Georgia HVAC Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

Georgia licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual HVAC technicians. PSI exam — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Georgia State Board of Conditioned Air Contractors (Division of Conditioned Air Contractors of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board), administered by the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division (official site) and last verified July 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

State license required (the contractor is licensed, not the technician): Georgia licenses the conditioned air CONTRACTOR. The Division of Conditioned Air Contractors issues exactly two credentials to individuals — Conditioned Air Contractor Class I (Restricted) and Class II (Non-Restricted). There is no state-issued individual HVAC technician, helper, journeyman, or apprentice license in Georgia. Examination is required of everyone entering the vocation: the Board states that “all applications received after September 30, 1983, are subject to the current licensure qualifications, including examination and reference requirements” (Division of Conditioned Air Contractors, minutes of Apr 6 2016) — the licence-without-examination grandfather window closed on that date. The requirement reaches local work too: O.C.G.A. ch. 43-14 requires those entering the vocation to take the examination and qualify “including such vocation at the local level.” (Caution: ch. 43-14 was rewritten effective Jul 1 2025 by SB 125 / Act 93, which renumbered much of the chapter; the two facts above are stated from the Board’s own minutes and the chapter generally rather than a pinpoint subsection that may have moved.) A sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation doing conditioned air contracting must have “regularly connected with such business a person holding an appropriate and current license,” who must be engaged in the business full time, must supervise and be responsible for the work, and may not qualify more than one business at a time (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-6-.01(1)). Workers employed by a licensed and registered conditioned air business do not themselves hold a state conditioned air license.
License classes (scope) and how a system is classified: Class I (Restricted) is limited to conditioned air systems or equipment not exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling; Class II is unrestricted. The BTU caps are applied per system, not per project: “For classifying systems, each complete system in a single installation is to be considered an individual job” (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(1)).
Experience: Class I requires a minimum of four (4) years of conditioned-air experience; Class II requires five (5) years plus documented installations exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling. The Board specifies the composition of those years, and education may substitute for up to two years (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(4)-(6)).
Heat loss/gain and duct design coursework: All applicants must submit proof of completion of the Manuals J&D (or AIR1060) course. Non-restricted (Class II) applicants must ALSO submit proof of completion of Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1, 2 & 3. The courses must be completed through a Board-approved provider; the Board publishes the approved provider/course list (Heat Loss and Gain, Duct Design Courses).
Examination approval: You must obtain Board approval to sit for the examination before scheduling; PSI is the testing vendor. A minimum score of seventy (70) is required (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(2)).
References: Three completed reference forms are required, each from a licensed conditioned air contractor, professional engineer, registered architect, or inspector, who must include their registration or license number on the form (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(3)).
EPA certification (federal, required as a document): Applicants must submit federal EPA refrigerant-handling certification. The Board specifies the level: “EPA Certification (Type II or higher).” EPA certification is a federal credential, not the Georgia state license.
Background check: A criminal background check (obtained from your local law enforcement agency) is required; applicants must notify the Board of any findings or pleas of guilty/nolo contendere or First Offender Act treatment for any felony or misdemeanor other than minor traffic violations (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-2-.01(3)).
Notarized application, Secure & Verifiable Document, and Affidavit of Citizenship: The application itself must be completed, signed and NOTARIZED. Under Georgia’s Secure and Verifiable Identity Document Act, every licence applicant must also submit a completed, signed and notarized Affidavit of Citizenship plus a Secure & Verifiable Document (an approved identity document such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport). Applicants who are qualified aliens submit qualified alien documents establishing the legal right to work in the United States instead.
Business registration and mandatory display of the registration number: A separate Business Registration application (completed, signed and notarized; no fee) associates a qualifying licensee with a company and obtains a business registration number. Effective December 1, 2021, any business performing conditioned air contracting must DISPLAY that number — the qualifying licensee’s license number prefixed “GA. REG.” (e.g. “GA. REG. CN-555123”) — on both sides of every commercial vehicle used EXCLUSIVELY in the daily operation of the business (r. 121-3-.05(c) says “exclusively” — the duty does not reach a vehicle in mixed use), in characters at least two inches high; in advertisements (non-standard yellow-pages listings, newspapers, and printed matter distributed to the public); and on all invoices and proposal forms (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.05). If the qualifying licensee no longer qualifies the business, the business must cease conditioned air contracting until a new licensee qualifies it and all displays are updated.
Reciprocity: The Board states plainly: “Reciprocity with other states is not offered at this time.” Board Rule 121-2-.03 does allow the Divisions to enter formal written agreements with other state boards to offer licences by endorsement or reciprocity, and sets out an endorsement pathway for an applicant holding a current out-of-state licence granted on an examination from a board whose requirements are substantially equal to Georgia’s — but no such agreement is on offer at present. Persons licensed elsewhere under grandfather provisions without passing a qualifying examination do not qualify.
Military, veteran and military-spouse pathways: Veterans, military service members, transitioning service members and military spouses (including the National Guard) may be eligible for examination point credits and/or expedited application processing. Exam point credits are for veterans only: five (5) points added to the final examination score, or ten (10) points for a disabled veteran whose service-connected injury or illness is officially rated at ten percent or above; the applicant must upload a DD-214 showing at least 90 days served during wartime or a conflict when military personnel were committed by the President. Under Board Rule 121-2-.12, military spouses and transitioning service members may qualify for expedited processing of the licence application (effective July 1, 2017).
Application method and processing: Paper applications are no longer accepted; all applications are filed online through the Secretary of State GOALS portal (goals.sos.ga.gov). Applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt; a deficiency letter restarts the 20-day count. Incomplete applications may be withdrawn if the noted deficiencies are not satisfied within 60 days. An application must be complete at least 15 days before a Board meeting to be placed on that meeting’s agenda.

Legal basis

Georgia State Board of Conditioned Air Contractors (Division of Conditioned Air Contractors of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board), administered by the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division administers HVAC contractor licensing in Georgia. 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

In Georgia the state credential is an HVAC (conditioned air) contractor license, not an individual technician license. The Georgia State Board of Conditioned Air Contractors licenses the CONTRACTOR, not the technicians it employs. A search for a “Georgia HVAC license” maps to that contractor license; a technician working under a licensed contractor needs no separate state license. Separately, the federal EPA Section 608 certification (to handle refrigerants) is a nationwide requirement, not a state HVAC license. “HVAC license,” “AC license” and “HVAC certification” are common informal names for the state contractor credential.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Conditioned Air Contractor — Class I (Restricted)	A minimum of four (4) years of experience in conditioned air work covered by the Georgia Heating and Air Conditioning Code (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(4)). The rule defines that experience as two (2) years of residential installation as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician, evidence of EPA certification, one year of residential supervisory experience, and completion of a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (r. 121-3-.04(5)(a)). Education may substitute: a technical-school diploma program in engineering or engineering technology counts as no more than two years, a vocational-technical certificate program as no more than one year (r. 121-3-.04(6)). The application package is a completed, signed and notarized application plus three references (each from an architect, professional engineer, inspector, or licensed conditioned air contractor), proof of completion of the Manuals J&D (or AIR1060) course from a Board-approved provider, EPA certification (Type II or higher), a background check from local law enforcement, verification of education, a Secure & Verifiable Document, and a notarized Affidavit of Citizenship. Board approval is required before sitting for the exam. Filed as “Licensure by Examination.”	Required. Administered by PSI after the Board approves the applicant to sit; an Exam Approval Letter is issued and is valid for one year.	$110 non-refundable application fee (Licensure by Examination)
Conditioned Air Contractor — Class II (Non-Restricted / Unrestricted)	A minimum of five (5) years of experience in conditioned air work covered by the Georgia Heating and Air Conditioning Code, and the applicant must document installations of systems exceeding 175,000 BTU (net) of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(4)). The rule defines that experience as two (2) years of installation as a lead mechanic with at least one year commercial only, one year as a service technician or service supervisor, evidence of EPA certification, two years of commercial supervisory experience, and a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (r. 121-3-.04(5)(b)). The same education substitution applies (r. 121-3-.04(6)). The application package is the same as Class I — notarized application, three references, Manuals J&D (or AIR1060), EPA certification (Type II or higher), background check, verification of education, Secure & Verifiable Document and Affidavit of Citizenship — but non-restricted applicants must ALSO submit proof of completion of Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1, 2 & 3 from a Board-approved provider. Board approval is required before sitting for the exam. Filed as “Licensure by Examination.”	Required. Administered by PSI after Board approval to sit; Exam Approval Letter valid for one year.	$110 non-refundable application fee (Licensure by Examination)

