Moving to Georgia as a master HVAC technician: every state's rule
Georgia has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Georgia master HVAC technician · “Conditioned Air Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted)”
Statewide license
Georgia has no 'master HVAC' license; its highest person-held HVAC credential is the statewide Conditioned Air Contractor license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Conditioned Air Contractors to an individual who documents experience and passes the PSI-administered exam with a score of at least 70. It comes in two classes: Class I (Restricted) covers systems up to 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling, and Class II (Non-Restricted) is unrestricted, so Class II is the master-level equivalent used here. A Class II applicant needs five years of experience under Rule 121-3-.04 (two years of installation as a lead mechanic with at least one commercial year, one year as a service technician or supervisor, two years of commercial supervisory experience), EPA Section 608 certification of Type II or higher, a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course (Manuals J&D) plus Manuals N&Q or Carrier Design 1-3, three notarized references from licensed professionals, and a local law-enforcement background check; the exam application fee is $110 through the GOALS portal, and the PSI exam fee is paid to the vendor. The licensee then serves as the qualifying licensee for a registered conditioned air company. The Board's FAQ states that 'Reciprocity with other states is not offered at this time' and its online guide has no reciprocity application type; the Board's 2022 paper reciprocity form, which is no longer accepted, named Louisiana as the sole reciprocal state and recorded that South Carolina and Texas reciprocity stopped on April 15, 2022 pending renegotiation. An out-of-state HVAC contractor therefore applies by examination, with experience earned elsewhere documented on the experience record. Licenses renew by November 30 of odd-numbered years with 4 hours of continuing education per year; applications are generally processed within 20 business days.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 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 | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 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 | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Georgia from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Georgia issues a master HVAC technician license to a first-time applicant.
Conditioned Air Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted) license by examination
Georgia has no journeyman HVAC license and does not require the Class I (Restricted) license first, so you apply directly for the Class II (Non-Restricted) Conditioned Air Contractor license once you can document 5 years of conditioned air experience under Board Rule 121-3-.04. The application goes through the GOALS portal with the $110 fee, an EPA Section 608 card (Type II or higher), certificates from Board-approved Manuals J&D and Manuals N&Q (or Carrier Design 1-3) courses, three notarized references and a local background check. After the Board approves the application, it sends an Exam Approval Letter, valid for one year, and you register with PSI for the open-book Class II exam. The exam includes questions on Georgia business and law, and you need a scaled score of 70 to pass. Once licensed, you can serve as the qualifying licensee for one registered conditioned air company.
The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions, including 20 unscored pretest questions, given in two parts of 3.5 hours each. The scored questions cover regulations, laws and administrative functions (8), system design (55), installation (25) and maintenance and repair (12); Class II adds boiler, steam, chilled-water and cooling-tower topics. You may bring only the references on the Board's list, which since May 1, 2026 includes the 2024 Georgia Mechanical and Gas Codes with Georgia amendments, the 2023 National Electrical Code, ACCA Manuals J and D, and the Georgia edition of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management. If you fail the exam twice, you must complete a Board-approved review course before a third attempt. The Board generally processes applications within 20 business days, and PSI's official score report can take up to 6 weeks to reach the Board. Class I (Restricted), limited to systems up to 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling, requires 4 years of residential experience and only the Manuals J&D course. Qualifying veterans may receive exam preference points.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Continuing education
- 8 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.Two years of installation as a lead mechanic, with at least one of those years on commercial work only; one year as a service technician or service supervisor; and two years of commercial supervisory experience. The experience can be gained anywhere, whether or not the Georgia code applied there. The Board classifies experience that the rule does not list.
- Experience with installations of conditioned air systems larger than 175,000 BTU (net) of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Engineering or engineering technology diploma plus 3 years of experience
Completion of a technical school diploma program in engineering or engineering technology may be credited as up to 2 of the 5 years of experience. You still need the remaining experience, including Class II-size installations, and the Board decides how the credit is applied.
- Technical school diploma in engineering or engineering technology
- You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.
- Experience with installations larger than 175,000 BTU (net) of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling
Vocational-technical certificate plus 4 years of experience
Completion of a vocational-technical school certificate program may be credited as up to 1 of the 5 years of experience. Graduates of a Georgia technical college submit a transcript with the application.
- Vocational-technical school certificate program
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.
- Experience with installations larger than 175,000 BTU (net) of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($110). Conditioned Air Contractor Class 2 (Non-Restricted) licensure-by-examination application fee, paid in the GOALS portal; non-refundable.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor Class II (Unrestricted) exam administered by PSI after Board approval: 120 questions in two 3.5-hour parts, open book with the Board's reference list, including questions on laws, regulations and business administration; scaled score of 70 to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when you register after Board approval; non-refundable. The Board and PSI handbook do not publish the amount; PSI quotes it at registration (test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco, 855-898-0711)..
- 4Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course covering ACCA Manuals J and D (the Technical College System of Georgia course AIRC 1060 qualifies), plus a Board-approved course covering Manuals N and Q or the Carrier Design Manuals 1, 2 and 3.
- 5Other. Hold EPA Section 608 technician certification, Type II or higher, and submit a copy of the EPA card with the application.
- 6Background check. Complete a background check. Background check obtained from your local law enforcement agency, plus court documents and a letter of explanation for any conviction or disciplinary action.
- 7Other. Three notarized reference forms from a licensed conditioned air contractor, professional engineer, registered architect or inspector who knows your conditioned air experience and includes their license number.
- 8Other. Experience record listing each employer, the licensee name and license number, dates of employment and your duties; a Secure and Verifiable Document such as a driver's license or passport; and the Affidavit of Citizenship.
- 9Business license. Obtain a business license. To contract, register the conditioned air company with the Board (Business Registration application in GOALS, no fee), naming you as its full-time qualifying licensee; a licensee may qualify only one company at a time.
Published fees on this path total $110, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle.
Four hours of continuing education per year, 8 hours per two-year renewal, in safety, technological advances, business management or government regulations, from a college or technical school, a trade or professional organization, a public utility or an equipment manufacturer (not product promotion). No hours are due at the first renewal if you have been licensed less than one year, and 4 hours if licensed less than two years. Licensees who are registered professional engineers are exempt.
Licenses expire in odd-numbered years and are renewed online in GOALS from September through November 30; late renewal with a late fee runs December 1 to 31. The renewal fee is listed on the Board's fee schedule in the GOALS portal.
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
- Exam fee
- Other
Pre-license education
Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.
- Pre-license course
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- 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, 2026
- Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors - Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Handbook · PSI Services and the Examination Development and Testing Unit, Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Qualifications for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.01, 121-2-.03, 121-2-.06, 121-2-.11 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Application for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02, 121-3-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-4 - License Issuance, Renewal, Reinstatement, Expiration, and Activation (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-4-.01, 121-4-.02, 121-4-.04 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-6 - Business Registration (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-6-.01 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Conditioned Air Contractors - Heat Loss and Gain and Duct Design Courses (approved provider list), updated 03-2023 · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Board of Conditioned Air FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- How to Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026