Alabama HVAC Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Alabama licenses heating and air conditioning contracting statewide through the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors (HACR). The active certification is required for contractors who install, service, or repair covered heating and air-conditioning systems; commercial refrigeration is a separate certification. An examination applicant must have 3,000 hours of Board-defined work experience or graduate from an approved HVAC/R curriculum. An active business also needs a $20,000 performance bond in its business name naming the Board as obligee.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors (HACR), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under Ala. Code § 34-31-18 et seq.; Ala. Admin. Code ch. 440-X. HACR licenses heating, air-conditioning, and commercial-refrigeration contractors statewide, administers qualification and renewal requirements, and maintains the certification roster. Municipal project authorities continue to administer permits and inspections.

Official portal: https://hacr.alabama.gov/
Address: 100 N. Union Street, Suite 986, Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 242-5550

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legally present in the United States with the federal documentation required by Ala. Code § 34-31-27. Foreign business entities must also follow Alabama Secretary of State registration instructions in HACR’s current application materials.

Good moral character

The Board examines the character, fitness, and qualifications of each applicant under Ala. Code § 34-31-28. It may require a background check before examination.

Background investigation

Ala. Admin. Code r. 440-X-3-.14 allows HACR to require a background check before an examination application is considered.

Experience and Education

The sources cited here stop short of naming a year requirement; the operative standard is To sit for the HVAC or refrigeration certification examination, an applicant must complete 3,000 hours of work experience as defined by HACR or graduate from an approved HVAC/R curriculum. HACR’s current application page also recognizes a Board-issued apprentice certificate with the prior two years of apprenticeship certificates..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Current HACR examination application
Employer work affidavit and W-2 records when relying on supervised work experience
Apprenticeship certificates or approved-program transcripts when using those eligibility routes

Education substitution

Graduation from an approved heating, air-conditioning, or refrigeration curriculum is an independent statutory path to examination eligibility; do not assume an unsourced partial-credit formula.

Exam Requirements

The examination requirement has not been established in this record. Confirm it with the authority before applying. Provider or process notes: HACR’s current examination application route and Board-approved testing process.

Examination fee: $175

Retake policy: A written-exam applicant who does not pass may request an equivalent practical examination within six months. An applicant must take the examination within one year after the Board receives the application and fees or submit a new application and fees.

Insurance and Bonds

A $20,000 surety bond, in the form prescribed by the HACR, must be posted as a condition of licensure.

General liability

No universal HACR general-liability minimum was verified in the current statute, Board rules, or application instructions reviewed. Project contracts, customers, lenders, and permit authorities can impose their own insurance requirements.

Workers' compensation

Alabama generally requires workers’ compensation coverage when an employer regularly employs five or more employees, full- or part-time, including corporate officers. The Department of Labor identifies statutory exceptions, including distinct treatment for construction of new detached single-family homes; evaluate the actual workforce and project.

Additional financial requirements

HACR’s active-certification instructions require a business name, business information, and a $20,000 performance bond. No general HVAC financial-statement requirement was verified in the current materials reviewed.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Examination	$175
Initial license	$220
Renewal (every year)	$220

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Alabama hvac.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Alabama Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor must be renewed every year. The fee to renew is presently $220. Proof of CE is due before November 1 annually. Active HVAC certificates renew by December 31; the Board’s current active renewal fee is $220.

Continuing education: Certified contractors complete at least four Board-approved CE hours annually. Up to four excess hours from a year may carry to the following renewal year; first-year certificate holders are exempt, and the 65-and-over exemption applies only to inactive contractors.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Alabama HVAC License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Alabama grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Mississippi	—	HACR lists Mississippi State Board of Contractors as reciprocal when the applicant passed an equivalent examination with at least a 70% score and holds a current valid license.
Tennessee	—	HACR lists Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.
Ohio	—	HACR lists Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.
South Carolina	—	HACR lists the South Carolina Residential Building Commission and South Carolina Contractor’s Board under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.
Texas	—	HACR lists Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.
West Virginia	—	HACR lists West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.
Louisiana	—	HACR lists Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors under the current equivalent-exam/current-license reciprocity route.

Reciprocal applicants submit HACR’s notarized reciprocal application, verification materials, current $220 processing/certification fee, and $20,000 performance bond. Confirm the exact current scope and reciprocity documents with HACR before applying.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published HVAC license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

HVAC Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Alabama's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Florida HVAC License Requirements — Florida Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor (CAC)
Georgia HVAC License Requirements — Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor (Class I or Class II)
Mississippi HVAC License Requirements — Mississippi HVAC Contractor License
Tennessee HVAC License Requirements — Tennessee CMC-C HVAC, Refrigeration and Gas Piping Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Identify the regulated scope. Use HACR’s HVAC route for covered heating and air-conditioning installation, service, or repair. Use the separate refrigeration route for commercial refrigeration equipment; do not assume one certificate covers the other.
Meet exam eligibility. Document 3,000 Board-defined hours of experience or graduation from an approved HVAC/R curriculum. HACR’s current page also identifies the Board apprentice-certificate route.
Submit the examination application. File the completed current application, experience/education documentation, and the nonrefundable $175 examination fee. HACR says materials must be received ten full working days before the next Board meeting.
Pass the prelicensure examination. Complete the Board’s current written examination. If the first written attempt is unsuccessful, request the equivalent practical examination within six months if needed.
Activate the business certification. For active contracting, submit AL-1, AL-2, BF-1, business information, and a $20,000 performance bond naming HACR as obligee, then pay the current $220 annual active fee.
Confirm local project approvals. Municipalities and counties may issue mechanical or similar permits and conduct inspections. State law prohibits additional local testing or credential requirements for certified contractors, but allows applicable local privilege, license, or business fees.
Maintain certification. Complete four Board-approved CE hours each year (up to four excess hours may carry to the next renewal year), submit proof by November 1, and renew by December 31.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to HACR, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

Correct HVAC versus commercial-refrigeration certification route identified
3,000-hour experience, approved curriculum, or Board-apprentice eligibility documentation prepared
Current HACR examination application and $175 fee submitted
Written examination passed, or practical-equivalent request made within six months after an unsuccessful first written attempt
Active certification forms AL-1, AL-2, and BF-1 submitted with business information
$20,000 performance bond in the business name naming HACR as obligee obtained
Local permits, inspections, and applicable local privilege/business fees confirmed
Four annual CE hours, November 1 proof deadline, and December 31 renewal deadline tracked

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a Alabama HVAC application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Using the former three-year requirement

Current Ala. Code § 34-31-28 and HACR instructions use 3,000 hours of Board-defined experience or an approved HVAC/R curriculum for exam eligibility.

Applying without the active performance bond

New active HVAC and refrigeration applicants need a $20,000 performance bond in the business name naming HACR as obligee. An inactive certificate does not authorize contracting.

Assuming the HVAC certificate covers commercial refrigeration

HACR treats commercial refrigeration as a separate certification route. Map the actual equipment and scope before applying or bidding.

Ignoring the responsible-charge requirement

A business entity must have a certified person in responsible charge who is an owner/officer or regularly employed W-2 employee averaging at least 30 hours per week and who directs the work.

Missing CE and the annual deadline

Four CE hours are required each year unless a current exemption applies; proof is due before November 1 and the certificate lapses if not renewed by December 31.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

HACR Law, Rules and Regulations — Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. Use for scope, exam eligibility, active bond, reciprocity, exemptions, renewal, CE, and responsible-charge rules.
HACR current examination application and licensing instructions — Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. Use for the Board’s current experience documentation, fee, forms, and meeting-filing process.
HACR continuing-education guidance — Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. Use for the annual four-hour requirement, carryover, and CE submission deadline.

Other Alabama Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Alabama licensing guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Alabama HVAC certification required?

HACR’s active certification applies to contractors who install, service, or repair covered heating and air-conditioning systems. The rules also expressly require certification for duct cleaning, filter-changing, test-and-balance, and cleaning covered HVAC/refrigeration systems; statutory exemptions remain narrow.

How much experience is needed before the HVAC examination?

The statute requires 3,000 hours of Board-defined work experience or graduation from an approved HVAC/R curriculum. HACR’s application page also identifies a Board-apprentice route.

Is commercial refrigeration included in the HVAC certificate?

No. HACR identifies refrigeration contractors as installing, servicing, or repairing commercial refrigeration equipment, and it administers a separate refrigeration certification route.

What bond does an active HVAC contractor need?

HACR’s current rules and application instructions require new active HVAC and refrigeration applicants to provide a $20,000 performance bond in the business name naming the Board as obligee. The Board may request proof annually at renewal.

Can a city require another HVAC exam?

No. Ala. Code § 34-31-28 prohibits counties, municipalities, and other local entities from requiring further local testing or credential requirements from certified contractors, subject to applicable local privilege, license, or business fees. Project permits and inspections remain separate.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.