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Georgia’s exemptions carve people out of the conditioned air CONTRACTOR license (Class I / Class II) — the only HVAC credential the state issues. The chapter was rewritten effective July 1, 2025 by SB 125 (2025 Ga. Laws, Act 93), which renumbered the old exemption section O.C.G.A. 43-14-13 to O.C.G.A. 43-14-19; the text below is stated from the signed act. (1) WAGE EMPLOYEES — a definitional carve-out, not an exemption section: ‘conditioned air contractor’ by definition ‘shall not include an individual who is an employee of a conditioned air contractor and who receives only a salary or hourly wage for performing conditioned air contracting work’ (O.C.G.A. 43-14-2, definition of conditioned air contractor, renumbered paragraph (5)). An employed HVAC technician on wages therefore needs no Georgia license. (2) IN-PLANT MAINTENANCE (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(c)(5)): the chapter does not apply to ‘regular full-time employees of an institution, manufacturer, or business who perform … conditioned air contracting when working on the premises of their employer’ — the industrial/facility maintenance-staff exemption. (3) HOMEOWNERS AND OCCUPANTS (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(d)(1)): the chapter does not prohibit an individual from installing, altering, or repairing air-conditioning and heating fixtures (among the other trades) ‘in a residential dwelling owned or occupied by such individual’ — note the disjunctive: Georgia extends the do-it-yourself carve-out to a dwelling the individual OCCUPIES, not only one they own — provided all such work conforms to the chapter, board rules, and any applicable county or municipal codes and inspection requirements. There is no dollar cap on this exemption and no minor-work dollar threshold anywhere in the chapter. (4) GOVERNMENT FACILITY MAINTENANCE STAFF (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(d)(2)): an individual on the maintenance staff of a facility owned by the state, a county, a municipality, or another political subdivision may install, alter, or repair air-conditioning and heating fixtures (and the other covered trades) when the work is an integral part of the facility’s maintenance requirements, in conformity with the chapter and board rules. (5) AGRICULTURE (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(d)(3)): any person may install, alter, or repair the covered systems ‘in a farm or ranch service building or as an integral part of any irrigation system on a farm or ranch when such system is not located within 30 feet of any dwelling or any building devoted to animal husbandry’; county/municipal codes and inspections still apply. (6) UTILITIES (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(c)(1), (c)(7)): the chapter does not apply to installation, alteration, or repair of the covered systems ‘up to and including the meters’ where the work is performed by, and is an integral part of, a system owned or operated by a public service corporation, a municipal electrical/water/gas department, a railroad company, a pipeline company, or a mining company in its normal function; nor to any employee or authorized agent of a regulated gas utility or municipally owned gas utility acting in the course and scope of employment. (7) DUCT, CONTROL, AND INSULATION SUBCONTRACTORS (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(f)): a person who contracts WITH a licensed conditioned air contractor, as part of a conditioned air contract, to install, alter, or repair duct systems, control systems, or insulation ‘is not required to hold a license from the Division of Conditioned Air Contractors’ — the licensed contractor retains responsibility for completion of the contract, including subcontracted work. The same subsection draws the boundary: a person who contracts to perform a COMPLETE installation, alteration, or repair of a conditioned air system must hold a valid conditioned air license, and the electrical, low voltage, or plumbing components of a conditioned air system must be done by a licensee of the appropriate division of the board. (8) PROPANE DEALERS — a carve-out with an HVAC-specific limit (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(d)(5)): a properly insured propane dealer holding a liquefied petroleum gas license from the Safety Fire Commissioner may install, repair, or service propane systems and their gas piping, but ‘such propane dealers shall be prohibited from performing the installation of conditioned air systems or forced air heating systems unless licensed to do so under this chapter.’ Also exempt but marginal to HVAC: technicians of municipal/county-franchised CATV systems (c)(4), Department of Public Health-certified on-site wastewater connectors (c)(6), state-fire-marshal-licensed manufactured/mobile home installers for specified utility hookups (c)(8), NESC power/telecom system work (c)(2)-(3), lawn-sprinkler backflow work (d)(4), and DOT-qualified persons for utility-contracting sections (e). Statewide license, no local add-ons: a licensee may work throughout the state and, except as provided in O.C.G.A. 43-14-16, no municipality or county may impose additional licensing requirements (O.C.G.A. 43-14-19(b)).

Fees

Application by examination (Class I Restricted or Class II Non-Restricted): $110 non-refundable. Reinstatement of a license lapsed/expired less than 3 years: $310. Reinstatement of a license lapsed/expired 3 or more years: $310 plus re-examination. License verification: $35.00. Business registration: no fee. All application fees are non-refundable. (The current biennial renewal fee is set in the Secretary of State fee schedule accessed through the GOALS portal; a static current renewal-fee dollar amount is not published on the how-to page and is omitted here rather than guessed.)

Exam

A licensing examination is required and is administered by PSI (psionline.com). The applicant must first be approved by the Board to sit for the exam; upon approval an Exam Approval Letter is issued with PSI registration instructions and is valid for one year. A minimum score of seventy (70) on the appropriate examination is required (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(2)). An applicant who takes and fails the examination twice must submit documentation of completion of a Board-approved review course before being scheduled for a third examination (r. 121-3-.03); the review course must meet the qualifications set out in r. 121-2-.06, and the Board publishes a list of approved review-course providers. An applicant who fails a third time is not required to complete additional courses before subsequent attempts (r. 121-2-.06(1)).

