Moving to Florida as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
Florida has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
Florida master HVAC technician · “Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor (CAC)”
State license plus local requirements
Issued by Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Florida has no license called 'master HVAC'. The highest person-held HVAC credential is the certificate of competency as a Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor (license prefix CAC), issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR to an individual who meets the experience requirement of s. 489.111 (typically four years as a worker or foreman with at least one year as a foreman, or a degree plus one year) and passes the two-part Florida exam (Business and Finance, and Class A Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge) through Professional Testing and Pearson VUE; a Class B certificate is limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating per system, and the Certified Mechanical Contractor (CMC) covers the same systems plus piping. The certificate belongs to the person, who may then qualify a business, and is valid statewide. Alongside it, counties and municipalities examine and certify their own air-conditioning and mechanical contractors (Miami-Dade's Air Conditioning Contractor Unlimited/Limited, Broward's Class A and Class B Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractor), whose holders register with DBPR as Registered Air-Conditioning Contractors (RA) and may work only in the jurisdictions that issued the local card, which is why this level is marked Hybrid. Florida's only contractor reciprocity agreements (Louisiana, North Carolina and Mississippi, since June 1, 2021) cover General, Building and Residential licenses and not air conditioning, and the Board publishes no list of out-of-state air-conditioning exams found equivalent. Out-of-state HVAC contractors are handled by endorsement under s. 489.115(3): the Board may waive the Florida exam if the origin exam or licensing criteria are found substantially equivalent through an Examination Evaluation Questionnaire (a route the Board's own form calls 'very stringent and rarely approved'), or waives it for a contractor who has held the same or similar license for at least 10 years; everyone else takes the Florida exams. Endorsement costs $350; examination candidates pay $135 to register plus $80 per exam part, the certification application after passing is $245, and biennial renewal is $205. EPA Section 608 certification is a separate federal requirement.
How local licensing works in Florida
Local contractor cards and state registration. Under s. 489.105(10), a registered contractor is one who registered with DBPR after 'fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued' and 'may contract only in such jurisdictions'; the Board's FAQ says registration requires a copy of the local contractor's license and allows practice only in that county or city and any adjoining jurisdictions that accept it, while certified contractors work anywhere in Florida. The registration application fee is $100 and the initial registration $200 under Rule 61G4-12.009. Miami-Dade's Construction Trades Qualifying Board examines Air Conditioning Contractors (Limited, up to 15 tons, and Unlimited), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors, Heating Contractors and Mechanical Contractors; Broward County's Central Examining Boards certify Mechanical, Class A Air Conditioning, Class B Air Conditioning (25 tons) and Sheet Metal Contractors after 4 years of practical experience, trade and Business & Law exams, and a $450 application fee (since January 1, 2025). Neither county page describes accepting an out-of-state HVAC contractor license toward a local card, and Miami-Dade reciprocates its cards only with Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Georgia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Idaho | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maryland | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Mississippi | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Montana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nebraska | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Jersey | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oklahoma | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Utah | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Virginia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| West Virginia | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Wisconsin | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Florida from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Florida issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor by examination
Florida has no state journeyman HVAC license, so there is no lower state tier to hold first: an applicant who is at least 18 and of good moral character qualifies on experience or education. The usual route is four years of experience in the trade as a worker or foreman, at least one of those years as a foreman, counting 2,000 hours as a year. You register with Professional Testing, Inc. and take two open-book, multiple-choice exams on computer at Pearson VUE, Business and Finance and Class A Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge, and you need at least 70% on each. After passing both, you apply to DBPR on Form CILB 5-G (or CILB 6-G if you will also qualify a business) with your employment history, fingerprints, a credit report and an insurance affidavit. The certificate is issued to you personally and lets you contract anywhere in Florida, but passing the exams does not guarantee it: the experience must be approved.
The Business and Finance exam has 120 scored questions in 6.5 hours and the Class A Air Conditioning trade exam 130 scored questions in 7.5 hours; only the approved reference books on DBPR's list may be brought in. The registration application must reach Professional Testing at least 30 days before the exam date, and all parts must be passed within four years of your first scheduled exam, with unlimited attempts in that period. Candidates with a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited four-year college and a GPA of 3.0 or higher are exempt from the trade exam and take only Business and Finance. The Class B certificate (limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system) and the Certified Mechanical Contractor certificate are earned the same way with their own trade exams; Class C servicing certificates are no longer issued. A county or municipal contractor card, registered with DBPR as a Registered Air-Conditioning Contractor (RA), is a separate local route that is valid only where it was issued. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is a federal requirement for anyone who handles refrigerants; the Florida application does not ask for it.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- Pearson VUE (registration through Professional Testing, Inc.)
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Continuing education
- 14 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- Be at least 18 years old.
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.One year of experience equals 2,000 hours. A worker is someone who learned the trade through an apprenticeship and can command a mechanic's rate; a foreman is in charge of a group of workers. The Department can approve the experience itself if it covers installing systems over 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating (one year), plus air-conditioning, heating and refrigeration equipment and sheet metal ductwork; otherwise the Board reviews it.
