Georgia · HVAC technician licensing · verified July 2026
Georgia HVAC technician license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Georgia licenses HVAC at the state level as 'Conditioned Air Contractor' licenses issued by the Division of Conditioned Air Contractors of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (administered by the Secretary of State). Class I (restricted) covers systems up to 175,000 BTU heating and 60,000 BTU cooling and requires 4 years of experience; Class II (unrestricted) requires 5 years including commercial work; both require a PSI-administered exam passed at 70% or higher. Individual installers/technicians are not separately licensed and work under a licensed contractor's business registration.
Do you need a license to work as an HVAC technician in Georgia?
Georgia licenses HVAC technicians statewide, so one credential is valid across the whole state.
The Board's FAQ states reciprocity with other states 'is not offered at this time,' although Rule 121-2-.03 allows the Board to enter written reciprocity/endorsement agreements. Applications require an EPA Section 608 certification (Type II or higher), a background check, three references (licensed conditioned air contractor, PE, architect, or inspector), and a Secure & Verifiable Document. Applicants who fail the exam twice must complete a Board-approved review course before a third attempt. Reinstatement of a lapsed license costs $310 (exam required again after 3+ years lapsed). Businesses must register with the Board and display the registration number (Rule 121-3-.05). Technicians/installers working for a licensed contractor need no individual state license, but EPA Section 608 federal certification applies to anyone handling refrigerants.
What licenses does Georgia issue?
The State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Division of Conditioned Air Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class I Conditioned Air Contractor (Restricted) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Class II Conditioned Air Contractor (Non-restricted) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Division of Conditioned Air Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards) (rules.sos.ga.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does Georgia require?
Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor examination (Class I or Class II); minimum passing score 70; Board approval required to sit; approval letter valid 1 year. Administered by PSI (testing vendor for the Georgia Professional Licensing Boards).
How much does a Georgia HVAC technician license cost?
Getting a journeyman HVAC technician license in Georgia costs $110 in board fees, before any training. That is the application fee charged once. No board publishes this total, so it is added up here from the schedule it does publish. An exam is required and its fee is not in that figure, because no amount for it appears in the board material this page is built from. Check the board's current fee schedule before budgeting.
- Application fee$110
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: 2 years, renew online September through November 30 of odd-numbered years (late renewal December 1-31 with late fee)
Continuing education: 4 hours per year (8 hours total per biennial renewal); not required for licensees who are also licensed Professional Engineers; random CE audits
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No registered apprenticeship is required; licensure is experience-based (years working as lead mechanic, service technician, and supervisor count toward the 4- or 5-year requirement). Education may substitute: a technical school diploma program in engineering/engineering technology counts as up to 2 years and a vocational-technical certificate program as up to 1 year of experience (Rule 121-3-.04(6)).
Which states does Georgia have license reciprocity with?
Georgia appears in 1 published reciprocal licensing agreement for this trade, covering Mississippi. Boards write these as agreements between two states rather than as a one-way list, and some publish the list while their counterpart does not, so this counts every agreement naming Georgia from either side. Recognition is never automatic: the board you apply to decides, and most require the original license to have been earned by examination and to be in good standing.
How does Georgia compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | not published | Statewide |
| Alabama | not published | Statewide |
| Florida | not published | Statewide |
| North Carolina | not published | Statewide |
| Tennessee | not published | Contractor level only |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- Georgia Secretary of State - How to Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor (fees, renewal, application checklists)
- Georgia Secretary of State - Board of Conditioned Air FAQ (PSI exams, CE, no reciprocity)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Rule 121-3-.04 - Conditioned Air Contractor License (experience requirements)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Rule 121-2-.03 - Statewide License by Reciprocity
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to HVAC technicians overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Division of Conditioned Air Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards) before making decisions. Not legal advice.