Texas HVAC Technician License Requirements (2026)

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) issues the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302. Class A has no equipment-size limit; Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons or less and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU/hour or less. Applicants choose the applicable Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration/Process Cooling and Heating, or combined endorsement. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement for people who service equipment in ways that could release regulated refrigerants; it is not listed as a TDLR contractor-application prerequisite.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Law); 16 Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 75. TDLR licenses and regulates air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and technicians statewide. It administers licensing, complaint handling, and enforcement for this program.

• Official portal: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/acr/
• Address: P.O. Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711-2157
• Phone: (512) 463-6599 / (800) 803-9202

Eligibility Requirements

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

Good moral character

TDLR conducts a criminal background check on every applicant under Tex. Occ. Code Chapter 53. Convictions directly related to the practice of air conditioning and refrigeration may result in denial.

Background investigation

TDLR conducts a criminal-history background check on every applicant. Applicants with qualifying prior convictions must submit a Criminal History Questionnaire.

Experience and Education

A minimum of 4 years of practical experience in air conditioning and refrigeration work under the supervision of a licensed Texas air conditioning and refrigeration contractor must be documented and verified. Unless the board publishes a different lookback period, applicants should keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records that support the claimed experience.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Experience Verification Form completed by each person who supervised the qualifying work
• Additional Experience Verification Forms for every supervising contractor, as needed
• TDLR ACR Technician Certification, if using the 36-month experience pathway

Education substitution

Holding a TDLR ACR Technician Certification for at least 12 months reduces the supervised practical experience requirement to 36 months within the past 48 months.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services LLC (under contract to TDLR). 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:

• Texas ACR Class A examination for the selected endorsement — 125 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%
• Texas ACR Class B examination for the selected endorsement — 105 questions, 180 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Class A examination $74; Class B examination $60. Applicants take the examination(s) required for the selected class and endorsement(s).

Retake policy: A failed examination may be rescheduled with PSI within 24–48 hours. Retakes continue only until the application expires one year after submission, after which a new application is required.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to a given job.

General liability

Class A: commercial general liability of at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 products-and-completed-operations aggregate. Class B: $100,000 per occurrence, $200,000 aggregate, and $100,000 products-and-completed-operations aggregate. A Certificate of Insurance showing the license holder and business name must be submitted after the exam and coverage must remain in force while the license is active.

Workers' compensation

TDLR’s ACR contractor application lists commercial general liability as its insurance requirement. Separate workers’ compensation duties may arise under other law, contract, or project requirements.

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 Texas hvac technician.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Texas Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License (Class A or Class B) runs on a year renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $115. Texas ACR Contractor licenses renew annually on the anniversary of original issuance. Insurance must remain in force continuously; a lapse in coverage is a separate enforcement violation.

Continuing education: Eight hours of TDLR-approved continuing education each renewal cycle, including one hour of Texas state law and rules regulating licensees.

Reciprocity

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

TDLR currently lists reciprocal ACR agreements only with Georgia and South Carolina. Applicants must have held the out-of-state license at least one year, submit the $115 application, and meet Texas insurance requirements.

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 Texas's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Arkansas HVAC Technician License Requirements — Arkansas HVACR Class A and Class B Contractor License
• Louisiana HVAC Technician License Requirements — Louisiana Mechanical or HVACR Contractor (LSLBC)
• New Mexico HVAC Technician License Requirements — New Mexico MM-3 HVAC Contractor and Mechanical Journeyman Certificates
• Oklahoma HVAC Technician License Requirements — Oklahoma Mechanical HVAC/R Journeyman and Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Determine the desired license class and endorsement. Class A authorizes work on equipment of any size; Class B caps at 25 tons cooling / 1.5 million BTU/hour heating. Choose the Environmental Air Conditioning or Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating endorsement that matches the intended scope; the application also provides combined-endorsement options.
2. Document supervised experience. Accumulate 48 months of supervised practical experience in the past 72 months — or 36 months in the past 48 months if you have held a TDLR technician certification for the previous 12 months.
3. Obtain experience verification from every supervisor. The person or people who supervised the work must complete each Experience Verification Form. Do not complete the supervisor’s form yourself.
4. Submit the ACR Contractor License application. Submit the completed application and $115 fee, selecting the class and endorsement(s). TDLR must approve eligibility before PSI scheduling.
5. Disclose convictions, if applicable. Submit the Criminal History Questionnaire and supporting documents for any qualifying criminal history. TDLR says review may take one to six weeks.
6. Pass the class-and-endorsement PSI examination(s). The examination depends on the selected class and endorsement. Current Class A exams are 120 scored items plus 5 non-scored items, 240 minutes total, for $74; Class B exams are 100 scored plus 5 non-scored items, 180 minutes total, for $60. A 70% score is required.
7. Submit the Certificate of Insurance. After passing, submit a Certificate of Insurance showing the license-holder and business names. The license cannot issue until TDLR has the required coverage.
8. Meet separate federal refrigerant-certification requirements when applicable. EPA Section 608 governs technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances that could release regulated refrigerants. Confirm the appropriate federal credential for personnel who perform that work.
9. Receive and maintain the active license. The ACR Contractor license is valid for one year from issuance. Maintain the required insurance continuously and renew with the required continuing education.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to TDLR, confirm every item on this short list:

