How to work in HVAC in Louisiana

Licensing office Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) · (225) 765-2301 [22]

The license pathway in Louisiana

1. 1

   Helper or technician (no state license)

   Louisiana does not license HVAC workers at the state level. You need EPA Section 608 certification to work with refrigerant. State law excludes employees of statewide-licensed mechanical contractors from local examination or certification requirements as a condition of working for that contractor. [3][4][9]

2. 2

   Class B Journeyman Mechanic (New Orleans)

   • Yes: ICC G31 National Journeyman Mechanical exam
   • $55 a year
   • Yearly, on your birthday

   New Orleans' journeyman card for mechanical work. You submit an official ICC passing results report and must be 18. You must be employed by and work under a Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor. The city's page lists no hours requirement. [5]

3. 3

   Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (New Orleans)

   • Yes: ICC G29 Master Mechanical exam, or a statewide LSLBC license
   • $110 a year
   • Yearly, on your birthday

   The city's master-level contractor card. Only one Class A holder is allowed per company, and you need at least $500,000 in general liability insurance plus workers' compensation. [8]

4. 4

   Mechanical contractor (LSLBC)

   • Yes: Mechanical trade exam (PSI) plus the Business and Law exam (50 questions, 70 to pass)
   • State law caps the license fee at $100 and the board's exam fee at $50
   • On the license anniversary; 1-, 2- or 3-year terms

   A license for the business. LSLBC offers the full Mechanical classification and a narrower subclassification, Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration. The company's qualifying party (an owner or full-time employee) passes the exams. [2][9][11][12][13]

Who needs a license in Louisiana

Louisiana's state HVAC license is for contractors. State law defines a mechanical contractor as anyone who bids on or performs work on air conditioning, refrigeration, heating, plumbing, ventilation, boilers, gas piping and related systems in residential, commercial or industrial settings with a project value of $10,000 or more. LSLBC's classification list gives the same threshold for the Mechanical classification and for its Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration subclassification.

There is no state license for HVAC technicians or journeymen. LSLBC's four basic license types (commercial, residential, home improvement and mold remediation) are all business licenses.

LSLBC says a mechanical contractor doing plumbing work over $10,000 must also hold a master plumber license, and state law requires a gas fitter license from the State Plumbing Board for gas fitting work. Act 908 of 2026 abolishes that board and moves plumbing and gas fitter licensing to LSLBC on January 1, 2027. [1][2][3][6][7]

City licenses: New Orleans

New Orleans requires mechanical contractors working in the city to get and renew city licenses every year.

• Class B Journeyman Mechanic: pass the ICC National Journeyman Mechanical exam (G31), be 18, $55 a year. You must work for and under a Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor. A Class B Journeyman Gasfitter card is separate and requires the State Plumbing Board's natural gas fitter card.
• Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor: pass the ICC Master Mechanical exam (G29), or show a statewide LSLBC license; $110 a year; at least $500,000 general liability insurance.

State law excludes employees of statewide-licensed mechanical contractors from local examination or certification requirements as a condition of working for that contractor, so confirm which card you need with Safety and Permits at (504) 658-7200. [5][8][9]

The LSLBC mechanical license and exams

You apply online, and the company designates a qualifying party (a sole proprietor, partner, member or officer, or a full-time employee) for each classification. That person must pass the trade exam.

Trade exams moved to PSI on August 5, 2025. After LSLBC approves you, PSI emails an eligibility letter, and you schedule through PSI's LSLBC page, which posts the candidate bulletin for each exam. The Louisiana Business and Law exam is taken in your LSLBC Contractor Portal: 50 questions, about 30 to 45 minutes, and you need 70 or above.

State law caps the license fee at $100, the renewal fee at $100 and the board's exam fee at $50. Commercial applicants show at least $50,000 in net worth. LSLBC says commercial contractors have no continuing education requirement. [10][11][12][13][14][15]

EPA Section 608 certification

This federal certification applies in every state. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere to be certified by passing an EPA-approved test. There are four types: Type I for small appliances, Type II for high- and very high-pressure equipment, Type III for low-pressure equipment, and Universal for all types. The certification does not expire.

Louisiana's Jump Start high school program lists EPA Section 608 certification among its construction credentials. Read our EPA 608 guide. [4][16][17]

If you're licensed in another state

There is no state technician license to transfer. For the contractor license, LSLBC announced in October 2024 that it accepts a trade exam you passed in another state with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering, for the equivalent Louisiana classification, as long as you meet all other requirements. Your home board completes LSLBC's Reciprocity Request form.

In New Orleans, the city's application lets mechanics actively licensed by another city or state apply without the exam, subject to approval by the division chief. See our reciprocity guide. [18][19][20]

Steps to get licensed in Louisiana

1. Get hired or accepted into an apprenticeship

   Apply to a heating and air contractor or a UA local. No state card is needed to start. [3][21]

2. Earn EPA Section 608 certification

   Pass an EPA-approved test for the equipment types you'll service before you work with refrigerant. See EPA's requirements. [4][16]

3. Get a local card if your city requires one

   In New Orleans, the Class B Journeyman Mechanic card requires passing the ICC National Journeyman Mechanical exam and applying through the city's One Stop App ($55 a year). [5]

4. To run your own business, license it with LSLBC

   Apply online through LSLBC, name a qualifying party, pass the Mechanical (or HVAC subclassification) trade exam through PSI and the Business and Law exam, and meet the financial requirements. [2][10][11][12]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  UA plumbers, pipefitters and HVACR locals in Louisiana

  The United Association runs five-year apprenticeships, including an HVACR track, that combine paid work with classes. UA Local 60 in the New Orleans area lists HVACR and refrigeration among its training courses; find the local for your area with the UA's directory. [21][23]

• School

  Registered apprenticeships for high school students

  The Louisiana Department of Education funds high school students enrolled in approved registered apprenticeships, paid per student enrollment to support the training. [24]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask