Florida Certified Air Conditioning Contractor License Requirements (2026)

The Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), licenses air conditioning contractors under Chapter 489, Part I of the Florida Statutes. Florida issues two HVAC contractor classes — Class A (CAC), which authorizes any size and capacity of air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating equipment, and Class B (CBC), which is limited to systems of 25 tons cooling and 500,000 BTU/hour heating or less. Both classes are state-wide certified credentials that supersede the registered (local-competency) tier. All technicians who handle refrigerant must additionally hold the federal EPA Section 608 certification.

Regulatory Body Profile

Authority over this credential rests with Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB / DBPR), which issues and polices it under Florida Statutes Chapter 489, Part I (Construction Contracting); Fla. Admin. Code Chapter 61G4. CILB licenses certified and registered air conditioning contractors, adopts the Florida Mechanical Code by reference, and conducts disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/construction-industry/
Address: 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783
Phone: (850) 487-1395

The Eligibility Audit

The applicant must be at least 18 years of age and possess a valid Social Security Number. No Florida residency requirement.

Good moral character

CILB conducts a moral character review on every applicant. Convictions related to contracting are reviewed at the Board meeting.

Background investigation

Mandatory FDLE/FBI Level 2 background check via Livescan electronic fingerprinting.

Experience and Education Standards

The experience bar is four years of qualifying construction experience including at least one year as a foreman in HVAC work; education and military service may substitute for up to three years, and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Form DBPR CILB 4359 — Verification of Construction Experience signed by each supervising licensed HVAC contractor
W-2, pay stub, or 1099 records covering the qualifying period
Accredited college transcripts for any claimed education substitution
DD-214 for U.S. military HVAC experience

Education substitution

A four-year accredited construction or HVAC engineering technology degree counts as three years (one year of foreman experience is still required). Two-year accredited HVAC degrees count as one year.

The Exam Syllabus

Professional Testing, Inc. (under contract to DBPR/CILB) administers the required examination. Each part below must be passed before the license will issue:

Business and Finance — 120 questions, 390 minutes, passing score 70%
Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge — 120 questions, 390 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $199 per part, paid to Professional Testing on the day of testing.

Retake policy: Failed parts may be re-taken individually by paying a new $199 fee. Each passed part remains valid for four years.

Bonding, Insurance & Financial Security

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

Minimum $300,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage insurance per Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-15.005, with CILB named as certificate holder.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation coverage is mandatory under Fla. Stat. Chapter 440 unless an officer exemption is filed within 30 days of licensure.

Additional financial requirements

FICO score of 660 or higher. Below 660: 14-hour CILB-approved financial responsibility course AND surety bond.

Schedule of Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$249
Examination	$398
Initial license	$249
Renewal (every 2 years)	$209

Renewal and Continuing Obligations

The Florida Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor (CAC) runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $209. Florida CAC licenses renew on August 31 of every even-numbered year.

Continuing education: Fourteen hours of CILB-approved continuing education each two-year cycle, including one hour each of workplace safety, workers compensation, business practices, laws and rules, and advanced building code.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Out-of-State Reciprocity

For this classification, Florida does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Georgia	Trade exam waived	Reciprocal for active certified Class A air conditioning contractors.
North Carolina	Trade exam waived	Reciprocal under written agreement.

NASCLA does not administer an HVAC examination. CILB endorses out-of-state air conditioning contractors from a small list of partner states.

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

The Application Roadmap

Choose Class A or Class B. Class A (CAC) authorizes any size and capacity. Class B (CBC) is limited to 25-ton cooling and 500,000 BTU/hour heating or less. Estimate the largest equipment likely to be installed before applying.
Document four years of qualifying experience. Include the mandatory foreman year. Apply education or military substitution where eligible.
Pull a credit report. Obtain a FICO credit report. A score below 660 triggers the financial responsibility course and a bond requirement.
Submit DBPR CILB 4357 Initial Application. File the application with the $249 application fee plus the $50 unlicensed activity fund fee.
Submit electronic fingerprints. FDLE/FBI Level 2 Livescan background check.
Pass the two exam parts. Schedule Business and Finance and Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge at any Florida Pearson VUE / Professional Testing center. Score 70% on each.
Submit insurance and workers compensation documentation. File the $300,000/$50,000 certificate and the workers compensation coverage or exemption.
Hold federal EPA 608 Technician Certification. Anyone who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerants must hold a current EPA Section 608 certification (Type I, II, III, or Universal).

Pre-Application Checklist

Before submitting to CILB / DBPR, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

☐ DBPR CILB 4357 Initial Issuance Application with $249 fee
☐ Form CILB 4359 Verification of Construction Experience signed by each supervising licensed HVAC contractor
☐ FICO credit report of 660+ (or 14-hour financial responsibility course completion plus bond)
☐ Certificate of Insurance — $300,000 public liability / $50,000 property damage with CILB as certificate holder
☐ Current EPA Section 608 Technician Certification card for the qualifier

Where Applications Stall

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

Choosing the wrong class

A Class B contractor who installs a 30-ton commercial rooftop unit is operating outside the scope of the license. Estimate the largest equipment likely to be installed and select Class A if the answer is over 25 tons.

Self-completed experience verification forms

CILB rejects any Form CILB 4359 that appears to have been completed by the applicant rather than the supervising contractor.

Letting exam parts expire

Each passed exam part is valid for only four years. Candidates who pass Business and Finance early and delay the Trade Knowledge part can lose credit.

Forgetting EPA 608 enforcement

A Florida CAC license without EPA Section 608 certification on file for the technician handling refrigerants is a federal Clean Air Act violation, enforced independently of CILB.

Skipping the workers compensation election

A new licensee who does not file the Notice of Election to be Exempt within 30 days is presumed to need full workers compensation coverage.

Recommended Study Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

Florida Mechanical Code, current adopted edition — International Code Council / Florida Building Commission. Primary technical reference for the Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge exam. Open-book at the test center.
ACCA Manual J, Manual D, and Manual S — Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Industry-standard load calculation, duct design, and equipment selection references.
Builder's Guide to Accounting (Walker) — Craftsman Book Company. Standard reference for the Business and Finance portion.
Florida Statutes Chapter 489 and Fla. Admin. Code Chapter 61G4 — State of Florida. Licensing law and rules.

Other Florida Trade Licenses

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

Common Questions

What is the difference between a Florida Class A and Class B Air Conditioning Contractor?

Class A (CAC) authorizes any size and capacity of air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating equipment. Class B (CBC) is limited to systems of 25 tons cooling and 500,000 BTU/hour heating or less. Both are state-wide certified credentials.

How many years of experience does Florida require for an HVAC contractor license?

Four years of qualifying construction experience with at least one year as a foreman. A four-year accredited construction or HVAC engineering technology degree substitutes for three years; a two-year accredited HVAC degree substitutes for one year.

Do I need EPA 608 in addition to the Florida CAC license?

Yes. The EPA Section 608 Technician Certification is a federal requirement under the Clean Air Act for any technician who handles refrigerants. It is enforced independently of CILB.

What insurance does a Florida CAC need?

Minimum $300,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage per Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-15.005, with CILB named as certificate holder. Workers compensation is required unless an officer exemption is filed within 30 days.

When does the Florida CAC license renew?

August 31 of every even-numbered year. Renewal requires fourteen hours of CILB-approved continuing education and the standard renewal fee.

Primary Sources

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

Verified 2026-04-25 · Next scheduled review 2026-07-24