HVAC Technician License in Texas — Requirements, Fees & Exam

How to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Texas: PSI exam, annual renewal — verified from Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program (official site) and last verified July 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must hold a credential: Texas licenses individuals at both tiers, not just firms. A person may not act or offer to act as an ACR technician unless the person is personally registered or certified with TDLR (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.501(a)), and TDLR states that any person who assists a licensed contractor in performing ACR maintenance or repair work must register as a technician. Separately, the person who contracts for ACR work must hold the ACR contractor license (Class A or B), which is issued to an individual applicant (18+) and carries a business affiliation. Exemptions below remove some workers and some equipment from these requirements.
Contractor experience: 48 months of practical ACR-related work under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor in the past 72 months, or a technician certification held for the past 12 months plus 36 months of supervised practical experience in the past 48 months (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.255(a)). All experience must be documented on an Experience Verification Form completed by the person or persons who supervised it — applicants may not complete the form themselves. Equivalent experience or an equivalent license from another state may receive credit as determined by TDLR's executive director (1302.255(a-1)).
Experience substitutions — education substitutes only a PORTION: Education does not excuse the experience requirement; it substitutes a fixed number of months (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.255(c)-(d); TDLR "Exemptions to Contractor Experience Requirement"). A four-year degree in air conditioning engineering or technology, refrigeration engineering or technology, or mechanical engineering substitutes for 24 months. A two-year associate's degree, diploma, or certification program primarily focused on ACR work substitutes for 12 months. A one-year certification program (or a program of at least two semesters) substitutes for 6 months. Every 2,000 hours of on-the-job training in an apprenticeship program is equivalent to 12 months. Other and international degrees are evaluated case-by-case. A mechanical-engineering graduate therefore still owes 24 of the 48 months.
Experience routes that DO satisfy the entire 48 months: Only these satisfy the full 48-month requirement (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.255(e); TDLR "Exemptions to Contractor Experience Requirement"): ACR work while regularly employed by a regulated electric or gas utility (1302.055); ACR work by a person licensed as an engineer in Texas performed in the course of employment and not for the public (1302.056); process cooling or heating work performed for an industrial operation that employs you, such as a chemical, petrochemical, refining or natural gas plant (1302.057); ACR-related work performed while employed by a governmental entity — federal and state agencies, school districts, universities, municipalities, hospital districts, water districts, navigation districts (1302.255(e)(2)); and verified military service in which ACR work was part of your military occupational specialty (1302.255(e)(1)) — TDLR requires at least 24 months of such service, verified by a DD-214 or equivalent orders.
License classes: Class A allows work on a system, product or equipment of any size or capacity; Class B is limited to not more than 25 tons cooling capacity or 1.5 million BTU/hour output heating capacity (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.253).
Endorsements: The statute and TDLR's application page CONFLICT on the number of endorsements, and both are official: Tex. Occ. Code 1302.254(a) provides TWO, while TDLR's contractor-apply page lists THREE bullets (Environmental Air Conditioning; Commercial Refrigeration; Process Cooling or Heating). The statutory reading is supported by TDLR's own exam list, which offers only four exams (Environmental Air A/B and Commercial Refrigeration A/B) with no Process Cooling exam -- but confirm with TDLR before applying, because the application page you will use shows three. Under the statute, an ACR contractor license must be endorsed with one or both of: (1) an environmental air conditioning endorsement — treating air to control temperature, humidity, cleanliness, ventilation and circulation for human comfort; or (2) a commercial refrigeration and process cooling or heating endorsement — mechanical or absorption equipment controlling temperature or humidity for the intended use of a space, or solely for production requirements or the proper operation of equipment (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.254(a). TDLR's note that coolers, freezers, ice machines and temperature/humidity-control equipment are covered is written against its OWN two bullets -- 'Commercial Refrigeration' and 'Process Heating and Cooling' -- not against this single statutory endorsement). A license holder may not perform a type of ACR contracting for which the license is not endorsed (1302.254(d)), and each endorsement has its own exam within each class (1302.257(a)(2)) — TDLR's four contractor exams are Environmental Air A/B and Commercial Refrigeration A/B. TDLR: where an applicant holds BOTH a Class A and a Class B license, "you will receive a single document with two license numbers. Each license may only have one endorsement. Both licenses must have the same business affiliation and addresses." Adding an endorsement later costs a $25 change fee plus the relevant exam fee.
Insurance (and when it can be waived): After passing the licensing exam, a contractor must file a Certificate of Insurance and maintain commercial general liability insurance at all times while the license is active, from an insurer authorized to sell liability insurance in Texas. Minimum coverage — Class A: $300,000 per occurrence for property damage and bodily injury, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. Class B: $100,000 per occurrence, $200,000 aggregate, and $100,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. A licensee holding both classes may use a single policy that meets the Class A minimums. The requirement is not absolute: TDLR's executive director may waive it for a license holder who does not engage in ACR contracting for the public (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.102(b)) — TDLR grants the waiver, at no fee, to a licensee who no longer provides services to the public or who works as an employee under another contractor's license, and a waived licensee may not then perform or offer ACR contracting for the general public.
Technician rule and supervision: Any person who assists a licensed contractor with ACR maintenance or repair work must hold at least a technician registration; technicians must be supervised by a licensed ACR contractor and may not advertise ACR services (TDLR, technician-apply.htm -- this restriction is TDLR's; ch. 1302 does not state it). A technician younger than 18 must at all times work under the DIRECT supervision of a licensed ACR contractor or a certified ACR technician (1302.503(b)) — the minimum age to register is 16, so this applies to registrants aged 16 and 17. No registration or certification is required of a person who only assists a licensed contractor in the total replacement of a system, or in installing or repairing a boiler or pressure vessel governed by Health and Safety Code ch. 755 (1302.501(c)), or of a student acting as a technician solely as part of a certification training program at a secondary school or institution of higher education (1302.502).
Exemptions — who and what falls outside the license requirement: Chapter 1302 does not apply to: a person doing ACR contracting in a building owned solely by that person as their home (1302.053); maintenance personnel or maintenance engineers who are regular employees of the property's owner, lessee or management company, doing the work for that business, where neither they nor their employer contract with the public (1302.054); persons regularly employed by a regulated electric or gas utility (1302.055); engineers licensed under ch. 1001 doing ACR work for their employer but not for the public (1302.056); industrial-operation personnel performing process cooling or heating for the operation (1302.057); work on a portable or self-contained ductless air conditioning product of three tons cooling capacity or less, a portable or self-contained heating product that does not force air outside the unit, environmental air conditioning equipment intended for temporary use and not fixed in place, or a residential refrigerator, freezer or ice machine (1302.058); air conditioning services only on a motor vehicle or MVAC-like appliance as defined by 40 C.F.R. 82.152 (1302.059); installing, repairing or removing a vent hood of the type commonly used in residential or commercial kitchens (1302.060); manufactured-home manufacturers, retailers and installers licensed under ch. 1201 engaged exclusively in ACR contracting for manufactured homes, provided the on-site installation of AC components is performed by a person licensed under ch. 1302 (1302.061); and persons licensed under ch. 1702 or Insurance Code ch. 6002 who sell or design technology integrated with an ACR system, such as a burglar or fire alarm, so long as they do not install any part of the system (1302.064). TDLR adds that technician registration is not required of workers installing air conditioning systems in NEW CONSTRUCTION under a licensed contractor's supervision — the licensed contractor remains responsible for the design and installation. Two limits: work done by an exempt person is still subject to any municipal permit, inspection or approval (1302.052), and a licensed plumber or a person regulated under Natural Resources Code ch. 113 gets NO exemption — they may not engage in ACR contracting without a ch. 1302 license (1302.063).
Background check: TDLR conducts a criminal-history background check on all persons who apply for a license; convictions are reviewed case-by-case and a review can take one to six weeks. Applicants with a felony or non-minor misdemeanor conviction, guilty plea or deferred adjudication must submit a Criminal History Questionnaire. A Criminal History Evaluation Letter may be requested before applying.