• Completed ACR Contractor License Application (Form ACR-002) with $115 fee
• Experience Verification Form(s) completed by the supervising contractor(s), documenting 48 months of supervised practical experience (or 36 months with qualifying technician certification)
• Criminal History Questionnaire (if any prior conviction other than minor traffic)
• Certificate of Insurance showing the license holder and business name — Class A: $300,000/$600,000/$300,000; Class B: $100,000/$200,000/$100,000
• EPA Section 608 documentation for personnel who perform federally regulated refrigerant work, when applicable

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

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Texas HVAC Technician application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Choosing the wrong license class

A Class B contractor who installs a 30-ton commercial rooftop unit is operating outside the scope of the license, which is grounds for administrative penalty even if the work is otherwise compliant. Estimate the largest equipment likely to be installed and select Class A if the answer is over 25 tons.

Insurance lapse

TDLR requires commercial general liability insurance throughout the active license term. Keep coverage current and submit an updated Certificate of Insurance promptly when the policy or business information changes.

Missing endorsements

The selected endorsement controls the work scope and the examination(s) required. Confirm whether the work falls under Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration/Process Cooling and Heating, or a combined endorsement before bidding it.

Forgetting EPA 608 enforcement

The contractor license does not replace federal EPA Section 608 technician certification. Verify the appropriate federal credential for each person who performs refrigerant work covered by the EPA rule.

Self-completed experience verification forms

TDLR requires the person or people who supervised the experience to complete the Experience Verification Form. Do not complete a supervisor’s form yourself.

Study and Reference 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.

• 2024 International Mechanical Code, 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, and 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code — ICC / IAPMO. PSI states that the Texas ACR exams are referenced to these code editions beginning September 1, 2026.
• 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75 (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors) — Texas Secretary of State. TDLR rules governing ACR licensing — heavily tested on the law portion.
• ACCA Manual J, Manual D, and Manual S — Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Listed PSI references for Environmental Air Class A and Class B examinations.
• Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 — Texas Legislature. Statutory basis for Texas ACR licensing.

Other Texas Trade Licenses

For a different Texas credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Texas ACR Class A and Class B?

Class A authorizes work on units of any size. Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons or less and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU/hour or less. Class A requires $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 products-and-completed-operations coverage; Class B requires $100,000/$200,000/$100,000. The current Class A exam fee is $74 and Class B is $60.

What are the insurance minimums for a Texas HVAC contractor?

Class A contractors must carry $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 products-and-completed-operations aggregate. Class B contractors must carry $100,000 per occurrence, $200,000 aggregate, and $100,000 products-and-completed-operations aggregate. The Certificate of Insurance submitted to TDLR must show the license holder and business name.

How much experience does Texas require for an HVAC contractor license?

TDLR requires 48 months of supervised practical air conditioning and refrigeration experience within the past 72 months, or 36 months within the past 48 months if combined with at least 12 months of TDLR ACR Technician Certification.

Do I need EPA 608 in addition to the TDLR ACR license?

EPA Section 608 is a federal requirement for technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances that could release regulated refrigerants. It is separate from the TDLR ACR contractor-license application, so determine whether the individual performing the refrigerant work needs the applicable EPA credential.

How often does the Texas ACR contractor license renew?

Annually. Renewal is $115 and requires eight hours of TDLR-approved continuing education, including one hour on Texas state law and rules regulating licensees.

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