How to get an HVAC license in Florida

Journeyman level 12,000 hours on the job (license issued locally) What's a journeyman?

Licensing office Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) · (850) 487-1395 [1][15]

The license pathway in Florida

1. 1

   County HVAC or mechanical journeyman (where issued)

   • 12,000 hours on the job
   • Florida Building Commission-approved advanced module coursework for the trade
   • Proctored journeyman exam (Block and Associates or another board-approved exam); 75% to pass

   Issued by counties and cities that choose to; ask yours whether it issues or requires one. State law sets the minimum: a registered apprenticeship or 12,000 hours of on-the-job training, plus the exam and coursework. Other Florida counties and cities must recognize a journeyman license issued in Florida. [2]

2. 2

   Class B air conditioning contractor

   • 4 years of experience
   • College credit can replace up to 3 years (1 year as a foreman is always required)
   • Yes: Business and Finance (120 questions) and Class B trade knowledge (80 questions); open book, Pearson VUE
   • $135 exam registration plus $80 per exam part
   • Every 2 years; $205; 14 hours CE

   Limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system. Covers installing, servicing and repairing central air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems, including the ductwork needed to complete them. [1][3][4][7][11][13][14]

3. 3

   Class A air conditioning contractor

   • 4 years of experience
   • College credit can replace up to 3 years (1 year as a foreman is always required)
   • Yes: Business and Finance (120 questions) and Class A trade knowledge (130 questions); open book, Pearson VUE
   • $135 exam registration plus $80 per exam part
   • Every 2 years; $205; 14 hours CE

   No size limit on central air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems, plus boilers and unfired pressure vessels. An active Class B holder with 1 year of experience in that class can move up by passing the Class A exam. [1][3][7][10][13][14]

4. 4

   Mechanical contractor

   • 4 years of experience
   • College credit can replace up to 3 years (1 year as a foreman is always required)
   • Yes: Business and Finance (120 questions) and Mechanical trade knowledge (130 questions); open book, Pearson VUE
   • $135 exam registration plus $80 per exam part
   • Every 2 years; $205; 14 hours CE

   Everything a Class A air conditioning contractor can do, plus pressure and process piping, natural gas and LP gas lines inside buildings, and oxygen and nitrous oxide lines. [1][3][7][12][13][14]

Who needs a Florida HVAC license

In Florida the license belongs to the contractor who runs the job. A Class A or B air conditioning contractor or a mechanical contractor license is needed to contract for installing, maintaining or repairing central air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems.

Technicians do not get a separate state license. Florida law exempts "any employee of a certificateholder or registrant who is acting within the scope of the license held by that certificateholder or registrant and with the knowledge and permission of the licenseholder." The law defines an employee as someone whose employer withholds taxes and provides workers' compensation.

Counties and cities may also issue journeyman licenses in the HVAC and mechanical trades. State law sets the minimum standard: a registered apprenticeship or at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training in the trade, a score of at least 75% on a proctored journeyman exam (Block and Associates or another board-approved exam), and Florida Building Commission-approved coursework for the trade. Other Florida counties and cities must recognize a journeyman license issued in Florida. Ask your county or city building department whether it issues or requires one. [2][5][7]

Certified vs. registered contractors

Florida has two kinds of contractor license. A certified contractor passes the state exam and can work anywhere in Florida. A registered contractor holds a local (city or county) competency license and registers it with the state, but may contract only in that local area. Certified license types start with "C" (for example CA for air conditioning, CM for mechanical); registered ones start with "R".

If you plan to work statewide, the certified route described on this page is the one to aim for. Check with your city or county building department about local competency licenses. [1][4]

The three HVAC license types

• Class B air conditioning contractor: limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system.
• Class A air conditioning contractor: no size limit; also covers boiler and unfired pressure vessel systems.
• Mechanical contractor: the broadest; adds pressure and process piping, natural gas and LP gas lines inside buildings, and oxygen and nitrous oxide lines.

None of these licenses covers potable water lines, sanitary sewer lines, swimming pool piping or general electrical power wiring. The law does let them handle some HVAC-related wiring, such as dedicated HVAC circuits and low-voltage control wiring. The Class C license (service only) has been closed to new applicants since October 1, 1988. [1][7]

Experience and education requirements

To take the certification exam you must be 18 and of good moral character, and meet one of these:

• 4 years of active experience as a skilled worker who learned the trade through an apprenticeship, or as a foreman, with at least 1 year as a foreman.
• A combination of college credit and experience, for example 2 years as a skilled worker, 1 year as a foreman and 1 year of college credit. Junior and community college courses count.
• A bachelor's degree in an appropriate field (mechanical engineering for the air conditioning and mechanical classes) plus 1 year of experience.

