Louisiana HVAC Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

Louisiana licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual HVAC technicians. PSI exam — verified from Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) (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 (the $10,000 mechanical threshold): 'No person may engage in the business of contracting, or act as a contractor as defined in this Chapter, unless he holds an active license as a contractor' (R.S. 37:2158(A)). A 'mechanical contractor' is defined as one who performs 'the construction, installation, maintenance, testing, and repair of air conditioning, refrigeration, heating systems, and plumbing for all residential, commercial, and industrial applications as well as ventilation systems ... for which the project value is ten thousand dollars or more' (R.S. 37:2150.1(13)). So HVAC/mechanical work exceeding $10,000 (labor and materials combined) requires an LSLBC contractor license in the Mechanical classification or the Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration subclassification, whether the property is residential, commercial or industrial. Below $10,000, a mechanical contractor license is not required for that work (though local permitting and code requirements are not waived, R.S. 37:2157(B)). Engaging in contracting without the required license is subject to cease-and-desist orders, fines and criminal penalty (R.S. 37:2158, 37:2163).
Louisiana licenses the CONTRACTOR through a qualifying party: The license is held by the contracting business (the 'licensee'), which qualifies for the classification through a designated qualifying party. The qualifying party must successfully complete the trade examination(s) and eligibility requirements, and must be either an owner/member or a full-time employee of the licensee working at least 32 hours per week who meets the IRS definition of an employee (LAC 46:XXIX.109; R.S. 37:2156.1(D)). A worker employed by a licensed contractor does not personally need a license - 'any employee of any licensee' is exempt (R.S. 37:2157(A)(12)). The LSLBC contractor database is searchable by qualifying party, reflecting this business-plus-qualifying-party structure.
Financial statement and net worth: An applicant must submit a financial statement current to within twelve months of filing, prepared and signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA and signed by the applicant (R.S. 37:2156.1(B)(1)). Residential and commercial licenses and their subclassifications (which includes the Mechanical and HVAC classifications) must show a net worth of $50,000 or more; Home Improvement, mold remediation and labor-only specialties must show $25,000 or more. An applicant lacking the required net worth may satisfy it with an irrevocable letter of credit for the shortfall (R.S. 37:2156.1(B)(2)).
Examination and Business and Law course: The qualifying party must pass the applicable trade examination, administered by PSI (test-takers.psiexams.com/lacon; a Candidate Information Bulletin with the content outline is posted per test). For the HVAC/mechanical classification the trade exam is the Mechanical exam (major classification 6) or the Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration exam (subclassification 6.1). Commercial (and residential) applicants must additionally complete a Business and Law course as part of the application (LSLBC 'Licensing Requirements for Contractors in Louisiana').
Plumbing performed by a mechanical contractor: The Mechanical classification's scope includes plumbing and gas/process piping, but a mechanical contractor who performs PLUMBING work with a value over $10,000 must possess a master plumber license issued by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (LSLBC Classification List). The mechanical/HVAC license does not by itself authorize over-$10,000 plumbing work.
Local codes and permitting not waived: The state license does not displace local building-permit and health/life-safety code requirements: 'The provisions of this Section shall not be construed to waive local and state health and life safety code requirements' (R.S. 37:2157(B)). Municipalities and parishes retain local regulatory authority and permit offices (R.S. 37:2160). Confirm parish/municipal mechanical-permitting requirements for the jurisdiction where the work is performed.

