Indiana HVAC Technician License: County & City Rules (No State Board)

Indiana does not issue a statewide HVAC technician license — licensing happens at the county and city level. Who actually licenses HVAC technicians and where to check, verified from official sources.

Requirements at a glance

No Indiana state HVAC license exists (nothing to apply for at the state level): The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) is the state's central occupational-licensing body, and HVAC, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, mechanical contracting, and electrician work appear nowhere on its roster. The PLA professions index runs from Accountancy to Veterinary Medicine and includes Plumbing (Indiana licenses plumbers at the state level) but no heating/cooling or mechanical board. Every HVAC credential in Indiana is issued below the state level by a city or county building authority.
State law preserves LOCAL trade licensing (IC 36-1-22): Indiana's one state-level intervention runs the opposite way from a state license: IC 36-1-22-5 bars local licensing of home BUILDERS/REMODELERS ('After February 28, 2013, a political subdivision may not adopt an ordinance ... providing that a builder or remodeler must be licensed, certified, permitted, registered, or listed ... as a condition to ... constructing a new residential dwelling; or ... remodeling an existing residential dwelling'), but IC 36-1-22-6 expressly PRESERVES local trade licensing: the chapter does not prohibit a political subdivision from 'Requiring a person who engages in a specific building or construction trade, including an electrician, a plumber, a tile layer, a landscaper, or a practitioner of another specific trade, to be licensed, permitted, registered, or listed by the political subdivision before engaging in the specific building or construction trade,' and it leaves pre-March-1-2013 ordinances and all building-permit authority intact. HVAC is 'another specific trade,' so cities and counties remain fully free to license it.
Indianapolis / Marion County - Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners (BNS), Code Chapter 875 Article III: In Indianapolis, licensure as a heating and cooling contractor 'of the appropriate type is required to install, modernize, replace, service or repair all or any part of a heating system, space heating equipment, a cooling system' or related equipment (Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, Ch. 875, Art. III, administered by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services). License types: Air Conditioning 'A' (unrestricted); Air Conditioning 'B' (25 tons cooling / 500,000 Btu heating, boiler pressure not exceeding 30 psi); Air Conditioning 'D' (single phase, 5-ton cooling / 300,000 Btu/hr heating, boiler pressures 15 psig steam and 30 psig water); Refrigeration; High Pressure Steam; plus service-only variants. Requirements (indy.gov 'HVAC Exam Information'): at least 5 years of HVACR experience (or a combination of industry education and practical experience) verified on employer letterhead; three signed reference letters from the HVACR industry; a copy of EPA certification; a resume and application submitted to the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners (8 members; meets the second Monday of each month) at least 10 business days before the meeting; a Board interview; and a passing score of 70% or higher on the Prov Inc. exam. After passing: a surety bond, general liability insurance, and workers' compensation must be filed with the proper fees. A reciprocal license is available to holders of an equivalent Prometric/Prov license in another jurisdiction.
Indianapolis - bond ($5,000), insurance ($500,000 + workers' comp), by ordinance: Marion County Code Sec. 875-315 requires a surety bond whose obligation is limited to five thousand dollars ($5,000.00); the license administrator may accept an irrevocable letter of credit of $5,000 in lieu. Sec. 875-316 requires 'A public liability and property damage insurance policy assuring the licensee and naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis as an additional assured ... in the minimum amounts of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) for combined bodily injury and property damage coverage,' plus workmen's compensation insurance covering employees; the carrier must give the city at least 15 days' notice before cancellation or non-renewal. (The exact license application fee is set in Ch. 875, Art. VII, Sec. 875-701; the amount could not be read from the online code and is omitted here rather than guessed.)
