How do you get a Florida hvac technician license (DBPR / CILB)?
Florida licenses HVAC work at the contractor level: a DBPR Class A (unlimited) or Class B (up to 25 tons cooling / 500,000 BTU heating) Air-Conditioning Contractor license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board. You need four years of experience or an approved degree/experience combination, passing scores on the Trade and Business & Finance exams ($295 in exam fees), proof of financial responsibility, and the application fee (about $249). Technicians who aren't contractors work under one, plus everyone handling refrigerant needs federal EPA 608 certification.
- Document 4 years of HVAC experience (or a construction degree + 1 year, or a combo).
- Pass the Class A or B Trade exam and the Business & Finance exam ($295 total, open book).
- Show financial responsibility: FICO 660+, or a 14-hour course / licensing bond.
- Apply to DBPR with the ~$249 fee, insurance and fingerprints.
- Renew every two years (~$209) with 14 hours of DBPR-approved CE, and keep your federal EPA 608 card.
Governing law: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Act (Florida Statutes, Chapter 489, Part I)
Florida hvac technician license at a glance
This guide is general information about Florida licensing, not legal advice. DBPR / CILBrules, fees and deadlines change — confirm your own position with the board, or with a licensed attorney, before you rely on anything here.
Florida hvac technician license types: the full DBPR / CILB ladder
Florida does not license individual HVAC technicians at state level. DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses Air-Conditioning Contractors (Class A and Class B, each certified or registered), and technicians work under one. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is a separate, additional requirement for anyone handling refrigerant.
HVAC Technician (unlicensed at state level)
Florida does not license individual HVAC techs statewide, you work as an employee under a licensed Air-Conditioning Contractor while building the experience years.
County Journeyman (local card)
Several Florida counties (e.g. Miami-Dade, Broward, Pinellas) issue their own journeyman A/C competency cards via local exams, valid in that county, not statewide.
Registered Air-Conditioning Contractor
Holds a local competency card registered with DBPR; may contract only in the jurisdictions that issued the card. No state trade exam, but limited mobility.
Certified Class B Air-Conditioning Contractor
Statewide license for systems up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating per unit, covers most residential and light-commercial work. Requires the state Class B Trade and Business & Finance exams.
Certified Class A Air-Conditioning Contractor
Statewide license with no size limits on HVAC systems, required for large commercial and industrial plants. Same structure as Class B with a broader Trade exam.
EPA Section 608 (federal)
Required by the U.S. EPA for anyone who maintains, services or disposes of equipment containing regulated refrigerants, Type I, II, III or Universal. Separate from, and additional to, any Florida license.
Exact experience hours and fees vary by license type and can change, confirm current requirements on the DBPR / CILB HVAC Technician program page.
Class B (Certified) vs Class A (Certified) HVAC Technician in Florida, what is the difference?
How do you get a Florida Certified Class B HVAC Technician license?
- 1
Build four years of qualifying HVAC experience
DBPR accepts four years of proven experience (at least one year as a foreman), a four-year construction-related degree plus one year of experience, or approved college-credit/experience combinations. Keep W-2s, employer affidavits and permit records, the CILB verifies experience claims.
- 2
Pass the two state exams through Professional Testing, Inc.
Register with Professional Testing, Inc. ($135) and pass the Trade exam for your class ($80) plus the Business & Finance exam ($80), $295 total. Both are computer-based and open book with approved, tabbed references; the passing score is 70%. The Class A Trade exam covers unlimited-tonnage systems, Class B stops at 25 tons.
- 3
Prove financial responsibility and get insured
Submit a credit report showing a FICO score of 660 or higher, or complete a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course or post a licensing bond instead. You'll also need general liability and workers' compensation coverage (or an exemption) before the license issues.
- 4
Apply to DBPR and activate your license
File the CILB application with the ~$249 fee (it varies with where you land in the biennial cycle), electronic fingerprints, and your exam scores, which stay valid for four years. Once approved you appear in the DBPR license database and can pull mechanical permits statewide as a certified contractor.
Does a Florida hvac technician license transfer to other states?
Florida has no traditional state-to-state reciprocity for air-conditioning contractors. Since 2021 (HB 735), out-of-state contractors licensed for 10+ years may apply for licensure by endorsement, and exam-waiver arrangements are narrow and change over time, confirm the current endorsement rules with DBPR before relying on an out-of-state license.
Reciprocity agreements change, always confirm the current list and requirements on the DBPR / CILB HVAC Technician program page before applying.
How much does a Florida hvac technician license cost, and how long does it take?
Florida charges the exams and the application separately: $135 exam registration plus $80 for the Trade exam and $80 for the Business & Finance exam ($295 total), then a DBPR application fee of about $249 (it drops to roughly $149 later in the biennial cycle). Plan on $550-$650 all-in, and on 2-4 months from application to licence once your experience is complete.
Florida HVAC exam details and license lookup
What is on the DBPR Air-Conditioning Contractor exam?
There are two computer-based exams, both through Professional Testing, Inc. The Trade exam for your class (Class A covers unlimited tonnage, Class B stops at 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating) covers the Florida mechanical and building codes, load calculations, refrigeration and ductwork. The Business & Finance exam covers Florida construction law, contracting and financial management. Both are open book with approved references that may be tabbed and highlighted, and both require 70% to pass. Passing scores stay valid for four years.
How to verify a Florida hvac technician license
Anyone can confirm a license for free using the DBPR 'Verify a License' search at myfloridalicense.com. Search by name, license number or city to see the license class, status and expiration; certified Air-Conditioning Contractor numbers begin with CAC. Employers should verify an active licence, and the technician's federal EPA 608 card, before assigning HVAC work. GlobalCybers verifies every candidate's credentials before they reach your portal.
Do HVAC technicians in Florida need a state license?
Individual technicians do not hold a statewide license, Florida regulates HVAC at the contractor level. You can legally install and service systems as an employee of a licensed Class A or Class B Air-Conditioning Contractor. What every tech personally needs is federal EPA Section 608 certification to handle refrigerants, and
in some counties a local journeyman competency card to work unsupervised on permitted jobs.
What's the difference between Class A and Class B Air-Conditioning Contractor in Florida?
Scope, not difficulty of entry: a Class B contractor may work on systems up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating per unit, which covers nearly all residential and light-commercial work, while a Class A contractor has no size limits and can take large commercial and industrial
plants. Experience requirements, fees and the Business & Finance exam are the same, only the Trade exam differs.
Florida HVAC Technician licenses, Frequently Asked Questions
Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) · Florida Statutes, Chapter 489 Part I (Construction Contracting) · Professional Testing, Inc. (DBPR construction exams) · U.S. EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (49-9021). Fees and rules can change, confirm current details at www2.myfloridalicense.com/construction-industry before applying.
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