Legal basis

Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) administers HVAC contractor licensing in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana the state HVAC credential is a contractor license issued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) in the ‘Mechanical’ major classification, or its subclassification ‘Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration’ (classification code 6.1). Searchers’ folk terms - ‘HVAC license,’ ‘AC license,’ ‘air conditioning license,’ ‘mechanical license’ - all map to this LSLBC classification. The credential is held by the contracting BUSINESS through a qualifying party, not issued as an individual technician’s card, and Louisiana issues no separate state ‘journeyman’ or ‘master’ HVAC license (a master license exists only for plumbing, through the separate State Plumbing Board of Louisiana). A worker employed by a licensed contractor needs no license of their own (R.S. 37:2157(A)(12)). Separately, EPA Section 608 refrigerant-handling certification is a FEDERAL credential held by the individual technician - it is not the Louisiana contractor license and does not substitute for it.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Mechanical (major classification 6)	The Mechanical major classification is the broad HVAC/mechanical license. Its scope covers 'Hydraulic and pneumatic systems, including such components as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, hydronic and steam systems, pressure vessels, plumbing, gas piping, process piping, mechanical equipment, air and process heaters and seals, and air vacuums and filters.' A license is required when the value exceeds $10,000 (LSLBC Classification List). A mechanical contractor who performs PLUMBING work valued over $10,000 must additionally hold a master plumber license with the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. The license is held by the contracting BUSINESS through a designated qualifying party (an owner or a full-time employee working at least 32 hours/week) who passes the exam on the company's behalf (LAC 46:XXIX.109; R.S. 37:2156.1(D)).	Trade Exam (Mechanical), administered by PSI (test-takers.psiexams.com/lacon). Passing the Mechanical major-classification trade exam licenses the contractor for HVAC and the other Mechanical subclassifications. Commercial applicants must also complete a Business and Law course (LSLBC Licensing Requirements).	LSLBC fees, set by the board and capped by statute at these amounts (R.S. 37:2156(C)): license fee $100, renewal fee $100, examination fee $50, delinquent fee $50. PSI charges its own separate trade-exam fee. Commercial applicants must file a financial statement showing a minimum $50,000 net worth (R.S. 37:2156.1(B)(2)). A non-Louisiana-domiciled applicant may be assessed an out-of-state investigation surcharge of up to $400 (R.S. 37:2156(D)).
Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration (subclassification 6.1 of Mechanical)	The HVAC-specific subclassification of Mechanical: 'The installation, maintenance or repair of air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, coolers, freezers, and ice rinks.' A license is required when the value exceeds $10,000 (LSLBC Classification List, release date August 8, 2025). Taking this subclassification limits the license to HVAC/refrigeration work; taking the full Mechanical major classification instead covers HVAC plus all other Mechanical subclasses. Held by the business through a qualifying party.	Trade Exam (Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration - classification code 6.1), administered by PSI. Commercial applicants must also complete a Business and Law course.	Same LSLBC fee schedule as the Mechanical classification: $100 license, $100 renewal, $50 examination fee (PSI trade-exam fee separate), $50 delinquent fee; $50,000 net-worth financial statement required; up to $400 out-of-state surcharge (R.S. 37:2156).
Residential Building Contractor / Home Improvement Registration (residential HVAC pathways)	For HVAC done as part of residential work rather than as a standalone commercial mechanical job. A RESIDENTIAL license is required for residential construction of $50,000 or more, or any project requiring structural work (R.S. 37:2150.1(4)(ii)). A HOME IMPROVEMENT REGISTRATION is required for improvements/repairs to an existing residential structure valued over $7,500 but not more than $50,000 (R.S. 37:2150.1(4)(iii); 37:2159). Note the interaction: mechanical/HVAC work valued over $10,000 is carved OUT of the residential-subcontractor and home-improvement exemptions, so it still requires the Mechanical license (or subclass) in its own right (R.S. 37:2157(A)(17),(18)).	Residential Building Contractor requires the residential trade exam and a Business and Law course; Home Improvement registrants must complete a Business and Law course. Both are held by the business through a qualifying party.	LSLBC fees: license/registration $100 (Home Improvement fee $50), renewal $100, examination fee $50 (R.S. 37:2156(C)). Residential and commercial licenses require a $50,000 net-worth financial statement; Home Improvement registration requires a $25,000 net-worth financial statement, proof of general liability insurance of at least $100,000, and proof of workers' compensation coverage (R.S. 37:2156.1(B)(2); LSLBC Licensing Requirements).

