - and employees must be registered: Arkansas licenses INDIVIDUALS, not businesses. Every individual who designs, installs, constructs, maintains, services, repairs, alters, or modifies any HVACR system or any portion of one must obtain a Class A, B, D, or E HVACR license and pay the prescribed fees (A.C.A. 17-33-303(a)). It is unlawful to engage in HVACR work without the appropriate license or registration, unless exempt (A.C.A. 17-33-301(a)). Where a company performs HVACR work, a 'designated license holder' - the Class A, B, D, or E licensee - is responsible for the work; employees who perform HVACR work must be REGISTRANTS unless otherwise exempt, and the designated license holder is solely responsible for maintaining the registration of all employees required to register (17 CAR 261-104(a)(6)). A 'registrant' is a person who does not hold a Class A, B, D, or E license, can only perform work for an HVACR licensee, and holds a current HVACR registration (A.C.A. 17-33-101(16)); the registration fee is $25.00 per year (17 CAR 261-106(f)). So even an employed HVACR worker needs a personal credential (a registration), unlike states that license only the contracting business.
Experience and examination (Prov): To be licensed, an applicant must be an individual at least 18 years of age, apply on the Board's forms, specify the class desired, meet the Board's rules, pay the examination and license fees, and pass the appropriate examination (A.C.A. 17-33-302(a)). An applicant with no out-of-state licensing background must present satisfactory evidence of at least two (2) years' experience as an HVACR contractor or employee of an HVACR contractor; Board-approved HVACR-related educational training may be substituted for experience, but 'in no case shall apprenticeship, education, or training be a prerequisite or condition for licensure' (17 CAR 261-104(a)(5)). The examination is proctored by Prov (provexam.com); the applicant must be pre-approved by the Board before sitting, and a failed applicant is eligible for reexamination (exam offered at least four times per year). The exam fee is $100.00 (17 CAR 261-106(g)).
Liability insurance ($250,000): A Class A, B, D, or E license holder must either maintain liability insurance for any work performed OR be covered by an employer policy meeting the minimum coverage. The minimum coverage is $250,000 for an individual licensee, or $250,000 per licensed employee for an employer-provided policy; proof of coverage must be presented to the Board at issuance and at each renewal (17 CAR 261-117(d)). A waiver is available where the licensee's primary work is maintenance/repair on company-owned equipment for a business whose primary duty is such work, or where the licensee is an instructor at a recognized school/apprenticeship program not engaged in for-profit HVACR work.
Continuing education (8 hours per code cycle): No HVACR license may be renewed unless the licensee completes at least eight (8) hours of continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle published by the International Code Council (17 CAR 261-120(a)(1)). CE must be Board-approved instruction relating specifically to the construction, installation, maintenance and repair of HVACR systems or the current IMC. Licensees must complete the required hours before the final year of the code cycle; failure results in suspension of the class-holder license until a verified completion certificate is received (17 CAR 261-120(c)). Arkansas adopted the 2021 International Mechanical Code effective July 1, 2022. (Continuing education is a requirement of the class-holder license, not of the $25 employee registration.)
Gas fitting and electrical connections are included - within limits: An individual licensed or registered to perform HVACR work may perform 'HVACR gas fitting work' without any other license - defined as gas fitting to supply an HVACR system, limited to installing seventy-five feet (75') or less of final gas piping connection to a heating unit from an existing, accessible manual safety shutoff gas cock, and installing flue gas vents and combustion air (A.C.A. 17-33-101(8), 17-33-103(a), as amended by the 2025 law - the prior limit was six feet). An HVACR licensee/registrant may also make electrical connections to heating and air-conditioning units without a separate license, so long as the connection is made to a disconnecting means suitable in capacity for the equipment and provided by others within seventy-five feet (75') of the unit (A.C.A. 17-33-103(b), as amended by the 2025 law - the prior figure was ten feet). Nothing in the chapter allows an HVACR licensee to perform electrical work without complying with applicable local, city, state, or national electrical code.
One state license - no separate city or county HVACR license: An individual licensed or registered under the HVACR chapter is not required to obtain a license from any city or county to perform HVACR work; however, the work performed remains subject to local permits and inspections if required (A.C.A. 17-33-104). Any person who is exempt from licensure must still conform to the rules on performing HVACR work and obtain local permits and inspections as may be required by local ordinance (A.C.A. 17-33-102(d)).
Licensure by reciprocity / endorsement; temporary license: An applicant currently licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction whose HVACR licensing laws are substantially similar to Arkansas's - meaning a jurisdiction that has adopted a national model mechanical code and uses a comprehensive examination created and proctored by a national examination agency or equivalent - may be approved for Class A, B, D, or E licensure without the Arkansas examination and without continuing education, training, or apprenticeship as a prerequisite, upon holding the license in good standing, not being under suspension/probation, being sufficiently competent, and paying the license fee (A.C.A. 17-33-302 rules; 17 CAR 261-112). The Board also issues a 90-day temporary license to Class A, B, D, or E applicants on receipt of the application, on condition the candidate schedules the Arkansas exam within 60 days (17 CAR 261-104(c)).
Separate Arkansas contractor licensing may also apply to larger projects: The HVACR license is the TRADE credential for HVACR work. For commercial or residential CONTRACTING above statutory value thresholds, a separate license from the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (a different agency) may also be required; the HVAC/R Section's own page directs those questions to 'the State of Arkansas Contractor's Licensing Board.' The specific project-value thresholds for that separate license are set by that Board and are not stated here (omitted rather than guessed); confirm with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board before bidding larger jobs.

Legal basis

Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (HVAC/R Section, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing) administers HVAC technician licensing in Arkansas. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

Arkansas issues an individual HVACR license in classes - Class A (unlimited), Class B (limited capacity), Class D (ductwork), Class E (refrigeration), and Class L (lifetime) - through the HVACR Licensing Board of the Department of Labor and Licensing. Searchers commonly call it an ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license,’ ‘air conditioning license,’ ‘HVAC contractor license,’ or ‘HVACR contractor license’; in Arkansas each of those maps to one of the individual Class A/B/D/E HVACR licenses. Arkansas is not a business-only licensing state: a company works under a licensed individual (the ‘designated license holder’), and its HVACR employees who are not licensed hold a separate, cheaper HVACR REGISTRATION ($25/year) - so ‘HVAC registration’ and ‘HVAC license’ are different Arkansas credentials, not synonyms. Separately, federal EPA Section 608 certification (to handle refrigerants) is a nationwide requirement issued by the U.S. EPA, not an Arkansas HVACR license, and holding EPA 608 does not license you to perform HVACR work in Arkansas.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Class A (unlimited)	An applicant with no out-of-state licensing background must present satisfactory evidence of at least two (2) years' experience as an HVACR contractor or an employee of an HVACR contractor; the Board may substitute Board-approved HVACR-related educational training for experience (A.C.A. 17-33-302; 17 CAR 261-104(a)(5)). Note: the statute and the board rule state a flat two-year minimum for all license classes - no official source read for this record differentiates Class A as a longer (e.g. four-year) requirement, so no such figure is stated here.	Applicants without a substantially-similar out-of-state license must pass a Board-approved examination, proctored by Prov (provexam.com). An applicant must be pre-approved by the Board before sitting; an applicant who fails is eligible for reexamination (A.C.A. 17-33-302(b)). Examinations are offered at least four (4) times per year (17 CAR 261-105(b)).	License fee $200.00 per year (A.C.A. 17-33-204(b); 17 CAR 261-106(a)). The examination fee is $100.00 per exam, paid separately (17 CAR 261-106(g)). A licensee must also maintain liability insurance of at least $250,000, and the class holder must renew 8 hours of continuing education per International Mechanical Code cycle. Scope: perform HVACR work without limitation to BTUH or horsepower capacities.
Class B (limited capacity)	Same statutory minimum as Class A: at least two (2) years' HVACR experience for applicants with no out-of-state licensing background, or Board-approved substitute training (17 CAR 261-104(a)(5)).	Board-approved Prov examination (pre-approval required); reexamination allowed. $100 exam fee.	License fee $150.00 per year (17 CAR 261-106(b)). Scope (current 2025 statute): HVACR work on air-conditioning systems developing not more than twenty-five (25) tons of cooling capacity per unit or one million (1,000,000) BTUH heating input per unit, and refrigeration systems of fifteen horsepower (15 h.p.) or less per unit (A.C.A. 17-33-303(a)(2)). CONFLICT NOTE: the board's downloadable HVAC/R Contractor Application (Rev. 8/23) still describes Class B as 'limited to 15 tons' - the pre-2025 figure; the 25-ton limit is the current statutory scope.
Class D (sheet metal / ductwork)	At least two (2) years' HVACR experience for applicants with no out-of-state licensing background, or Board-approved substitute training (17 CAR 261-104(a)(5)).	Board-approved Prov examination (pre-approval required); reexamination allowed. $100 exam fee.	License fee $150.00 per year (17 CAR 261-106(c)). Scope: sheet metal work as it relates to ductwork for HVACR systems without regard to or limitation of horsepower of the system to which the duct connects; the licensee in this category is prohibited from the sale, installation, and service of HVACR equipment and systems (A.C.A. 17-33-303(a)(3)).
Class E (refrigeration only)	At least two (2) years' HVACR experience for applicants with no out-of-state licensing background, or Board-approved substitute training (17 CAR 261-104(a)(5)).	Board-approved Prov examination (pre-approval required); reexamination allowed. $100 exam fee.	License fee $150.00 per year (17 CAR 261-106(d)). Scope: refrigeration work as defined in A.C.A. 17-33-101 without regard to or limitation of horsepower; the licensee in this category is prohibited from the sale, installation, and service of heating and air-conditioning equipment used for the treatment of air for human comfort requirements (A.C.A. 17-33-303(a)(4)).
Class L (restricted lifetime license)	A restricted lifetime license for older, long-tenured licensees. By statute the applicant must be at least sixty-five (65) years of age and hold a current license in good standing with the Board (A.C.A. 17-33-303(a)(5)); the board rule adds that the applicant must have been licensed by the Board for ten (10) consecutive years and hold a current Class A, B, D, or E license in good standing (17 CAR 261-104(b)).	No new examination - Class L is available only to existing licensees in good standing.	No charge (A.C.A. 17-33-204(b); 17 CAR 261-106(e)). Scope: a restricted lifetime license in a category the Board defines by rule, for which no license fee is charged.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Arkansas licenses HVACR at the state level and lists exemptions in A.C.A. 17-33-102 (mirrored in 17 CAR 261-118) and 17-33-106, plus carve-outs inside the definitions. EQUIPMENT/OPERATION EXEMPTIONS - the chapter ‘shall not apply to’: (1) ‘Household appliances’; (2) ‘American Gas Association-approved unvented space heaters’; (3) ‘Factory assembled air-cooled, self-contained refrigeration equipment of one and one-half horsepower (1.5 h.p.) or less and which have no refrigerant lines extending beyond the cabinet enclosure’; (4) ‘Factory assembled air-cooled, self-contained, window-type air conditioning units of thirty-six thousand (36,000) BTUH or less not connected to ducts’; (5) ‘Window, attic, ceiling, and wall fans in residences’; or (6) ‘Poultry operations whether engaged in hatching, primary processing, or further processing of chicken, turkey, or other fowl.’ PERSON EXEMPTIONS - the chapter ‘shall not apply to a person who’: (1) ‘Performs HVACR work in an existing building or structure owned and occupied by him or her as his or her home’; (2) performs HVACR work in an existing building or structure owned or occupied by him or her on his or her farm; (3) ‘Performs work for public utilities on construction, maintenance, and development work that is incidental to his or her business’; (4) ‘Performs work on motor vehicles’; (5) ‘Is an architect or registered engineer who designs HVACR systems for design criteria only’; (6) ‘Is an employee of a hospital and performs HVACR work that is incidental to the hospital’s operation’; (7) ‘Installs or does maintenance work on a gas-fired floor furnace, wall furnace, or unit heater, if the person is licensed pursuant to Sec. 17-38-301 et seq. and the work is performed within the limitations of the person’s license’; or (8) ‘Is a pipefitter, welder, well driller, sheet metal worker, or plumber working under a Class A, Class B, Class D, or Class E licensee and who is enrolled in or has satisfactorily completed an apprenticeship training program approved by the State of Arkansas in his or her respective trade, and whose work is performed within the limitations of the person’s license.’ OWN-SYSTEM EXEMPTION: the chapter ‘shall not apply to a person or public entity serving or repairing its own HVACR system by its own personnel specifically trained for such service or repair’ (17-33-102(c)). IMPORTANT LIMIT: ‘Any person exempt under this section is required to conform to rules on the performance of HVACR work as well as obtaining local permits and inspections as may be required by local ordinance’ (17-33-102(d)) - an exemption from state LICENSURE is not an exemption from local permits, inspections, or the technical rules. LP-GAS EXEMPTION (17-33-106): persons licensed by the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board are exempt from the HVACR chapter when ‘(1) Engaged in the installation, repair, or replacement of a liquefied petroleum gas appliance so long as the appliance is not connected to a refrigeration system, except that such persons may also engage in the replacement or repair of a liquefied petroleum gas central heating unit when it is combined with an air conditioning unit; and (2) Engaged in the installation of a venting system required for a vented-type liquefied petroleum gas appliance.’ DEFINITIONAL CARVE-OUTS: ‘HVACR maintenance work’ (repair, modification, service and normal continued-performance work) expressly ‘does not include the installation or total replacement of a system or the installation of boiler or pressure vessels that must be installed by persons licensed under Sec. 20-23-101 et seq.’ (17-33-101(10)) - a boiler/pressure-vessel changeout is the boiler-operator program’s work, not HVACR-maintenance work; and by rule ‘a person who designs HVACR systems as a service to a licensee and does not charge for that service is not required to obtain an HVACR license’ (17 CAR 261-104(a)(7)). No general small-dollar ‘handyman’ exemption exists for HVACR work in Arkansas; the exemptions above are the complete statutory list.

Fees

Set by A.C.A. 17-33-204(b) and 17 CAR 261-106 (the board may adopt a fee schedule but may not exceed these amounts): annual license fee - Class A $200.00; Class B $150.00; Class D $150.00; Class E $150.00; Class L (lifetime) no charge. Employee registration fee $25.00 per year. Examination fee $100.00 per exam, paid separately. Licenses and registrations are issued for one year (renewed annually). The Board must WAIVE the initial license fee (not including exam fees) for an applicant who documents at the time of application that they receive Arkansas Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF or Lifeline assistance, were approved for unemployment compensation in the last twelve months, or have income not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty limit (Act 725; 17 CAR 261-106(h)). Note the current 2025 statute lists Classes A, B, D, E and L only; the board’s Rev. 8/23 application form still lists a ‘Class C (Service Only)’ at $100.00 - the license classes above explain this discrepancy. Not included above: the required $250,000 liability insurance, and any separate Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board fees for larger projects.

Exam

Arkansas HVAC/R contractor examinations are proctored by Prov (provexam.com), described by the Department of Labor and Licensing as a nationally recognized licensing and examination services provider. An applicant who does not hold a substantially-similar license in another U.S. jurisdiction must pass a Board-approved examination for the class of license sought (A.C.A. 17-33-302(a)(6)); an applicant who fails is eligible for reexamination (17-33-302(b)). To sit for an exam the applicant must be pre-approved by the Board - the process is to read the HVAC/R Contractor Rules and Regulations and mail an original notarized HVAC/R Contractor Application to the Board’s office. Class A, B, D, or E examinations are offered at least four (4) times per year (17 CAR 261-105(b)). The examination fee is $100.00 per exam, paid separately from the license fee (17 CAR 261-106(g)). Applicants qualifying by reciprocity/endorsement from a substantially-similar jurisdiction are not required to take the examination (17 CAR 261-112).

Renewal & continuing education

Annual. All licenses and registrations issued under the HVACR chapter expire one (1) year after the date of issuance, or at a time specified by the HVACR Licensing Board (A.C.A. 17-33-306). To renew, the licensee must submit the appropriate license or registration fees on the Board’s form before the expiration date. A class-holder license also cannot be renewed unless the required continuing education is complete (17 CAR 261-120(a)(1)); a licensee whose license expired for nonpayment may apply for reinstatement with an amended experience record covering all experience after the lapse (17 CAR 261-110). The board rule specifies licenses expire on the last day of the month one year from the original date of issuance (17 CAR 261-105(a)). At least 8 hours of Board-approved continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle (published by the International Code Council) for each class-holder license; the hours must be completed before the final year of the code cycle, and failure to complete them suspends the class-holder license until a verified completion certificate is received (17 CAR 261-120). Arkansas adopted the 2021 IMC effective July 1, 2022. The requirement applies to license holders; the $25 employee registration is not itself subject to the CE requirement. (Separately, federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification, held by the individual technician, is not an Arkansas license and is not part of HVACR renewal.)

How to apply

Applications are handled by Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (HVAC/R Section, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to do HVAC work in Arkansas?

Yes. Arkansas licenses HVACR at the state level through the HVACR Licensing Board (Department of Labor and Licensing). It is unlawful to engage in HVACR work without the appropriate license or registration, unless exempt (A.C.A. 17-33-301). The license is issued to an INDIVIDUAL - Class A (unlimited), Class B (limited capacity), Class D (ductwork), or Class E (refrigeration) - and employees who perform HVACR work but do not hold a class license must register with the Department as ‘registrants’ ($25/year). So an employed HVAC worker in Arkansas still needs a personal credential (a registration), not just their employer’s license.

What are the Arkansas HVACR license classes?

Under the current 2025 statute (A.C.A. 17-33-303): Class A - HVACR work without limitation to BTUH or horsepower; Class B - air-conditioning systems up to 25 tons cooling / 1,000,000 BTUH heating per unit and refrigeration up to 15 h.p. per unit; Class D - sheet metal/ductwork only (no equipment sale/install/service); Class E - refrigeration only (no human-comfort heating/AC); and Class L - a no-fee restricted lifetime license for licensees 65+ in good standing. (The board’s older application form also lists a ‘Class C - Service Only’ at $100; that class was dropped from the 2025 statute, so confirm its current availability with the Board.)

How much does an Arkansas HVACR license cost?

The annual license fee is $200 for Class A and $150 for Class B, D, or E; Class L is free; the employee registration is $25 per year. The examination fee is $100 per exam, paid separately to the Board’s exam provider (Prov). The Board must waive the initial license fee (not the exam fee) for applicants who document Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF or Lifeline assistance, recent unemployment compensation, or income at or below 200% of the federal poverty limit (Act 725). Budget also for the required $250,000 liability insurance.

What experience and exam does Arkansas require?

An applicant with no substantially-similar out-of-state license must show at least two (2) years’ experience as an HVACR contractor or an employee of an HVACR contractor (Board-approved training may substitute), and must pass a Board-approved examination proctored by Prov after being pre-approved by the Board (A.C.A. 17-33-302; 17 CAR 261-104). The statute and rules set a flat two-year minimum for all classes - there is no separate longer requirement for Class A in the official sources. Applicants licensed in a substantially-similar U.S. jurisdiction may be licensed by reciprocity without the Arkansas exam.

Does Arkansas require continuing education for HVACR licensees?

Yes. No HVACR class-holder license may be renewed unless the licensee completes at least 8 hours of Board-approved continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle (17 CAR 261-120). The hours must be finished before the final year of the code cycle, and missing them suspends the license until a verified completion certificate is received. Arkansas adopted the 2021 IMC effective July 1, 2022. (Federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate requirement, not part of Arkansas renewal.)

Do I need a city or county HVAC license in Arkansas?

No. An individual licensed or registered under the state HVACR chapter is not required to obtain a separate license from any city or county to perform HVACR work; the work is still subject to local permits and inspections where required (A.C.A. 17-33-104). Separately, for larger commercial or residential contracting, the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (a different agency) may require its own license - confirm with that board before bidding larger projects.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Arkansas.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 24, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.