Texas HVAC license requirements at a glance
- Issued by
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
- License required
- Yes, technicians register; contractors must hold an ACR license
- Experience
- 4 years practical experience
- Exam
- Texas ACR Contractor Exam (PSI)
- State fees
- $115 application, then annual renewal; technician registration renews at $20 a year and certified technician at $35
- Renewal
- Every 1 year, on your birthday, with 8 hours of continuing education
- Avg. TX HVAC salary
- $53,200/yr (2024)
- Federal
- EPA Section 608 required
How do you get an HVAC license in Texas?
- Register with TDLR as an ACR technician (no exam required, about $20) and start working under a licensed contractor
- Accumulate 48 months of practical experience under a licensed ACR contractor within the previous 72 months
- Obtain EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant handling (federal requirement)
- Pass the TDLR ACR contractor exam for your class (A: unlimited tonnage; B: up to 25 tons cooling / 1.5M BTU heating)
- Apply for your Class A or B license ($115) and secure the required insurance
What license tiers does Texas offer?
Texas runs a genuine two-tier system. Technicians register with TDLR and work under a licensed contractor; contractors hold the ACR license itself. Class A covers any size unit. Class B is capped at cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU per hour and under, which still covers nearly all residential and light commercial work. Every license carries at least one endorsement: Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration, or Process Cooling and Heating, and the endorsement decides what you may actually touch.
What is the Texas HVAC exam like?
The ACR contractor exam is administered by PSI and differs by class only in equipment scope. Two experience routes qualify you to sit: 48 months of practical ACR work under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months, or a technician certification held for the past year plus 36 months of practical experience. The certification route is the shorter one and it is why the optional Certified ACR Technician credential exists.
How much does an HVAC license cost in Texas?
The state fees are modest and the time is the real cost. A $115 non-refundable application plus exam fees gets you to contractor status, with annual renewal and 8 hours of continuing education after that. Technicians renew a registration at $20 a year, or $35 if they hold the certified technician credential. The 48 months of supervised experience are paid work, not tuition.
How does Texas compare with another state?
Useful if you are deciding where to build your experience years. Shown exactly as published on each state's page, no scoring, no verdict.
Bordering states: Louisiana requirements · Arkansas requirements · Oklahoma requirements · New Mexico requirements
How long does it take to become an HVAC tech in Texas?
The clock is the 4 years of practical experience, paid full-time work under a licensed contractor. Technicians can register and start working immediately; reaching full ACR contractor status takes 48 months of practical experience under a licensed contractor.
Where can you train for HVAC in Texas?
Texas offers everything from paid union apprenticeships to one-year certificates and two-year degrees, and the right choice depends on your budget, timeline, and whether you want to earn while you train. We ranked every serious option in the state, including the programs aligned with Texas's licensing pathway: see the best HVAC schools in Texas.
Is HVAC a good career in Texas?
Texas figure is the BLS state median for HVAC mechanics and installers (May 2024). National median from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024). Verify current figures with BLS.
What does it take to start your own HVAC business in Texas?
Texas ACR contractors must carry insurance meeting TDLR minimums for their license class and keep it current, because lapsed insurance suspends the license automatically. Renewal is annual and requires 8 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education, one of which must cover Texas law and rules. Texas reciprocates with South Carolina and Georgia: a license in good standing in either state opens a reciprocal path here, which is worth knowing before you rebuild experience from scratch.
What most guides get wrong about Texas
Texas is one of the fastest states to start earning in, technician registration is about $20 with no exam. The long game is the 48-month clock toward your own contractor license; start it on day one by making sure your employer is properly licensed.
Texas HVAC license: frequently asked questions
Do HVAC technicians need a license in Texas?
Technicians need to register with TDLR (about $20, no exam) and work under a licensed ACR contractor. The full contractor license, required to pull permits and run your own jobs, takes 48 months of experience plus an exam.
What is the difference between Class A and Class B in Texas?
Class A has no equipment size limit. Class B caps you at 25 tons of cooling and 1.5 million BTU of heating, fine for most residential work. The exam and experience requirements are otherwise similar, so many techs go straight for Class A.
How much do HVAC contractors make in Texas?
Employed technicians average around $61,000 statewide, with metro areas like Austin and Dallas running higher. Licensed contractors running their own operations commonly clear six figures, which is why the 48-month experience requirement is worth completing.
Does Texas accept HVAC licenses from other states?
Texas has limited reciprocity. TDLR evaluates out-of-state experience case by case, and verified experience under another state's licensed contractor generally counts toward the 48-month requirement.
HVAC licensing in every state
Blue states are live. Orange is this page. Gray states are publishing weekly.