What HVAC license do you need in Georgia?
Georgia calls the state HVAC credential a Conditioned Air Contractor license. Class I is the restricted route; Class II is unrestricted. This is a contractor credential, not a technician registration for every employee. A business must be tied to an appropriate current license holder who works in the business full time and supervises the covered work.
To obtain a Class I or Class II Conditioned Air Contractor license, an applicant must submit a completed application, meet the experience requirement, score at least 70 on the appropriate exam, and pay the board fees. Georgia Rule 121-3-.04 states those gates.
The experience requirement is four years for Class I and five years for Class II. The federal EPA Section 608 credential is a separate requirement for refrigerant work, but Georgia also includes proof of EPA certification in the experience mix for both conditioned-air classes. For the broader state-versus-federal framework, read our HVAC licensing roadmap.
Class I vs Class II Conditioned Air
| License | Georgia scope | Minimum experience | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class I, Restricted | Each complete system may not exceed 175,000 BTU of heating or 60,000 BTU of cooling | Four years in the required roles | Residential and smaller light-commercial systems within both caps |
| Class II, Non-restricted | Unrestricted system size | Five years, including specified commercial experience | Larger commercial systems and any work that can exceed a Class I cap |
Class I licenses are limited to systems or equipment not exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling, while Class II licenses are unrestricted. The rule also says each complete system in a single installation is considered an individual job for classification.
The cooling limit is 60,000 BTU per hour, which equals five refrigeration tons, not 15 tons. That correction matters: a contractor who plans around a 15-ton Class I ceiling can bid outside the licensed scope. Class II applicants must document experience with installations exceeding the Class I heating and cooling limits.
Pick the class from the largest complete system you intend to contract, not the average job in your current pipeline. Class I is useful only while every covered system stays inside both limits.
The federal EPA Section 608 layer
EPA regulations require certification for technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release regulated refrigerants. EPA says the technician must pass a test administered by an EPA-approved certifying organization.
EPA offers four credentials:
- Type I for small appliances.
- Type II for high- or very-high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and motor-vehicle air conditioners.
- Type III for low-pressure appliances.
- Universal for all equipment types.
Section 608 credentials do not expire. EPA also says the Core test must be proctored to count toward Universal certification.
The federal card and Georgia contractor license answer different questions. Section 608 covers refrigerant-related technician work. The Georgia license covers conditioned-air contracting and the class of systems you may take responsibility for. A supervised employee can fall under the company structure, but anyone performing regulated refrigerant tasks needs the appropriate federal status or applicable apprentice supervision.
Experience, references, and examination requirements
Georgia requires three references on its form from people who can attest to your conditioned-air experience. The acceptable reference categories are architect, professional engineer, inspector, or licensed Conditioned Air Contractor, and the reference must include the professional registration or license number. Rule 121-3-.04 lists those reference conditions.
For Class I, the four-year experience mix consists of two years of residential installation as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician, one year of residential supervisory experience, EPA certification, and a board-approved heat-loss, heat-gain, and duct-design course. That mix is stated in Rule 121-3-.04.
For Class II, the five-year mix consists of two years of installation as a lead mechanic with at least one commercial-only year, one year as a service technician or service supervisor, two years of commercial supervisory experience, EPA certification, and the board-approved design course. Georgia sets that commercial-weighted mix in the same rule.
Education can replace only part of the experience. A technical-school diploma program in engineering or engineering technology may count for no more than two years, while a vocational-technical certificate program may count for no more than one year. The board classifies experience that does not fit the examples in the rule.
The passing score is 70 on the appropriate examination. After two failures, an applicant must document completion of a qualifying review course before being scheduled for a third attempt.
Application process and business registration
Use this sequence:
- Choose Class I or Class II from the system sizes you plan to contract. Do not use a job title as a proxy for scope.
- Build the experience record by required role. Separate lead installation, service, supervision, residential, and commercial time.