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Louisiana licenses HVAC as a ‘mechanical contractor’ through the LSLBC, and the exemptions from that requirement come first from the $10,000 project-value THRESHOLD baked into the definition and then from the statutory exemptions list. THRESHOLD: a ‘mechanical contractor’ license is required only where the HVAC/mechanical project value is ’ten thousand dollars or more’ (R.S. 37:2150.1(13)); mechanical work at or under $10,000 does not require the mechanical license (local permits and codes are not waived). STATUTORY EXEMPTIONS (La. R.S. 37:2157(A)) - ‘The provisions of this Part shall not apply to any of the following’: (1) public utilities (gas, electric, telephone) subject to PSC or New Orleans council regulation, for their authorized service work; (2) ‘Owners of property who supervise, superintend, oversee, direct, or in any manner assume charge of the construction, alteration, repair, improvement … or maintenance of any building … on that property, for use by the owner, and which will not be for sale or rent, and the control of access to which shall be controlled by the owner so that only employees and nonpublic invitees are allowed access’; (3) persons donating labor to build or maintain a church-owned building dedicated to worship (affidavit of exemption required for the permit); (4) farmers doing construction for agricultural purposes on owned/leased land; (5) work on projects totally owned by the federal government; (6) rail or pipeline construction on property one owns or leases; (7) volunteers on projects funded by the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant / Louisiana Small Towns Environment Program; (8) suppliers/manufacturers assembling/repairing/moving proprietary equipment supplied to a contractor for use solely on a construction project; (9) ‘The manufactured housing industry or any person engaged in any type of service, warranty, repair, or home improvement work on factory-built, residential dwellings that are mounted on chassis and wheels’; (10) work on projects paid from the Oilfield Site Restoration Fund or CARES Act monies; (11) dewatering or water mitigation work; (12) ‘Any employee of any licensee’ (the exemption that lets an HVAC technician work for a licensed contractor without an individual license); (13) owner-builders supervising or maintaining their own personal residence, if the homeowner does not build more than one residence per year (with a marital-status/relocation exception; affidavit of exemption required for the permit); (14) persons performing residential-contractor work in areas or municipalities with no permitting procedure; (15) home-improvement-licensure exemptions - (a) a residential property owner physically performing home improvement on his own residence, (b) building or residential construction contractors, (c) persons working exclusively in landscaping or interior painting/wall covering; (16) mold-remediation-licensure exemptions for property owners and for owners/tenants (or their managing agents/employees) working on their own property (not for the public); (17) ‘Any person performing work as a subcontractor for a residential construction license holder, except for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, mold remediation, asbestos, or hazardous materials scopes of work’; (18) ‘Any person performing home improvement work for a building construction license holder, except for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, mold remediation, asbestos, or hazardous material scopes of work’; and (19) ‘Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing licensees who are acting exclusively within the scope of their classification.’ CRITICAL FOR HVAC: exemptions (17) and (18) EXPRESSLY EXCLUDE mechanical (HVAC) scopes, so a mechanical subcontractor on a residential or home-improvement job is NOT exempt and still needs the mechanical license once the $10,000 threshold is met. LIMIT (R.S. 37:2157(B)): ‘The provisions of this Section shall not be construed to waive local and state health and life safety code requirements.’ Sources searched for exemptions: the statute (La. R.S. 37:2150.1 definitions and 37:2157 exemptions) and the LSLBC classification/types pages; no additional HVAC exemptions were found beyond those above.

Fees

LSLBC fees are set by the board and capped by statute at the following amounts (R.S. 37:2156(C)): examination fee $50, license fee $100, renewal fee $100, delinquent fee $50, Home Improvement fee $50. The basic license fee may be no more than $100, and additional classifications on the same license are a lesser amount set by the board (R.S. 37:2156(B)(1)). A contractor not domiciled in Louisiana may be assessed an additional out-of-state investigation surcharge of up to $400 (R.S. 37:2156(D)). These are the LSLBC’s own fees; the PSI trade-exam fee is separate and paid to PSI, and applicants must also carry the required net worth ($50,000 for commercial/mechanical) and any applicable insurance. Each renewal also carries a $100-per-year dedication to construction education (R.S. 37:2156(K)(1)), included by default unless the licensee opts out - so the default renewal payment is the renewal fee plus $100 per year. Fees must be paid before a license is issued or changed (R.S. 37:2156(B)(3)).

Exam

HVAC contractors qualify by passing a trade examination administered by PSI Services (test-takers.psiexams.com/lacon), taken by the business’s qualifying party. The relevant exams are the Mechanical trade exam (major classification 6 - passing it covers HVAC plus all Mechanical subclassifications) or the narrower Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration trade exam (subclassification 6.1, HVAC/refrigeration only). PSI posts a Candidate Information Bulletin with the content outline and reference list for each exam. In addition to the trade exam, commercial and residential applicants must complete a Business and Law course as part of the LSLBC application. The LSLBC’s own examination/board fee is capped at $50 (R.S. 37:2156(C)(1)); PSI charges its own separate exam fee. Question counts and time limits are set by PSI per exam and are not restated here rather than guessed - see the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for the specific classification.

Renewal & continuing education

Licenses expire on the anniversary of the date the license was originally issued. At renewal the licensee elects a one-, two-, or three-year term (licenses may be issued for up to a three-year term; licenses dependent on insurance requirements or certifications are not eligible for multi-year renewal) (R.S. 37:2156(H)(1)). After expiration there is a 15-day grace period to file the renewal without penalty; a renewal filed more than 15 days after the expiration date is charged a delinquent fee of up to $50 (R.S. 37:2156(H)(1)). None for the commercial/mechanical (HVAC) license. LSLBC states plainly: ‘There are no continuing education requirements for commercial, mold, or home improvement contractors/registrants.’ Continuing education applies only to RESIDENTIAL BUILDING contractors, who must complete a minimum of 6 hours annually through a board-approved provider (a residential building contractor who also holds a valid commercial license in one of the major classifications of Building Construction; Highway, Street and Bridge Construction; Heavy Construction; or Municipal and Public Works Construction is deemed to have met the 6-hour requirement) (LSLBC Continuing Education page). Because the HVAC credential is a Mechanical (commercial) classification, no state CE is required to renew it.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

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

For most jobs, yes. Louisiana requires an LSLBC contractor license in the Mechanical classification (or the Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration subclassification) once the HVAC/mechanical work exceeds $10,000 in combined labor and materials, for residential, commercial or industrial applications (R.S. 37:2150.1(13)). Below $10,000 that mechanical license is not required for the work (local permits and codes still apply). Louisiana licenses the contracting business through a qualifying party, so an employed HVAC technician does not personally need a license - ‘any employee of any licensee’ is exempt (R.S. 37:2157(A)(12)).

What is the Louisiana HVAC license called?

It is a contractor license issued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) in the ‘Mechanical’ major classification, or its subclassification ‘Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration.’ Passing the Mechanical trade exam licenses you for HVAC and all Mechanical subclasses; taking only the HVAC subclassification limits the license to HVAC/refrigeration work. There is no separate individual ‘journeyman’ or ‘master’ HVAC license in Louisiana - the credential is held by the business through a qualifying party. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a separate federal credential, not the Louisiana license.

How much does a Louisiana mechanical (HVAC) contractor license cost?

The LSLBC’s own fees are a $100 license fee, $100 renewal fee, a $50 examination fee, and a $50 delinquent fee (statutory caps in R.S. 37:2156(C)). PSI charges a separate fee for the trade exam. A contractor not based in Louisiana may be charged an out-of-state investigation surcharge of up to $400. Beyond fees, a commercial/mechanical applicant must document a net worth of at least $50,000 (R.S. 37:2156.1) and complete a Business and Law course.

What are the requirements to get the license?

The contracting business applies through a qualifying party (an owner or a full-time employee working 32+ hours/week) who passes the applicable PSI trade exam - the Mechanical exam or the Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration exam (R.S. 37:2156.1; LAC 46:XXIX.109). The application must include a financial statement showing a $50,000 minimum net worth (current within 12 months) and completion of a Business and Law course. Note a scope limit: a mechanical contractor who performs plumbing work over $10,000 must also hold a master plumber license from the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana.

Does Louisiana require continuing education for HVAC contractors?

No. LSLBC states there are no continuing education requirements for commercial, mold or home improvement contractors - which includes the Mechanical/HVAC classification. Continuing education (6 hours a year) applies only to Residential Building contractors. So renewing a Louisiana mechanical/HVAC contractor license does not require CE; licenses renew on the anniversary of issuance and you may elect a one-, two-, or three-year term.

Who is exempt from the Louisiana contractor license for HVAC work?

Besides jobs at or under the $10,000 mechanical threshold, R.S. 37:2157 exempts, among others: any employee of a licensee (so employed technicians need no license); an owner who performs or oversees work on his own property that is not for sale or rent, with controlled access; an owner-builder of his own personal residence (one per year, by affidavit); and licensed electrical, mechanical or plumbing contractors acting exclusively within their classification. Importantly, HVAC/mechanical work is carved OUT of the residential-subcontractor and home-improvement exemptions (R.S. 37:2157(A)(17),(18)), so a mechanical subcontractor on a residential or home-improvement job still needs the mechanical license once the work exceeds $10,000. None of these exemptions waive local building-permit or health/life-safety code requirements (R.S. 37:2157(B)).

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Louisiana.

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.