- Good moral character
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Construction-related degree plus 1 year of experience
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college in engineering, architecture or building construction counts as three years of experience; add one year of proven experience in the air-conditioning category.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited 4-year college in engineering, architecture or building construction
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
College credits plus foreman experience
College-level coursework can replace worker experience: 1 year as a foreman plus at least 3 years of college credits, 1 year as a worker and 1 year as a foreman plus 2 years of credits, or 2 years as a worker and 1 year as a foreman plus 1 year of credits. All junior and community college courses count as accredited college-level courses.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
- At least 3 years of credits from accredited college-level courses
Military service plus foreman experience
A veteran can count military service: 3 years of service plus 1 year as a foreman, 2 years of service plus 1 year as a foreman and 1 year as a worker or foreman, or 1 year of service plus 1 year as a foreman and 2 years as a worker or foreman, all in the air-conditioning category. File the Veteran Fee Waiver and Military Service Verification form with the application; veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may qualify for fee waivers.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- 3 years of military service
- You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
Upgrade from a Florida Class B certificate
An active certified Class B Air-Conditioning Contractor with at least one year of proven experience in that classification may take the Class A exam and upgrade without listing an employment history. An active Class C certificate holder qualifies after four years.
- Hold a Active Florida Certified Class B Air-Conditioning Contractor license for at least 1 year first.With at least 1 year of proven experience in the Class B classification (Fla. Stat. § 489.111(2)(c)5.c.); a Class C holder needs 4 years.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($135). Exam registration fee paid to Professional Testing, Inc., charged each time you register for any exam part.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Class A Air Conditioning Trade Knowledge exam: 130 scored questions, 7.5 hours, open book, computer-based at Pearson VUE, 70% to pass.
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and Finance exam required of every certified contractor category: 120 scored questions, 6.5 hours, open book, 70% to pass; covers the business and financial management of a contracting firm.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Pearson VUE administration fee for the Trade Knowledge exam, paid when you schedule.
- 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Pearson VUE administration fee for the Business and Finance exam, paid when you schedule.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($245). Certification application filed with DBPR after passing (Form CILB 5-G, or CILB 6-G to also qualify a business); $145 if filed between September 1 of an odd year and April 30 of an even year.
- 7Background check. Complete a background check. Electronic fingerprints through an FDLE-registered Livescan provider, submitted right after you apply, for a state and national criminal history check. The application asks about criminal history, unsatisfied judgments or liens, bankruptcies, and license denials or discipline; each 'yes' needs a full explanation and supporting documents. The Board may not deny a license based solely on a felony conviction..
- 8Other. Employment history for each qualifying period: employer name, address, phone and license number, a contact person, dates, time as a worker and as a foreman, and the air-conditioning work performed (not required on the Class B upgrade route).
- 9Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Personal credit report with a FICO-derived score from a nationally recognized agency, stating that local, state and federal records were searched, plus a credit report on the business if you qualify one. There must be no unsatisfied liens or judgments, and a score below 660 requires a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course..
- 10Insurance. Carry the required insurance. For an active license: public liability insurance of at least $100,000 and property damage insurance of at least $25,000, plus workers' compensation coverage or an exemption obtained within 30 days after the license is issued.
- 11Business license. Obtain a business license (if applicable). Only if you will contract through a company: register the business with the Florida Division of Corporations (including any fictitious name) and qualify it on Form CILB 6-G; a Financially Responsible Officer may be named on Form CILB 8.
Published fees on this path total $540, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years with 14 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $205 renewal fee.
14 hours of Board-approved continuing education each two-year cycle, including at least 1 hour each of a Florida Building Code specialized or advanced module, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, and laws and rules. No continuing education is due for the year the certificate is first issued; if it is issued more than 12 months before the end of the biennium, 7 hours are due at the first renewal.
Certified licenses expire August 31 of even-numbered years. Renewal is $255 if you also qualify a business, and $25 more if filed after the deadline.
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.
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $80
- Exam fee · $80
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license · if applicable
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- DBPR Licensing Portal - Checklist: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor as an Individual - Active (CILB 5-G and CILB 5-H) · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) home page · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DBPR - Certified Contractors, Current Status: renewal information for current licensees · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Form DBPR CILB 5-G - Application for Certified Class-A Air Conditioning Contractor as an Individual (Eff. July 2024) · Fla. Stat. §§ 489.111, 489.115; Rule 61-35.010, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Form DBPR CILB 6-G - Application for Certified Class-A Air Conditioning Contractor Who is Qualifying a Business (Eff. July 2024) · Fla. Stat. §§ 489.111, 489.115, 489.119; Rule 61-35.010, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- DBPR - Construction Examinations (Bureau of Education and Testing) · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DBPR Bureau of Education & Testing - Florida State Construction Examination Registration Instructions and Application 2026 (Professional Testing, Inc.) · Rule 61G4-16, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation / Professional Testing, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Construction Industry Licensing Board - Examinations at a Glance (updated June 2024) · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Bureau of Education and Testing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Rule 61G4-16.001, F.A.C. - Written Certification Examination Requirements · Rule 61G4-16.001, F.A.C. · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Rule 61G4-18.001, F.A.C. - Continuing Education Requirements for Certificateholders and Registrants · Rule 61G4-18.001, F.A.C. (eff. 6/26/2023) · Florida Department of State, Florida Administrative Code · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.111 - Licensure by examination · Fla. Stat. § 489.111(2) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.115 - Certification and registration; endorsement; reciprocity · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3), (5) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026