Legal basis

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program administers HVAC technician licensing in Texas. 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

Texas licenses individual HVAC workers — the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) registers and certifies Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) technicians and licenses ACR contractors; a person may not act as an ACR technician without being personally registered or certified. “HVAC license,” “AC license,” “ACR license” and “HVAC certification” are common informal names for the state credential. Separately, the federal EPA Section 608 certification (to handle refrigerants) is a nationwide requirement, not the Texas license.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Registered Technician	No experience requirement. Registration is mandatory for any person who assists a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor in performing ACR maintenance or repair work, unless an exemption applies (see Requirements). Technicians must work under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor and may not advertise ACR services. A technician younger than 18 must at all times work under the DIRECT supervision of a licensed ACR contractor or a certified ACR technician (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.503(b)). Minimum age 16.	None required for registration.	$20 (non-refundable)
Certified Technician	Voluntary designation above Registered Technician; only holders may call themselves "certified technicians." Qualify by 24 months of ACR-related work under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor, OR by completing a TDLR-approved certification training program of 2,000 hours of combined instruction and practical experience (application must reach TDLR within 48 months of completing the program). Military experience may be combined with or used as part of the experience requirement. Minimum age 18.	TX ACR Certified Technician Examination (PSI), after TDLR approves eligibility. All application requirements, including the exam, must be completed within one year of the date the application is filed.	$50 (non-refundable)
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Class A or B)	48 months of practical ACR-related work under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor within the past 72 months, OR a technician certification held for the past 12 months plus 36 months of supervised practical experience within the past 48 months (Tex. Occ. Code 1302.255(a)). Education does not replace the requirement outright — it substitutes a fixed portion of it (4-year degree = 24 months; 2-year = 12; 1-year certificate = 6; 2,000 apprenticeship OJT hours = 12). Only utility, licensed-engineer, industrial-operation, governmental-entity or qualifying military experience can satisfy the entire 48 months. See Requirements for the exact substitution table. Minimum age 18.	Licensing exam required after TDLR approves eligibility. TDLR offers four contractor endorsement examinations, administered by PSI: TX Environmental Air A, TX Environmental Air B, TX Commercial Refrigeration A, and TX Commercial Refrigeration B — the exam you take depends on the class of license and the endorsement(s) selected on the application. All application requirements, including passing the exam, must be completed within one year of the date the application is filed.	$115