Renewal & continuing education

Biennial. Conditioned air contractor licenses expire November 30 of odd-numbered years. Renewal is completed online through the GOALS portal (the renewal period runs September through November of odd years and must be completed by November 30); a late-renewal period runs December 1–31 of odd years. Four (4) continuing education hours are required each year — a total of 8 hours per biennial renewal (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-4-.03(2)). Exemptions and reductions apply: an applicant for renewal who has been initially licensed for less than ONE year is not required to complete any continuing education, and one initially licensed for less than two years must have completed four (4) hours while licensed prior to renewal (r. 121-4-.03(2)). The Division may WAIVE the requirement on documentation of hardship, disability, or illness, or under such other circumstances as it deems appropriate; that decision is conclusive (r. 121-4-.03(7)). Continuing education is not required of any licensed conditioned air contractor who is a registered professional engineer (r. 121-4-.03(8), citing O.C.G.A. § 43-14-6(d)(5)). Courses must relate to safety, technological advances, business management, or government regulations and be conducted by an approved provider; manufacturer courses run specifically to promote their own products are not approved (r. 121-4-.03(4)). Licensees must keep completion records for five (5) years and may be randomly selected for a CE audit (the random-audit practice is stated on the Board’s FAQ; r. 121-4-.03(5)-(6) requires the 5-year records and their production on request).

How to apply

Applications are handled by Georgia State Board of Conditioned Air Contractors (Division of Conditioned Air Contractors of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board), administered by the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division. Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia require a state license to do HVAC work?

Georgia requires a state license to engage in conditioned air CONTRACTING. The Division of Conditioned Air Contractors issues Conditioned Air Contractor Class I (Restricted) and Class II (Non-Restricted) licenses, and a business doing conditioned air contracting must have a licensed qualifying individual regularly connected with it on a full-time basis.

Does Georgia license individual HVAC technicians?

No. Georgia licenses the conditioned air contractor, not individual technicians. There is no state-issued technician, helper, journeyman, or apprentice license. A worker employed by a licensed and registered conditioned air business does not personally hold a Georgia conditioned air license; the business’s qualifying licensee does, and that licensee must supervise and be responsible for the work (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-6-.01(1)).

What is the difference between a Class I and Class II conditioned air license?

Class I (Restricted) is limited to systems or equipment not exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling. Class II (Non-Restricted) has no capacity limitation. For classifying systems against those caps, each complete system in a single installation is considered an individual job (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.04(1)).

What extra documents do Class II (non-restricted) applicants need?

Every applicant submits proof of completion of the Manuals J&D (or AIR1060) course. Non-restricted applicants must ALSO submit proof of completion of Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1, 2 & 3, taken through a Board-approved provider. Class II applicants must additionally document installations of systems exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling.

Which EPA certification does Georgia accept?

The Board requires EPA Certification of “Type II or higher.” EPA certification is a federal refrigerant-handling credential that must be submitted with the application; it is separate from, and not a substitute for, the Georgia conditioned air contractor license.

Does Georgia have HVAC license reciprocity with other states?

No. The Board states that “reciprocity with other states is not offered at this time.” Board Rule 121-2-.03 does authorise the Divisions to enter written agreements for licensure by endorsement or reciprocity, but none is currently on offer for conditioned air contractors.

How much does the Georgia conditioned air contractor license cost?

The application by examination is $110 (non-refundable) for both Class I and Class II. Reinstatement of a lapsed license is $310 (plus re-examination if lapsed 3 or more years), and a license verification is $35. Business registration has no fee. The current renewal and late-renewal fee amounts are published only in the Secretary of State fee schedule inside the GOALS portal.

How often is the license renewed, and is continuing education required?

Licenses renew biennially and expire November 30 of odd-numbered years, renewed online through the GOALS portal. Four continuing education hours are required each year (8 per renewal). A licensee initially licensed for less than one year owes no CE before their first renewal; one licensed for less than two years owes four hours. The Division may waive CE for documented hardship, disability, or illness, and CE is not required of licensees who are also registered professional engineers.

What happens if I fail the Georgia conditioned air exam?

If you fail twice, you must submit documentation of completion of a Board-approved review course before you can be scheduled for a third examination (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-3-.03; the course must meet the qualifications in r. 121-2-.06). If you fail a third time, no additional course is required before subsequent attempts.

Do veterans or military spouses get any advantage?

Yes. Veterans may receive examination point credits — five points, or ten points for a disabled veteran officially rated at ten percent or above — on providing a DD-214 showing at least 90 days served during wartime or a conflict when military personnel were committed by the President. Military spouses and transitioning service members may qualify for expedited processing of the application (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 121-2-.12).

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Georgia.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 22, 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.