Fort Wayne / Allen County - Allen County Building Department (ACBD), Section F: In the Fort Wayne area, HVAC trades are licensed and registered by the Allen County Building Department under its Rules and Regulations (Nineteenth Edition, effective 9/6/2024; authority Allen County Code 6-1-3-3), Section F 'Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, and Duct Systems.' A CONTRACTOR (business, firm, company, or corporation) must obtain a Business Registration and must employ a licensed HVAC Supervisor. A SUPERVISOR License requires at least 4 years and 7,000 hours as a Journeyman in the category sought, in one of three categories: Air Conditioning A (HVAC and duct systems with no BTU limitation), Air Conditioning B (500,000 BTU heating or less and 25 tons cooling or less, including fuel/refrigerant lines), or Sheet Metal C. A JOURNEYMAN License requires 4 years and 7,000 hours as a registered Apprentice (approved apprentice schooling can count for 1,000 hours, allowing the Journeyman test at 3 years / 6,000 hours). An APPRENTICE needs no license but must register and work under direct supervision. Restriction: hydronics (steam/hot-water boilers and piping, duct heaters) and refrigerant systems maintaining below 60F must be done by a licensed non-sanitary piping contractor. All contractors must be registered with the ACBD before pulling permits.
Fort Wayne / Allen County - annual fees: Allen County Building Department fee schedule (Chapter 4), 'Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Duct Systems': Contractor Business Registration $90.00; Supervisors (all categories) $25.00; Journeymans (all categories) $15.00; Apprentice Registration $10.00 - all annual. A penalty of $50.00 per day may be imposed for working without an active license or registration. The examination fee is prescribed by the Building Commissioner (with Board approval) and is not a fixed figure in the rules.
Evansville / Vanderburgh County - Building Commission: The Evansville and Vanderburgh County Building Commission licenses HVAC trades. Categories (Categories & Definitions): 'Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installer' (installing/altering/repairing/servicing gravity or forced-air heating, air conditioning rated at 5 tons or less when refrigeration piping is included - 15 tons or less if a packaged unit - ventilating, ductwork and sheet metal, but NOT boilers/steam/hot-water piping); 'Journeyman' and 'Apprentice' HVAC; plus 'Master Refrigeration Installer' and 'Master Steam Fitter' (boilers, solar heaters, hydronic piping). Process: obtain three (3) letters of recommendation proving at least four (4) years of field experience (HVAC letters must be on letterhead and notarized); the application goes to the board for approval to test; the exam is scheduled and paid through Ivy Tech. 'Electrical Masters, Master Mechanical, Sheet Metal, Ventilation and Refrigeration exams must receive a score of 75% or higher on each part to pass' (70% for other trades). After passing, the Building Commission issues a provisional license on proof of insurance, surety bond, and workers' compensation.
Evansville / Vanderburgh County - bond ($25,000), insurance, and CE: Surety Bond: 'Each applicant for a Master's or Contractor or Sub-Contractor License shall ... deliver to the Building Commission a Surety Bond in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00).' General liability insurance: not less than $1,000,000 for a Masters License / Commercial General Contractor / Unlimited Roofing; $500,000 for a Residential General Contractor / Limited Roofing / Wrecking / Sign Erector Class B; and $300,000 for all other Sub-Contractor Licenses. Workers' compensation coverage (or an affidavit that Indiana law does not require it) is also required. The city states 'Continuing Education is required for a Contractor to keep their License' (exact hours and the per-license application-fee amounts are published in the Building Commission's separate Fee Schedule document, which could not be read online; they are omitted here rather than guessed).
FEDERAL (everywhere in Indiana) - EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification: Separate from every Indiana local license: under the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR part 82, subpart F, a technician who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is a FEDERAL credential, held by the individual technician, and it is neither issued by nor accepted in place of any Indiana city or county HVAC license. Indianapolis, for example, requires a copy of the applicant's EPA certification as part of its local license application - the two stack, they do not substitute.

