Do I have to take the Texas master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Georgia?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Georgia.

How long do I need to have held my Georgia license?

At least 1 year before applying.

What does it cost to get a Texas master HVAC technician license from Georgia?

Published fees on this path total $115, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Georgia work hours count in Texas?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Texas to Georgia?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Georgia, the mechanism is experience credit.

Georgia to Texas: master HVAC technician license reciprocity

Reciprocity· Exam waivedVerified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

Texas has a reciprocity agreement with Georgia: a Georgia master HVAC technician can get a Texas license without retaking the trade exam.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Reciprocal agreement with Georgia (Conditioned Air Class II)

A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.

TDLR has a reciprocal licensing agreement with Georgia. A contractor who holds a current, unrestricted Georgia Class II Conditioned Air license in good standing, obtained by examination and held for at least one year, qualifies for a Texas Class A Environmental Air Conditioning contractor license without taking the Texas exam. The applicant obtains a letter of good standing from the Georgia board showing the exam was passed, and submits the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Application, a copy of the Georgia license, proof of Texas-compliant liability insurance and the $115 fee. The Texas license is valid one year. A Georgia licensee who wants a Commercial Refrigeration endorsement or another class outside the mapped equivalency must take that Texas exam.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility
Agreement: Active

What you must already have

You must have held your Georgia license for at least 1 year.
Your Georgia license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Georgia license must be active and in good standing.

What you'll do to get licensed in Texas

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($115). Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license application fee (non-refundable).
2Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Commercial general liability insurance meeting the Class A minimums ($300,000 per occurrence / $600,000 aggregate / $300,000 products).
3Other. Letter of good standing from the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board and a copy of the Georgia license.
4Other. EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I/II/III/Universal) to handle refrigerants; federal, does not expire.

Published fees on this path total $115, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

Other

How Texas licenses master HVAC technicians

Texas master HVAC technician · “Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (Class A or Class B)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

Texas's highest HVAC credential is the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license issued to an individual by TDLR, so it is mapped here to the master level. The license comes in Class A (units of any size) and Class B (cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 1.5 million Btu/h) with Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating endorsements. A new applicant must be 18, document 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor in the past 72 months (or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months of experience, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses and military training), pay a $115 application fee, pass the PSI exam for each class and endorsement ($74 Class A, $60 Class B, 70% to pass) within one year of filing, and file proof of commercial general liability insurance ($300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate for Class A; $100,000/$200,000 for Class B). The license is valid one year, renews for $65 and requires 8 hours of continuing education a year; a company must employ a licensed contractor at each permanent location. TDLR has reciprocity agreements with Georgia and South Carolina only; licensees from every other state or municipality apply under TDLR's substantial-equivalence review and may be required to take the Texas exam.

Moving to Texas Leaving Texas

Common questions

Do I have to take the Texas master HVAC technician exam if I'm licensed in Georgia?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Georgia.
How long do I need to have held my Georgia license?: At least 1 year before applying.
What does it cost to get a Texas master HVAC technician license from Georgia?: Published fees on this path total $115, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Georgia work hours count in Texas?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Texas's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Texas to Georgia?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Texas to Georgia, the mechanism is experience credit.

Sources

EPA Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements · 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F (Clean Air Act §608) · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Other · verified September 15, 2026Federal requirement in every state: technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere must be certified (Type I small appliances, Type II high-pressure, Type III low-pressure, Universal). Apprentices under direct supervision are exempt. Certification does not expire; the core exam must be proctored for Universal certification. State HVAC boards commonly require it before licensure, but it is not itself a state license.
16 TAC §75.20 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: Application and Experience Requirements · 16 TAC §75.20 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026To obtain a contractor license an applicant must file the application, satisfy Occupations Code §1302.255 as of the filing date, pass the examination, pay the fees, submit proof of insurance after passing the exam, and complete everything within one year of filing; experience must be documented as prescribed by the department.
16 TAC §75.22 - Contractor Licensing Requirements: General · 16 TAC §75.22 · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (mirrored by Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026License term is one year and non-transferable; endorsement codes E (Environmental Air Conditioning), R (Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating) and C (combined); a Class B holder may upgrade an endorsement by passing the Class A exam.
TDLR - Apply for a New Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Eligibility: age 18; 48 months of practical experience under a licensed ACR contractor in the past 72 months, or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months in the past 48 months, with substitutions for HVAC/R degrees, engineering licenses, military training and industrial process work; experience documented on the Experience Verification Form by the supervisor; $115 application fee; exam must be passed within one year of filing; commercial general liability insurance (Class A $300,000 per occurrence/$600,000 aggregate/$300,000 products; Class B $100,000/$200,000/$100,000); Class A any size, Class B up to 25 tons cooling and 1.5 million Btu/h heating; endorsements Environmental Air, Commercial Refrigeration, Process Cooling or Heating.
TDLR - Renew an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Renewal fee $65 (1.5x if expired 90 days or less, 2x if more than 90 days); 8 hours of approved continuing education each year; adding an endorsement or upgrading a class costs a $74 exam fee plus a $25 change fee.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Exam Information · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI after TDLR approves eligibility; separate Environmental Air A/B and Commercial Refrigeration A/B contractor exams and a Certified Technician exam; failed exams may be retaken until the application expires one year after filing. Links to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors FAQs · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Faq · verified September 15, 2026States that Texas reciprocates only with South Carolina and Georgia, that experience from states or municipalities with substantially equivalent licensing requirements is accepted, that anyone performing non-exempt air conditioning work must hold at least a technician registration, that 'there is no exam required' for technician registration ($20, one-page application, criminal background check), and that all work must be provided through a Texas-licensed ACR contractor holding the required liability insurance.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Out of State Applicants · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Says Georgia and South Carolina have reciprocity agreements with Texas and that all other out-of-state or municipal licensees may apply with the standard contractor application, a $115 fee, a copy of the current license, a list of the requirements met to obtain it and its issue date; TDLR reviews whether the requirements were substantially equivalent and 'you may be required to complete some or all of the Texas requirements for licensure, including taking a licensing examination'. Also states the Class A/B definitions, endorsements and insurance minimums.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program home page. Lists the three credentials (Contractor License, Technician Registration, Certified Technician) and states that a company must employ an ACR contractor at each permanent location. Links to the out-of-state and reciprocity pages.
TDLR - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration: Licensing Reciprocity · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Texas has ACR reciprocal licensing agreements with South Carolina and Georgia only. The out-of-state license must have been held for at least one year. Georgia Class II Conditioned Air (unrestricted) maps to Texas Class A Environmental Air; South Carolina Air Conditioning & Heating maps to Class A Environmental Air and Commercial Refrigeration, Air Conditioning only to Class A Commercial Refrigeration and Class B Environmental Air, Mechanical Contractor Refrigeration to Class A Commercial Refrigeration, and AC & Heating (packaged equipment) to Class B Environmental Air; South Carolina heating-only licenses do not qualify. Applicants submit a letter of good standing showing they passed the origin state's exam, the contractor application, a copy of the license, proof of insurance and the $115 fee; the license is valid one year. Notes that an exam may still be needed for a class or endorsement outside the mapped equivalency.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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