- Class I: 4 years, including residential install time as a lead mechanic, a year as a service technician and a year of residential supervision. Class II: 5 years, including commercial installs and two years of commercial supervision. Both need EPA certification and a board approved heat loss, heat gain and duct design course.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Every two years, by the expiration date set by the Secretary of State. Check with the board on continuing education.
Do you need a state license in Georgia?
Georgia licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Georgia Secretary of State, Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Georgia license types for HVAC work
Georgia splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Class I (Restricted) | Systems up to 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling |
| Class II (Unrestricted) | Conditioned air systems of any size |
Steps to get licensed in Georgia
- Build 4 years of experience for Class I or 5 years for Class II.
- Get EPA certification.
- Finish a board approved heat loss, heat gain and duct design course.
- Apply to the board with three references from an architect, engineer, inspector or licensed conditioned air contractor.
- Pass the exam with a score of 70 or better and pay the board fees.
- Renew every two years.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Class I: 4 years, including residential install time as a lead mechanic, a year as a service technician and a year of residential supervision. Class II: 5 years, including commercial installs and two years of commercial supervision. Both need EPA certification and a board approved heat loss, heat gain and duct design course.
The license to apply for. Conditioned Air Contractor, Class I (Restricted) or Class II (Unrestricted).
Georgia HVAC exams
Trade exam. Yes. A board exam with a minimum score of 70.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Separate from any state license, the EPA requires Section 608 certification for anyone who works on equipment with refrigerant. It is federal and applies in every state.
What it costs in Georgia
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Georgia Secretary of State, Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every two years, by the expiration date set by the Secretary of State. Check with the board on continuing education.
Reciprocity. The board can license out of state conditioned air contractors who passed an exam in a state with substantially equal requirements that offers Georgia licensees the same privilege. Check with the board for current agreements.
Good to know in Georgia
- EPA certification is part of the experience requirement for both classes.
- The repair exception for residential and general contractor work does not reduce the separate licensing rules for conditioned air contracting.
- A business must show its GA. REG. license number on its vehicles, ads, invoices and proposals.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for HVAC repair near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Georgia Secretary of State, Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Department 121, Construction Industry Licensing Board
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2, qualifications and reciprocity
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3, conditioned air applications
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-4, renewal
- Rules of the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (Dept. 553)
More for your trade: how HVAC companies run on Koira.