Legal basis

Indiana does not license HVAC technicians at the state level.

Indiana does NOT license HVAC at the state level. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) is the state’s central occupational-licensing body, and its professions index - which runs from Accountancy to Veterinary Medicine and includes Plumbing (Indiana licenses plumbers at the state level) - contains no heating, cooling, air conditioning, refrigeration, mechanical, or electrician board. There is no state HVAC license to apply for, no state board, no state exam, and no state fee schedule. Indianapolis’s own guidance says it plainly: ‘Licensing is at the discretion of the local municipality in the state of Indiana. There is not a state heating and cooling license.’

The positive proof that authority sits below the state is in Indiana’s own preemption statute, which deliberately does NOT reach HVAC. IC 36-1-22-5 bars a political subdivision, after February 28, 2013, from requiring a residential BUILDER or REMODELER to be licensed as a condition of building or remodeling a dwelling. But IC 36-1-22-6 preserves local TRADE licensing: the chapter does not prohibit a political subdivision from ‘Requiring a person who engages in a specific building or construction trade, including an electrician, a plumber, a tile layer, a landscaper, or a practitioner of another specific trade, to be licensed, permitted, registered, or listed by the political subdivision before engaging in the specific building or construction trade,’ and it leaves pre-March-2013 ordinances and all building-permit authority intact. HVAC is ‘another specific trade,’ so cities and counties license it as they see fit - and the standards, categories, and fees vary by jurisdiction. Three major regimes are documented here.

INDIANAPOLIS / MARION COUNTY licenses heating and cooling contractors through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services under Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, Chapter 875, Article III, with a Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners (8 members, meeting the second Monday of each month). The license comes in types by capacity - Air Conditioning ‘A’ (unrestricted), ‘B’ (25 tons cooling / 500,000 Btu heating), ‘D’ (single-phase, 5-ton cooling / 300,000 Btu/hr heating), Refrigeration, and High Pressure Steam, plus service-only variants. To qualify, an applicant submits (at least 10 business days before a Board meeting) an application, resume, verification of at least five years of HVACR experience on employer letterhead (education plus practical experience can combine to meet it), at least three industry reference letters, and a copy of EPA certification; appears before the Board for an interview; and, if approved, passes the Prov Inc. exam with 70% or higher. After passing, the contractor files a surety bond (obligation limited to $5,000, Sec. 875-315), general liability insurance of $500,000 combined bodily injury and property damage naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis as an additional assured, and workmen’s compensation (Sec. 875-316), with the license fees set in Article VII.

FORT WAYNE / ALLEN COUNTY licenses HVAC through the Allen County Building Department (Rules and Regulations, Nineteenth Edition effective 9/6/2024; authority Allen County Code 6-1-3-3), Section F. A contractor obtains a Business Registration and must employ a licensed HVAC Supervisor; the Supervisor License requires 4 years and 7,000 hours as a Journeyman (categories Air Conditioning A unrestricted, Air Conditioning B at 500,000 BTU heating / 25 tons cooling or less, or Sheet Metal C); the Journeyman License requires 4 years and 7,000 hours as a registered Apprentice; and an Apprentice needs no license but must register and work under supervision. Annual fees are $90 (contractor registration), $25 (supervisor), $15 (journeyman), and $10 (apprentice), and all contractors must be registered before pulling permits.

EVANSVILLE / VANDERBURGH COUNTY licenses HVAC through the Building Commission. Its categories include ‘Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installer’ (forced-air heating and air conditioning up to 5 tons with refrigeration piping, or 15 tons as a packaged unit, but not boilers), with Journeyman and Apprentice tiers, plus separate Master Refrigeration Installer and Master Steam Fitter licenses. An applicant provides three notarized reference letters proving four years of experience, passes an Ivy Tech-administered exam (75% to pass the Master Mechanical, Sheet Metal, Ventilation, and Refrigeration exams; 70% otherwise), and files a $25,000 surety bond, general liability insurance ($1,000,000 for a Masters License; $300,000 for other sub-contractor licenses), and workers’ compensation; continuing education is required to keep the license.

Finally, and separately from every Indiana license: EPA Section 608 certification is FEDERAL. Under the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR part 82, subpart F, anyone who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant must be Section 608 certified. It applies everywhere in Indiana, is held by the individual technician, and is not a substitute for - or a component of - any city or county HVAC license (Indianapolis, for instance, requires a copy of it in addition to its local license).

What it’s called

Indiana does not issue an HVAC license at the state level; heating and cooling contractors and technicians are licensed by the individual city or county (e.g., Indianapolis’s Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners, the Allen County Building Department in the Fort Wayne area, and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission). A search for an ‘Indiana HVAC license’ maps to that LOCAL license from the local building or permits authority - and within those localities the credential is generally held by the contracting business plus a qualified master/supervisor, not by every technician. ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license,’ ‘heating and cooling license,’ and ‘mechanical license’ are common informal names for the local credential. Separately, the federal EPA Section 608 certification (to handle refrigerants) is a nationwide requirement, not a state or local HVAC license.

