Georgia HVAC Technician License Requirements (2026)

The Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) Division of Conditioned Air Contractors licenses HVAC contractors statewide under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14. The Chapter 14 rewrite effective July 1, 2026 defines Class I (Restricted) for air-conditioning and heat-pump systems of 60,000 BTU cooling or less and gas-heating systems of 175,000 BTU or less. Class II is unrestricted for residential and commercial conditioned-air work, except boiler installation. Georgia requires a board-approved exam, qualifying experience, prescribed EPA Section 608 certification, and board-approved design coursework; it is not a technician registration alone.

Regulatory Body

Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (within the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) (GA CILB) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) Title 43 Chapter 14 (electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low-voltage, utility); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121. The Georgia CILB licenses electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air contractors, low-voltage contractors, and utility contractors statewide. The Board adopts the National Electrical Code, International Plumbing Code, and International Mechanical Code by reference. General contractors are licensed by a separate body — the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SLBRGC).

• Official portal: https://sos.ga.gov/georgia-construction-industry-licensing-board
• Address: 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217
• Phone: (478) 207-2440

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. No Georgia residency requirement.

Good moral character

CILB conducts a fitness review on every applicant under O.C.G.A. §43-1-19.

Background investigation

A criminal-history background check is required. The Board’s current application guide directs applicants to obtain it from local law enforcement; Chapter 14 authorizes the Secretary of State to require fingerprints and other information needed for the check.

Experience and Education

Eligibility requires 4 years of Class I requires four years of qualifying conditioned-air experience: two years of residential installation as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician, and one year of residential supervisory experience. Class II requires five years: two years of commercial supervisory experience, one year as a service technician or service supervisor, and two years as a lead mechanic, including at least one commercial-installation year above the Class I size limits., documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Three completed reference forms from an architect, professional engineer, inspector, or licensed Conditioned Air Contractor who can attest to the experience
• Signed experience affidavit(s) from an eligible supervising or overseeing professional, where required by the application
• EPA Section 608 certification: Type II for Class I; Type II and Type III for Class II
• Board-approved heat-loss/gain and duct-design course completion; Class II applicants also submit Manuals N & Q or Carrier Design Manuals 1, 2, and 3 coursework
• Secure and Verifiable Document and lawful-presence affidavit

Education substitution

Relevant technical-school or technical-college diploma coursework may receive up to two years of experience credit; a qualifying vocational-technical certificate may receive up to one year. The Board determines whether the coursework qualifies.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI, after written approval to test from the Georgia Board of Conditioned Air Contractors. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• Conditioned Air Contractor Class I or Class II examination (administered in two parts) — 120 questions, 420 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Confirm the current PSI examination fee when scheduling after Board approval.

Retake policy: After failing the examination twice, an applicant must complete a Board-approved review course before being scheduled for a third attempt. PSI states that missed, late-cancelled, or no-show appointments forfeit the paid examination fee.

Insurance and Bonds

The cited materials impose no contractor license bond for this credential. Bear in mind that specific contracts, permits, or public works can still require their own bonds.

General liability

The current CILB Class I and Class II application checklists do not list a statewide commercial-general-liability minimum for initial licensure. Insurance may still be required by a customer, lender, public contract, or another applicable program; verify job-specific requirements before contracting.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory in Georgia under O.C.G.A. §34-9-2 for any business with three or more employees.

Fee Schedule

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 Georgia hvac technician.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Renewal of the Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor (Class I or Class II) comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $75. Renew online by November 30 of odd-numbered years. December 1 through December 31 is the late-renewal period and carries an additional fee; a license not renewed then lapses and requires reinstatement.

Continuing education: Four hours of Board-approved continuing education for each year since the last renewal or initial issuance when applicable (generally eight hours per full renewal cycle). Professional Engineers who also hold the conditioned-air license are exempt from the CE requirement.

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Georgia for this classification.

The current official reciprocity form says Georgia reciprocates with Louisiana and that other agreements are under review. Do not rely on older lists naming Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas without confirming the current Board position.

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

HVAC Technician Licensing in Neighboring States

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

• Alabama HVAC Technician License Requirements — Alabama Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor
• Florida HVAC Technician License Requirements — Florida Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor (CAC)
• North Carolina HVAC Technician License Requirements — North Carolina Heating Contractor (Groups 1, 2, or 3)
• South Carolina HVAC Technician License Requirements — South Carolina Commercial HVAC Contractor Requirements — Mechanical License
• Tennessee HVAC Technician License Requirements — Tennessee CMC-C HVAC, Refrigeration and Gas Piping Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Choose Class I or Class II. Class I is limited to air-conditioning and heat-pump systems of 60,000 BTU cooling or less and gas-heating systems of 175,000 BTU or less. Class II is unrestricted for conditioned-air work, except boiler installation.
2. Meet the class-specific experience and course requirements. Document four years for Class I or five years for Class II, including the prescribed experience mix. Complete Board-approved heat-loss/gain and duct-design coursework; Class II also requires the additional commercial-design coursework.
3. Assemble references, EPA certification, and identity documents. Obtain three qualified references, the applicable EPA Section 608 certificate, a criminal-history background check, a Secure and Verifiable Document, and the lawful-presence affidavit.
4. Submit the online CILB application. Create a GOALS account and submit the Class I or Class II licensure-by-examination application with the current $110 application fee. The Board must approve you before PSI scheduling.
5. Pass the appropriate PSI examination. The current candidate handbook describes a 120-question examination administered in two 3.5-hour parts, including 20 unscored pretest questions. Georgia requires a minimum score of 70.
6. Register the business when operating through a company. A company performing conditioned-air contracting must register its qualifying licensee and business registration number with the Board; the current guide lists no fee for that registration.
7. Receive and maintain the active license. Do not perform conditioned-air contracting until the license is active. Keep the required business registration number displayed where Board rules require it.

Application Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with GA CILB:

• CILB Class I or Class II licensure-by-examination application with $110 fee
• Three qualified reference forms and documentation of four years (Class I) or five years (Class II) of qualifying experience
• Criminal-history background check, Secure and Verifiable Document, and lawful-presence affidavit
• EPA Section 608 certification: Type II for Class I; Type II and Type III for Class II
• Board-approved Manuals J & D course record; Class II also needs Manuals N & Q or Carrier Design Manuals 1, 2, and 3

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Georgia HVAC Technician application.

Choosing the wrong class

Class I is limited to 60,000 BTU cooling and 175,000 BTU gas heating per complete system. It is not a general “small commercial” license. Choose Class II when the work exceeds either limit or requires unrestricted commercial scope.

Forgetting EPA 608 enforcement

Georgia’s license application requires Type II EPA Section 608 for Class I and Type II plus Type III for Class II. Separately ensure each technician’s federal refrigerant-handling certification matches the equipment serviced.

Treating the exam as separate business-and-law and trade tests

The current PSI handbook describes one Class I or Class II conditioned-air examination administered in two 3.5-hour parts, not the old two-test format. After two failed attempts, a Board-approved review course is required before a third attempt.

Missing the bilateral reciprocity opportunity

The currently posted conditioned-air reciprocity application identifies Louisiana for Class II. Older state lists can be stale; check the Board’s current form before relying on reciprocity from another state.

Forgetting annual continuing education

Georgia requires four hours of CE annually, not just every two years at renewal.

Study and Reference Materials

These are the preparation and reference materials tied to this credential — cited by the regulator or widely used by applicants. CLR earns nothing from listing them.

• 2024 Georgia Mechanical Code and 2024 Georgia Gas Code, with Georgia amendments — International Code Council / Georgia Department of Community Affairs. PSI’s current reference list says the exam has used these editions exclusively since May 1, 2026.
• O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121 — State of Georgia. Current licensing law and rules; Chapter 14 was rewritten effective July 1, 2026.
• ACCA Manual J and Manual D — Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Board-required design-course subjects and PSI examination references. Class II applicants also complete Manuals N & Q or Carrier Design Manuals 1, 2, and 3 coursework.
• EPA Section 608 Technician Certification Manual — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Federal certification reference for refrigerant handling.

Other Georgia Trade Licenses

Should the HVAC Technician path not apply, these other Georgia trade guides from CLR may help:

• Georgia General Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Electrician License Requirements
• Georgia Plumber License Requirements
• Georgia Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Solar Installer License Requirements
• Georgia Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• Georgia Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Home Inspector License Requirements
• Georgia Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Handyman License Requirements
• Georgia Pest Control License Requirements
• Georgia Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor Class I and Class II?

Class I (Restricted) covers air-conditioning and heat-pump systems of 60,000 BTU cooling or less and gas-heating systems of 175,000 BTU or less. Class II is unrestricted for residential and commercial conditioned-air work, except boiler installation, which is regulated separately.

How many years of experience does Georgia require for a Conditioned Air Contractor license?

Class I requires four years and Class II requires five years of qualifying conditioned-air experience. The required mix differs by class: Class I includes residential lead-mechanic, service-technician, and supervisory experience; Class II includes commercial supervisory and installation experience. A qualifying technical diploma can receive up to two years of credit, and a qualifying vocational-technical certificate up to one year.

Do I need EPA 608 in addition to the Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor license?

Yes. The Georgia Class I pathway requires EPA Section 608 Type II certification; Class II requires Type II and Type III. Federal Section 608 rules also apply to technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release regulated refrigerants.

Does Georgia reciprocate HVAC contractor credentials?

Georgia’s currently posted conditioned-air reciprocity application identifies Louisiana for Class II (Non-Restricted) reciprocity. It says other agreements are under review. Applicants still submit Board documentation, including verification of an active examination-based license, required references, EPA certification, background check, and design-course records.

How often does the Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor license renew?

Every two years. The current Board guide sets the on-time renewal deadline as November 30 of odd-numbered years, with late renewal from December 1 through December 31. Contractors generally need four hours of approved continuing education for each year since the last renewal (eight hours per full cycle).

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