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Texas puts its exemptions in Subchapter B of the licensing chapter itself (Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1302, secs. 1302.052-1302.063). The Subchapter B exemptions say ’this chapter does not apply’ — so they carve the person out of the ENTIRE chapter: no ACR contractor license (Class A or B) and no technician registration or certification is required. They are: (1) HOMEOWNERS (sec. 1302.053): a person doing air conditioning and refrigeration contracting ‘in a building owned solely by the person as the person’s home.’ (2) IN-HOUSE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL (sec. 1302.054): a maintenance person or maintenance engineer who is a regular employee of the owner, lessee, or management company of the property where the work is performed, doing ACR maintenance work in connection with the business that employs them, where neither the person nor the employer engages in ACR contracting for the public. (3) UTILITY EMPLOYEES (sec. 1302.055): a person regularly employed by a regulated electric or gas utility. (4) LICENSED ENGINEERS (sec. 1302.056): a Texas-licensed engineer doing ACR contracting work in connection with the business employing the engineer, but not for the public. (5) INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS (sec. 1302.057): a person employed by an industrial operation — including a chemical plant, petrochemical plant, refinery, natural gas plant, or natural gas treating plant — who performs process cooling or heating work for that operation. (6) SMALL / PORTABLE EQUIPMENT (sec. 1302.058): work on a portable or self-contained ductless air conditioning product of three tons or less cooling capacity; a portable or self-contained heating product not requiring forced movement of air outside the unit; environmental air conditioning equipment intended for temporary use and not fixed in place; or a residential refrigerator, freezer, or ice machine. (7) MOTOR VEHICLE A/C (sec. 1302.059): air conditioning services only on a motor vehicle or an MVAC-like appliance as defined by 40 C.F.R. 82.152. (8) KITCHEN VENT HOODS (sec. 1302.060): installing, repairing, or removing a vent hood of the type commonly used in residential or commercial kitchens. (9) MANUFACTURED-HOME LICENSEES (sec. 1302.061): manufacturers, retailers, or installers licensed under ch. 1201 doing ACR contracting exclusively for manufactured homes, if on-site installation of A/C components is done by a ch. 1302 licensee. Two boundary rules travel with these exemptions: exempt work remains subject to any municipal permit, inspection, or approval requirement (sec. 1302.052), and there is NO exemption for plumbers or LP-gas (Nat. Res. Code ch. 113) licensees — they may not do ACR contracting without a ch. 1302 license (sec. 1302.063). Also excluded from the definition of ACR contracting altogether: installing, repairing, replacing, or modifying a thermostat or other temperature control interface by a person licensed or registered under ch. 1702 (the security/alarm chapter) (sec. 1302.002(2)). Separately, the TECHNICIAN registration/certification requirement has its own carve-outs inside Subchapter K: registration reaches only persons who assist a licensed contractor in ACR MAINTENANCE work (sec. 1302.002(5-a)), and ‘maintenance work’ by definition excludes the total replacement of a system and boiler/pressure-vessel installation or repair under Health & Safety Code ch. 755 rules (sec. 1302.002(5)); sec. 1302.501(c) states it directly — no registration or certification is required for a person who only assists a licensed contractor in performing the total replacement of a system or the installation or repair of such a boiler or pressure vessel. Students in a certification training program at a secondary school or institution of higher education, acting as technicians solely as part of the program, are also exempt from registration and certification (sec. 1302.502).

Fees

Application (non-refundable): $115 contractor license, $50 certified technician, $20 registered technician. Renewal: $65 contractor license, $35 certified technician, $20 registered technician. Change of license class or endorsement: $25 change fee plus a new licensing exam (TDLR lists a $74 examination fee for the Class B to Class A upgrade exam). Exam fees are set out in the PSI ACR Candidate Information Bulletin. Late renewal: 1.5x the renewal fee if expired 90 days or less; 2x if expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months; 2x with executive-director approval if expired at least 18 months but less than three years.