Who does NOT need a license — exemptions

Indiana has no state HVAC licensing scheme, so there is no state-level exemption; the operative carve-outs are local, and Indiana law (IC 36-1-22-6) leaves each city and county free to write its own. Documented examples: INDIANAPOLIS - Marion County Code Sec. 875-321 (‘Heating and cooling work on one’s own property’) provides that ‘A person, who both owns and occupies a one- or two-family residential structure or who desires to construct such a structure for his or her own occupancy on real estate owned by the person personally, may perform heating and cooling work for which a license would be otherwise required by this article, without having such a license; provided that, if a building permit is required … such person shall obtain (1) the building permit … and (2) the written approval from the board or its designee that the person has sufficient knowledge and technical skill to accomplish the work’ - and, separately, the ordinance exempts ‘A person not licensed under this article’ who does heating and cooling work ‘in carrying out ordinary maintenance and repair … in the regular course of his sole, full-time employment by the owner of the premises,’ while adding that ‘Persons, partnerships or corporations engaged in the business of service and repair … must be licensed.’ EVANSVILLE - the Building Commission’s ‘Homeowners Exception’ issues a permit to the owner (or immediate family) ’to perform work in or about his/her current residence and/or a new or remodeled one- or two-family residence in which he/she resides for a minimum of two (2) years,’ on the owner’s affidavit that the owner or immediate family will do the work, and reserves the right to require a licensed contractor if the inspector finds the owner not capable; footing/foundation/framing/roofing subcontracted to non-family must still be done by a licensed contractor. FORT WAYNE / ALLEN COUNTY - an HVAC Apprentice needs no license, but must register with the Building Department and may not work without the direct on-site supervision of a licensed Supervisor or Journeyman. Because these carve-outs are jurisdiction-specific, an exemption in one Indiana city says nothing about another - the reader must check the local ordinance. Indiana state law itself contains no HVAC-licensing scheme and therefore no state-level exemption from one.

Where to get licensed

There is no statewide Indiana board to call. Identify the city and county where the work will be performed, then contact that locality’s building or permits authority.

INDIANAPOLIS / MARION COUNTY: Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners. Submit the exam packet (application, resume, 5-year HVACR employment verification on letterhead, three industry reference letters, EPA certification copy, driver’s license) to the Board Coordinator at least 10 business days before a monthly meeting (second Monday); after a Board interview and a 70% Prov exam, file a $5,000 surety bond, $500,000 general liability naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis as additional assured, and workers’ compensation with the proper fees. Packet by email to the Board Coordinator or mailed to Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners, 200 E. Washington Street, Suite 107, Indianapolis, IN 46204; applications to [email protected] .

FORT WAYNE / ALLEN COUNTY: Allen County Building Department (ACBD Licensing (260) 449-7342; main office (260) 449-7131). Register the contracting business, and license Supervisors/Journeymen in the Air Conditioning A/B or Sheet Metal C categories; register before pulling any permit. Annual fees: $90 contractor registration, $25 supervisor, $15 journeyman, $10 apprentice.

EVANSVILLE / VANDERBURGH COUNTY: Evansville and Vanderburgh County Building Commission, 1 NW Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 310, Evansville, IN 47708, (812) 436-7880. Provide three notarized reference letters proving four years’ experience, pass the Ivy Tech exam (75% for Master Mechanical/Sheet Metal/Ventilation/Refrigeration), and file a $25,000 surety bond, general liability insurance, and workers’ compensation; continuing education is required to renew.

OTHER INDIANA CITIES AND COUNTIES: this record covers only Indianapolis, Fort Wayne/Allen County, and Evansville/Vanderburgh County; other jurisdictions set their own rules - contact the local building/permit office where the property is located. The Indiana PLA (in.gov/pla) does NOT license HVAC and cannot help beyond confirming the profession is not state-regulated.

