Who needs a Texas HVAC credential?
Texas regulates air-conditioning and refrigeration work through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, or TDLR. The department says contractors who install, repair, or maintain covered air-conditioning, refrigeration, or heating systems must hold a TDLR license, and an ACR company must employ an ACR contractor at each permanent location. The ACR program page states those operating rules.
The credential stack depends on the role:
- The ACR contractor license controls the contracting scope, class, endorsement, insurance, and exam.
- The technician registration covers a person assisting a licensed contractor with maintenance or repair.
- EPA Section 608 certification is the separate federal credential for technicians who service equipment that could release regulated refrigerants.
The HVAC licensing pathway guide puts the Texas steps in a national context.
What is the difference between Class A and Class B?
Class A has no equipment-size ceiling. Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under. TDLR publishes those class limits on the contractor application page.
The class is only half the scope decision. TDLR currently lists three endorsements:
- Environmental Air Conditioning: treating air for human comfort, including temperature, humidity, cleanliness, ventilation, and circulation.
- Commercial Refrigeration: mechanical or absorption equipment used to control temperature or humidity for a space’s intended use.
- Process Cooling or Heating: controlling temperature, humidity, or cleanliness for production requirements or equipment operation.
Choose the class and endorsement from the work the company actually sells. The current examination page names separate Environmental Air and Commercial Refrigeration exam tracks for Class A and Class B, so the application choice determines the exam. Review TDLR’s examination tracks before filing.
What does EPA Section 608 add?
The Texas credential and EPA certification solve different problems. TDLR licenses or registers the person for Texas ACR work. EPA regulations require technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants—and most substitute refrigerants—to pass an EPA-approved test. EPA explains the federal certification requirement.
Section 608 credentials do not expire. The tests are specific to the equipment type, and an EPA-approved certifying organization must administer them. That means a contractor license does not replace Section 608, and Section 608 does not authorize someone to advertise or contract for Texas HVAC work.
What are the experience, exam, and insurance requirements?
The standard experience route requires at least 48 months of practical ACR work under a licensed contractor’s supervision during the previous 72 months. A second route applies after holding a technician certification for 12 months: at least 36 months of supervised practical experience during the previous 48 months. TDLR also lists limited exceptions for relevant education, engineering, military training, and certain industrial work. Read the current experience rules before choosing a path.
Every claimed month needs documentation on an Experience Verification Form completed by the supervisor—not by the applicant. Use separate forms when more than one person supervised the work. The experience-verification guide explains how to build that paper trail before a supervisor becomes hard to reach.
After TDLR verifies eligibility, PSI sends exam-registration instructions. The exam depends on the class and endorsements selected. Applicants may retake a failed written exam while the application remains active, but all application requirements must be completed within one year of filing. TDLR’s exam page gives the current sequence.
After passing, the applicant must submit a certificate of insurance. Active contractors must continuously maintain commercial general liability coverage. TDLR’s current minimums are:
| Class | Per occurrence: property damage and bodily injury | Aggregate: property damage and bodily injury | Aggregate: products and completed operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | $300,000 | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| B | $100,000 | $200,000 | $100,000 |
What does an ACR technician registration allow?
A person who assists a licensed ACR contractor with covered maintenance or repair work must register as a technician. The technician must work under a licensed contractor’s supervision and may not advertise ACR services. TDLR states those limits on the technician application page.
The registration is an entry credential, not permission to run an independent shop. The current application fee is $20, the minimum age is 16, and the registration lasts one year from issuance. No contractor-level experience or liability policy is required for this registration, but the work still belongs under the supervising contractor.
Do not confuse technician registration with technician certification. The shorter contractor-experience route requires that the applicant have held a technician certification for the previous 12 months; registration by itself does not trigger that route.
How do you apply without stalling the file?
Use this sequence:
- Choose the scope first. Select Class A or B and the endorsement that matches the offered work.
- Collect supervisor verification. Have each supervisor complete the TDLR experience form. Do not complete it for them.
- Submit the contractor application and $115 fee. The applicant must be at least 18. The license, once issued, is valid for one year.
- Wait for exam eligibility. TDLR reviews the experience and qualifications before PSI sends scheduling instructions.
- Pass the assigned exam. The selected class and endorsement determine the examination.
- File the insurance certificate. TDLR requires it after the exam and before the license is complete.
- Finish within the application window. All requirements, including the exam, must be completed within one year of the filing date.
TDLR publishes the experience, fee, exam, insurance, and deadline steps together. Use its forms list to retrieve the contractor application, experience-verification form, and certificate-of-insurance form.
What should you budget, and how long does it take?
The known state fees are only part of the cost. The renewal fee is $65. The Class B-to-A upgrade requires a $25 change fee plus a $74 exam fee:
| Item | Current TDLR amount |
|---|---|
| New contractor application | $115 |
| Technician registration application | $20 |
| Contractor renewal | $65 |
| Class B-to-A change | $25 change fee plus $74 exam fee |
The contractor application page lists the $115 fee and one-year license, while the technician page lists its $20 fee, and the renewal page lists the current renewal and class-upgrade charges. Use the renewal page for live fee and status rules.
Budget separately for the required insurance, exam materials, exam travel, and any education. Do not plan around a short licensing timeline: the standard route is 48 months of qualifying experience, and the faster route still requires technician certification plus 36 months of experience. Once eligible, the operative deadline is the one-year application window.
Renewal also takes planning. Contractors must complete eight hours of approved continuing education each year, including one hour on Texas law and rules. TDLR publishes the continuing-education breakdown. The license-renewal guide can help structure a company-wide renewal calendar.
Texas HVAC licensing questions
Can a Class B contractor work on any HVAC system?
No. Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under. Class A has no size ceiling. TDLR lists both class limits.
Is technician registration enough to run an HVAC business?
No. A registered technician works under a licensed contractor and may not advertise ACR services. Independent contracting requires the contractor license and its experience, exam, endorsement, and insurance requirements. TDLR explains the registration limits.
Does technician registration create the 36-month experience route?
No. TDLR ties that route to holding a technician certification for the previous 12 months, plus 36 months of supervised experience during the previous 48 months. TDLR states that route on the contractor application page.
Does EPA Section 608 replace the Texas credential?
No. Section 608 covers federal refrigerant handling requirements. Texas separately licenses contractors and registers technicians for ACR work. EPA explains the federal credential.
How often does the contractor license renew?
The license is valid for one year. Renewal requires eight hours of approved continuing education, including one hour of Texas law and rules. TDLR lists the renewal education.