Exam

PSI administers the Texas ACR examinations. Applicants must file an application first; once TDLR verifies eligibility, PSI emails registration and scheduling instructions. Contractor endorsement exams: TX Environmental Air A, TX Environmental Air B, TX Commercial Refrigeration A, TX Commercial Refrigeration B — which one you take depends on the license class and the endorsement(s) selected on the application. Certified Technician applicants take the TX ACR Certified Technician Examination. A registered technician takes no exam. A failed exam may be rescheduled with PSI within 24-48 hours and retaken until the application expires one year after it was submitted. Passing score, question count, time allotted and reference materials are published in the ACR Candidate Information Bulletin (also available in Spanish).

Renewal & continuing education

Annual (the contractor license, the technician certification and the technician registration are each valid for 1 year from the date of issue; renewal fees are $65, $35 and $20 respectively). A contractor may not engage in ACR contracting while the license is expired. Continuing education applies to the ACR CONTRACTOR license only: to renew it a contractor must complete 8 hours of approved continuing education each year, including one hour of instruction in Texas state law and rules that regulate the conduct of licensees. Courses must come from a TDLR-approved provider and must be completed before the license expires; a course taken more than once counts only once. TDLR publishes no continuing-education requirement for renewing a technician registration or a technician certification.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program. Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

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

Usually, but not always. Air conditioning and refrigeration contracting requires a TDLR contractor license (Class A or B), and any person who assists a licensed contractor with ACR maintenance or repair work must personally hold at least a technician registration and work under that contractor’s supervision. But Texas law lists a series of exemptions in Occupations Code ch. 1302, Subchapter B: homeowners working on their own home; in-house maintenance staff employed by a property’s owner, lessee or management company who do not contract with the public; employees of a regulated electric or gas utility; licensed engineers doing the work for their employer and not for the public; industrial-plant personnel doing process cooling or heating; work on portable ductless air conditioners of three tons or less, temporary non-fixed equipment, or residential refrigerators, freezers and ice machines; motor-vehicle air conditioning; kitchen vent hoods; manufactured-home work; and technology integration that stops short of installation. TDLR adds that workers installing systems in new construction under a licensed contractor’s supervision need no registration. Exempt work still needs any municipal permit or inspection, and a licensed plumber gets no exemption.

Who has to be licensed — the technician, or just the company?

Both, in different ways. Texas is unusual: an individual worker cannot rely on an employer’s license. A person may not act as an ACR technician unless that person is registered or certified with TDLR (Occupations Code 1302.501(a)), and the person who contracts for the work must separately hold the ACR contractor license, which TDLR issues to an individual applicant aged 18 or over with a business affiliation.

How much experience do you need for a Texas HVAC contractor license?

48 months of practical ACR-related work under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months — or, if you have held a technician certification for the past 12 months, 36 months of supervised experience within the past 48 months. Education does not excuse that requirement; it only substitutes part of it. A four-year degree in air conditioning or refrigeration engineering or technology, or in mechanical engineering, is worth 24 months; a two-year ACR degree, diploma or certification is worth 12 months; a one-year certification program is worth 6 months; and every 2,000 hours of apprenticeship on-the-job training is worth 12 months. Only a few routes satisfy the entire 48 months: work for a regulated electric or gas utility, work as a Texas-licensed engineer for your employer and not for the public, process cooling or heating work for an industrial operation, ACR work while employed by a governmental entity, and verified military service in which ACR work was part of your military occupational specialty.

What is the difference between a Class A and Class B license in Texas?

A Class A license covers a system, product or equipment of any size or capacity. A Class B license is limited to not more than 25 tons of cooling capacity or 1.5 million BTUs per hour of heating output. Each class is endorsed for the type of work: environmental air conditioning, or commercial refrigeration and process cooling or heating. A license holder may not perform work the license is not endorsed for.

How much does a Texas HVAC license cost?

The non-refundable application fee is $115 for the contractor license, $50 for a technician certification, and $20 for a technician registration. Renewal is $65, $35 and $20 respectively. Exam fees are set out in the PSI ACR Candidate Information Bulletin.

How often do you renew a Texas HVAC license, and who actually owes continuing education?

All three credentials — contractor license, technician certification and technician registration — are valid for one year from the date of issue. Continuing education is a contractor requirement only: renewing an ACR contractor license requires 8 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education each year, including one hour on Texas state law and rules. TDLR publishes no continuing-education requirement for renewing a technician registration or certification.

Does a registered technician have to pass an exam?

No. A technician registration requires no exam — you must be at least 16, pay the $20 non-refundable fee, and work under a licensed contractor’s supervision. An exam only enters at the voluntary Certified Technician level (the TX ACR Certified Technician Examination) and for the contractor license, both administered by PSI.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Texas.

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.