EVERYWHERE IN INDIANA: if your work involves refrigerants, obtain EPA Section 608 certification - a FEDERAL credential (40 CFR part 82, subpart F), held by the individual technician, separate from every Indiana local license.

Frequently asked questions

Does Indiana require a state HVAC license?

No. Indiana issues no statewide HVAC, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, or mechanical-contractor license. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency - the state’s central licensing body - regulates dozens of professions (including plumbing) but not HVAC or any construction trade. Indianapolis’s own guidance says it directly: ‘Licensing is at the discretion of the local municipality in the state of Indiana. There is not a state heating and cooling license.’ The credential you need is issued by the city or county where you work.

If there's no state license, why can a city still require one?

Because Indiana law expressly preserves local trade licensing. IC 36-1-22-5 stops cities and counties from licensing home builders and remodelers, but IC 36-1-22-6 says the chapter does not prohibit a political subdivision from requiring ‘a person who engages in a specific building or construction trade, including an electrician, a plumber … or a practitioner of another specific trade, to be licensed, permitted, registered, or listed … before engaging in the … trade,’ and it keeps every pre-March-2013 ordinance and all building-permit authority intact. HVAC is ‘another specific trade,’ so local HVAC licensing is fully lawful - and common.

How do you get an HVAC license in Indianapolis?

Through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services and its Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners (Code Ch. 875, Art. III). Submit an application, resume, verification of at least five years of HVACR experience on employer letterhead, three industry reference letters, and a copy of your EPA certification at least 10 business days before a monthly Board meeting; appear for a Board interview; then pass the Prov exam with 70% or higher. After passing, file a surety bond (obligation limited to $5,000), $500,000 general liability insurance naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis as an additional assured, and workers’ compensation. License types are set by capacity - Air Conditioning ‘A’ (unrestricted), ‘B’ (25 tons / 500,000 Btu), ‘D’ (5 tons / 300,000 Btu/hr), Refrigeration, and High Pressure Steam.

How is HVAC licensing different in Fort Wayne and Evansville?

Both license HVAC locally, but the details differ. In FORT WAYNE, the Allen County Building Department (Section F of its Rules, effective 9/6/2024) registers the contractor’s business and licenses Supervisors (4 years / 7,000 hours as a journeyman) and Journeymen (4 years / 7,000 hours as an apprentice) in Air Conditioning A/B or Sheet Metal C categories; annual fees are $90 (contractor registration), $25 (supervisor), $15 (journeyman), and $10 (apprentice), and you must register before pulling a permit. In EVANSVILLE, the Building Commission requires three notarized letters proving four years of experience, an Ivy Tech exam (75% to pass the Master Mechanical, Sheet Metal, Ventilation, and Refrigeration exams), a $25,000 surety bond, general liability insurance ($1,000,000 for a Masters license; $300,000 for sub-contractor licenses), workers’ compensation, and continuing education to renew.

Do I need a license to work on my own home's HVAC in Indiana?

That depends on the local ordinance, and the documented cities do provide homeowner carve-outs. In INDIANAPOLIS, Code Sec. 875-321 lets a person who both owns and occupies a one- or two-family residence (or is building one for their own occupancy on land they own personally) perform heating and cooling work without a license - but if a permit is required, the owner must obtain the building permit and the Board’s written approval that they have sufficient knowledge and skill. In EVANSVILLE, a permit may be issued to the owner (or immediate family) for their own current residence or a new/remodeled one- or two-family residence in which they reside for at least two years, on an affidavit that the owner or family will do the work. These are local exemptions, not statewide rules.

Is EPA 608 certification an Indiana HVAC license?

No. EPA Section 608 is a FEDERAL credential (Clean Air Act, 40 CFR part 82, subpart F) required of anyone who handles refrigerants, held by the individual technician. It applies everywhere in Indiana but does not replace a city or county HVAC license - Indianapolis, for example, requires a copy of your EPA certification as part of its local license application. The two stack; they are not substitutes.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Indiana.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 23, 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.

Requirements at a glance

What it’s called

Who does NOT need a license — exemptions

Where to get licensed

Frequently asked questions

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