- Complete the approved heat-loss, heat-gain, and duct-design course and obtain EPA certification.
- Secure three references on the required form. Confirm each reference falls into an accepted professional category and includes a license or registration number.
- Submit the complete application and the normally nonrefundable fee. The application fee is non-refundable unless otherwise approved by the Executive Director, Deputy Division Director, or Division Director. Rule 121-2-.01 states that exception. Georgia rules say the board publishes fees in a separate schedule, so use the amount shown in the live application rather than an old article.
- Pass the appropriate examination with at least 70.
- Connect the license to the business before contracting through an entity.
A contracting business must have a current license holder regularly connected with it, working in the practice full time, providing adequate supervision, and taking responsibility for the work. Rule 121-6-.01 also bars that qualifier from qualifying more than one business at a time. This is where the individual credential becomes business authority.
Georgia requires a business performing conditioned-air contracting to display the business registration number. Rule 121-3-.05 sets the display duty and addresses qualifier changes. The display rule covers specified vehicles, advertisements, invoices, and proposals. If the qualifying licensee leaves, the business must stop conditioned-air contracting until another licensee qualifies it. Use our Georgia contractor license guide to keep this trade-specific registration separate from other Georgia contractor classifications.
How Georgia reciprocity works
Georgia rules allow a conditioned-air license by reciprocity or endorsement when the applicant submits the application and fee, holds a current out-of-state license in an appropriate classification, and shows that the license was based on passing a qualifying licensing-board examination. Rule 121-2-.03 also requires documentation of the prerequisite experience and any other material the board requests.
The other licensing board must use an examination and requirements substantially equal to Georgia requirements, and it must offer a similar privilege to Georgia licensees. The Georgia board decides which class maps to the out-of-state credential. A grandfathered license obtained without the qualifying examination does not qualify under this rule.
That is more precise than relying on a static list of state names. Reciprocity depends on the current written agreement, examination basis, experience, license class, and good standing when you apply. EPA Section 608 is federal and does not need state reciprocity.
Costs, renewal, and realistic timeline
Georgia rules say the board sets the application fee and makes it available in a separate schedule. Rule 121-2-.01 explains that fee treatment. Renewal, late, and reinstatement fees are also set by the board and published separately. Use the current fee shown by the Georgia licensing portal or application when you file; older dollar figures can be wrong even when the eligibility rules are unchanged.
The fixed timeline is the experience: at least four years for Class I or five years for Class II, with the required role mix. Do not add a made-up processing estimate to that. Application review and exam scheduling depend on submission completeness and current administration.
Licenses renew biennially by the applicable expiration date. Rule 121-4-.02 requires the renewal application, fee, and any other board information by that date. Conditioned Air Contractors generally need four continuing-education hours per year before renewal. A licensee initially licensed for less than two years needs four hours before the first renewal; one licensed for less than one year has no CE requirement for that first renewal.
Keep CE records for at least five years. A renewal applicant reports compliance, and the division can request the supporting course records.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Georgia Class I system limit?
Each complete system may not exceed 175,000 BTU of heating or 60,000 BTU of cooling. Sixty thousand BTU per hour equals five refrigeration tons.
How much experience do Class I and Class II require?
Class I requires at least four years in the rule-defined role mix. Class II requires at least five years, including specified commercial lead-installation and supervisory experience.
Does a Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor need EPA 608?
Yes. Georgia includes evidence of EPA certification in both class experience requirements, and federal rules separately require Section 608 certification for covered refrigerant work.
What score passes the Georgia exam?
At least 70 on the appropriate examination. After two failures, the applicant must complete a qualifying review course before a third exam.
How often does the license renew?
Biennially. Conditioned Air Contractors generally complete four continuing-education hours per year and keep the records for at least five years.
Is reciprocity automatic?
No. It depends on a current appropriate license, a qualifying prior examination, substantially equal requirements, reciprocal treatment, documented experience, and the Georgia board’s classification decision.