The board counts 2,000 person-hours as one year of full-time work. DBPR's FAQ says up to three years of military service or college credit can substitute for field experience, but one year of supervisory experience in the category is always required. Experience must be gained under a contractor licensed in that category or one that covers its full scope. [3][4][8]

The exams

DBPR uses Professional Testing, Inc. to register candidates and score exams. After approval, you take the computer-based tests at Pearson VUE. All construction exams are open book and multiple choice. You take two parts:

• Business and Finance: 120 questions (the same exam for all contractor trades).
• Trade knowledge: 130 questions for Class A or Mechanical, 80 questions for Class B.

The fees are $135 to register with Professional Testing, plus $80 for each computer-based exam part paid to Pearson VUE. Applications must reach Professional Testing at least 30 days before the exam date. DBPR posts content outlines and approved reference lists for each exam. [9][10][11][12][13][14]

Licensing costs, insurance and renewal

To get licensed after the exam, you must submit fingerprints and a credit report with a FICO-derived score. If your score is below 660, you must complete a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. You must attest to liability insurance (DBPR lists $100,000 liability and $25,000 property damage for these categories) and obtain workers' compensation coverage or an exemption within 30 days.

Certified licenses renew every two years, expiring August 31 of even years (registered licenses expire in odd years). Renewal costs $205, plus $50 for each business you qualify, and requires 14 hours of CE, including at least 1 hour each of a specialized or advanced module, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, and laws and rules. [1][4][15]

EPA Section 608 certification

Whether or not you hold a state license, federal rules apply to refrigerant work. EPA regulations under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants to be certified, and only certified technicians (or employers of certified technicians) may buy most refrigerants. College HVAC programs, such as Florida State College at Jacksonville's career certificate, prepare you for the test. Read our EPA 608 certification guide. [6][16][17]

If you're licensed in another state

Florida has no reciprocity for HVAC contractors. The CILB's published agreements (with Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina) cover only general, building and residential contractor licenses. DBPR does list an endorsement application (CILB 10) for Class A and Class B air conditioning contractors, but its FAQ says endorsement applications that rely on comparing another state's exam are "very stringent and rarely get approved." Plan to meet Florida's experience rules and pass its exams. See license reciprocity. [4][18]

Apprenticeships and training in Florida

Experience can come from a union apprenticeship (UA pipe trades locals or SMART sheet metal training centers), an open-shop program such as the ABC Florida East Coast chapter's HVAC track, or a college program followed by work. The Florida Department of Education's Office of Apprenticeship is the state apprenticeship agency and links to a finder map of registered programs. Compare the routes in union vs. non-union. [19][20][21][22]

Steps to get licensed in Florida

1. Get EPA Section 608 certification and start working

   Pass an EPA-approved Section 608 test so you can legally service refrigerant equipment, then work as an employee of a licensed contractor. See our EPA 608 guide. [5][6][16]

2. Build 4 years of experience

   Work in the license category you want for 4 years, with at least 1 year as a foreman or supervisor. College credit or military service can replace up to 3 years. [3][4]

3. Apply to take the exams

   Register with Professional Testing, Inc. using the CILB exam application and pay the $135 registration fee. [14][23]

4. Pass the trade and Business and Finance exams

   Schedule the computer-based exams with Pearson VUE ($80 per part). They are open book, so bring the approved references. [9][14]

5. Apply for certification

   After passing, apply for your license with proof of experience, fingerprints, a credit report, and proof of liability insurance; you must get workers' compensation coverage or an exemption within 30 days. [15]

6. Renew every 2 years

   Certified licenses expire August 31 of even years. Complete 14 hours of board-approved CE and pay the $205 renewal fee. [1]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train HVAC technicians in or for Florida, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• Union

  United Association (UA) pipe trades apprenticeships

  UA locals run registered apprenticeships that include an HVACR track; they typically last five years and combine paid work with classroom training. Find the nearest Florida local with the UA's locator. [19]

• Union

  SMART sheet metal apprenticeships (International Training Institute)

  Four- or five-year sheet metal apprenticeships with paid on-the-job training and classes; career paths include service and refrigeration technician and commercial HVAC. [20][24]

• Open shop

  ABC Florida East Coast Chapter apprenticeship school

  The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida East Coast chapter offers an HVAC training track, serving the Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Miami, Fort Pierce and Melbourne areas. [21]

• State program

  Florida Department of Education, Office of Apprenticeship

  Florida's official state apprenticeship agency. Its Apprenticeship Finder Map lists registered programs near you, and regional Apprenticeship Training Representatives cover each county. [22]

• School

  Florida State College at Jacksonville: HVAC/R career certificate

  An example of a college program: a 1,350-clock-hour career certificate that prepares students for EPA 608 certification. [17]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask