How to get an HVAC license in Mississippi

Licensing office Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) · (601) 354-6161 [6][17]

The license pathway in Mississippi

1. 1

   Helper or apprentice HVAC technician

   • EPA Section 608 certification before you handle refrigerants

   The state has no license or registration at this level. You work for an HVAC contractor. In Jackson, only a master can pull a permit, and the master must supervise the people on the job. [5][6][7]

2. 2

   Journeyman air conditioning and refrigeration (city license; Jackson rules shown)

   • 4 years of experience
   • National Standard Journeyman Mechanical Exam; you pay the testing facility
   • Yearly

   Jackson requires four years of work experience (the building official may count trade or technical school), three reference letters and a passing exam. Other cities set their own rules. [4]

3. 3

   Master air conditioning and refrigeration (city license; Jackson rules shown)

   • 5 years of experience
   • National Standard Master Mechanical Exam
   • Yearly

   Jackson asks for five years of work experience, or a diploma from a trade school, technical school or college plus one year of practical experience, three reference letters and the master exam. [4]

4. 4

   Residential HVAC contractor (MSBOC)

   • Residential HVAC exam: 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass; plus the 50-question Law and Business Management exam
   • $50 application; $120 PSI fee per exam portion
   • Yearly ($100); 2 hours CE (continuing education)

   Needed by any HVAC subcontractor on a residential construction or improvement project, no matter the dollar amount. A Residential Mechanical license covers HVAC and plumbing and requires both exams. [1][9][10][11][12]

5. 5

   Commercial HVAC contractor (MSBOC Certificate of Responsibility)

   • HVAC exam: 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass; plus Law and Business Management
   • $400 application; $120 PSI fee per exam portion
   • Yearly ($400)

   Needed for commercial jobs over $50,000. The HVAC exam covers all heating and cooling, including fuel gas systems and ductwork. You need a CPA-reviewed financial statement and liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate. [2][3][9][10][11][13]

Who needs a license in Mississippi

Mississippi licenses the HVAC business, not the technician. Under state law (Miss. Code § 73-59-3, current through the 2026 sessions; MSBOC's current FAQ says the same), any subcontractor, of any tier, doing heating, ventilation or air conditioning work on a residential construction or improvement project must hold an MSBOC license, "no matter the dollar amount." Commercial contractors and subcontractors need an MSBOC commercial license for jobs over $50,000 (Miss. Code § 31-3-1).

Each licensed business names a qualifying party: an owner, officer or managing employee who takes the exams and actually works in the licensed trade.

Cities license individual installers. Jackson requires a license to do air conditioning and refrigeration work, journeymen and masters must hold one before doing work that needs a permit, and only a master may get a permit. Gulfport licenses air conditioning/heating contractors: applicants must be at least 21 with five years of practical experience and pass an exam, or be a graduate mechanical engineer. [1][2][3][4][6][7][8]

EPA Section 608 certification

Under federal rules, technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants must be certified under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. This applies in Mississippi whether or not a city license is required. Our EPA 608 guide explains the certification types and how to test. [5]

Jackson's journeyman and master licenses

Jackson's planning and development department issues licenses valid for one year.

• Journeyman air conditioning and refrigeration: four years of work experience (technical or trade school may count, with the building official's approval), three reference letters (the ordinance says from master plumbers), copies of other licenses you hold and a passing score on the National Standard Journeyman Mechanical Exam.
• Master air conditioning and refrigeration: five years of work experience, or a diploma from a trade school, technical school or college plus one year of practical experience, three reference letters and the National Standard Master Mechanical Exam.

Jackson grants an equivalent license to holders of an MSBOC certificate in the same trade, and to people licensed by another Mississippi city or county who passed a written exam. Contractors must also register with the city's building official and carry at least $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate in liability insurance. [4][7]

MSBOC HVAC contractor licenses

• Residential HVAC: limited to residential HVAC work. You take the Residential HVAC exam (80 questions, 4 hours) and the Law and Business Management exam (50 questions, 2 hours). The application fee is $50, and the license renews yearly for $100 with two hours of continuing education (CE). A Residential Mechanical license covers HVAC and plumbing and needs both exams.
• HVAC (commercial specialty): installation, maintenance and repair of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, for jobs over $50,000. You take the HVAC exam (80 questions, 4 hours) plus Law and Business. The application fee is $400, and it renews yearly for $400. You need a CPA-reviewed financial statement and liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate. MSBOC also offers separate refrigeration and ductwork classifications.

PSI gives all the exams, and all are open book. You need 70% to pass. PSI charges $120 per exam portion. A residential license expires 12 months after it's issued or renewed; you can still renew within 180 days after it expires by paying the fee plus a 10% penalty. The applications ask for three reference letters (one from your bank) and at least three jobs you completed in the classification. [1][3][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

If you're licensed in another state

MSBOC's agreements waive only the trade exam: everyone takes the Mississippi Business and Law exam and completes the full application. For HVAC, MSBOC lists exam waivers with Alabama Heating and Air and the Alabama General Contractors Board, the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (residential HVAC) and the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, and it still accepts passing Louisiana exam scores for HVAC. Arkansas's agreement does not cover HVAC.

Under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act, someone who has established Mississippi residency and has held a similar license in another state for at least one year, or worked three years in a state that doesn't license construction, can ask MSBOC to waive the trade exam. Military members and their families are covered by the Military Family Freedom Act.

The law also says nonresident contractors must be licensed by MSBOC to do residential construction or improvement work in Mississippi. [1][17][18][19]

Steps to get licensed in Mississippi

1. Get hired or apply to an apprenticeship

   Apply to MCEF or a UA local, or take a job with an HVAC contractor. There's no state registration. [6][20][21]

2. Get EPA Section 608 certified

   Pass an EPA-approved Section 608 test before you service equipment that could release refrigerant. [5]

3. Build your experience under a master

   Jackson's journeyman license requires four years of work experience. Keep records and collect reference letters. [4]

4. Pass the journeyman exam and get your city license

   In Jackson, apply with three reference letters and a passing score on the National Standard Journeyman Mechanical Exam. Other cities have their own rules. [4]

5. License your business with MSBOC

   To contract HVAC work yourself, apply to MSBOC, pass the HVAC exam and the Law and Business Management exam with PSI, and renew every year. [6][10][14]

Where to get the hours

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

• Open shop

  MCEF HVAC apprenticeship (Build Mississippi)

  The Mississippi Construction Education Foundation runs 4-year HVAC and sheet metal apprenticeships with NCCER credentials. You work full time for an employer and train part time in Pearl or Gulfport. [20]

• Union

  UA locals in Mississippi

  The United Association (UA), whose apprenticeships include HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration), lists Local 436 (Pascagoula), Local 568 (Gulfport, with its hall in Saucier) and Local 619 (Vicksburg). The UA says its apprenticeships typically last five years. [21][22]

• Other

  MCEF Kickstart HVAC class

  An 8-week paid class in heating and cooling skills that includes OSHA 10 (OSHA 10-hour safety course) and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)/first aid certification. [20]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask