Florida HVAC license requirements and insurance
To work for yourself as an HVAC contractor in Florida, you need the Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A license. Florida has 3 HVAC license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $100,000 for injury and $25,000 for property damage, and workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades). There is a credit check: FICO 660 or higher. The state does not ask for a bond.
1Who needs a heating and air conditioning license in Florida? What is this?
Florida has 4 license types that matter to an HVAC contractor. The Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A needs four years in the trade, at least one of them as a foreman. College credits can replace some of it in three set combinations. One year as a foreman plus three years of credits. One year as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus two years of credits. Two years as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus one year of credits.
| License | Who needs it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A | — | Anywhere in Florida, systems of any size |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class B | — | Anywhere in Florida, up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class C | Nobody new. Class C is closed | Servicing air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems only |
| Registered contractor | Someone who wants to work in one city or county only, instead of holding a state certificate | You may only work in the places where you registered. A certified contractor can work anywhere in Florida without meeting each local competency rule |
2Who issues HVAC contractor licenses in Florida? What is this?
Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) issues HVAC licenses in Florida.
See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state
| Name | Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) |
|---|---|
| Website | myfloridalicense.com |
| Look up a license | myfloridalicense.com |
| The law | Florida Statutes chapter 489 part I |
| The rulebook | Florida Administrative Code chapter 61G4 |
| Group | II (specialty trade) |
3How to become an HVAC contractor in Florida What is this?
Florida has 4 licenses that matter to an HVAC contractor: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A, Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class B, Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class C, Registered contractor. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.
| License | Experience required | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A | Four years in the trade, at least one of them as a foreman. College credits can replace some of it in three set combinations. One year as a foreman plus three years of credits. One year as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus two years of credits. Two years as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus one year of credits | Yes, a business and finance exam plus a trade exam |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class B | The same four years as Class A | Yes, a business and finance exam plus a trade exam |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class C | — | — |
| Registered contractor | — | — |
4How much does an HVAC license cost in Florida? What is this?
The government fees on this page add up to about $495 in Florida. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.
| License | Application (as currently charged) | Application (legal maximum) | Application with exam (legal maximum) | First certificate (legal maximum) | First registration fee (most the law allows) | Renewal (as currently charged) | Renewal (legal maximum) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A | 245 in the first year of the two-year cycle, 145 in the second | $150 | $350 | $250 | — | 205 plus 50 business qualification fee | $250 |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Registered contractor | — | $100 | — | — | $200 | — | $200 |
Added up
| Government fees, added up | $495 |
|---|
Class A path. The $245 application in the first year of the cycle plus the $250 certificate fee. Does not include the exam fees, insurance premiums, the EPA 608 test, tools, a vehicle, or local business tax receipts
5How much HVAC insurance do you need in Florida? What is this?
The least liability insurance Florida lets an HVAC contractor work with is $100,000 for injury and $25,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades).
| Minimum liability insurance (injury) | $100,000 |
|---|---|
| Minimum liability insurance (property damage) | $25,000 |
| Who this applies to | All specialty trades, including HVAC |
| Why other websites say a different number | Several insurance websites say $300,000. That is the number for general and building contractors in the same rule, not for HVAC |
| Workers' comp required? | Yes, as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades) |
| Who can opt out | Owners can opt themselves out. Officers and LLC members who own at least 10 percent can file an exemption |
6Does Florida check your credit for an HVAC contractor license? What is this?
Florida checks your finances before it trusts you with a license. The rule: FICO 660 or higher.
| Credit score you need | FICO 660 or higher |
|---|---|
| If your score is lower | 14-hour board-approved financial responsibility course |
| Bond instead | The law lets the board write bonding into its money rules, capped at $10,000 for Division II, which is where air conditioning sits |
7Does an HVAC contractor need a bond in Florida? What is this?
Florida does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.
| Does the state require a bond? | No |
|---|---|
| Which division this trade sits in |
|
There is no standing bond requirement to get the license. Florida uses the credit check instead. The law does let the board write bonding into its money rules, capped at $10,000 for the trades in Division II, which is where air conditioning sits, and $20,000 for general, building and residential contractors. Your city or county may ask for its own bond before it issues permits
8Federal rules that also apply What is this?
Rules from the US government that apply to an HVAC contractor in Florida on top of the state's own.
| EPA refrigerant certification | Anyone who handles refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Test costs reported at $25 to $150 depending on who runs it |
|---|
9Where must a Florida HVAC contractor show the license number? What is this?
In Florida: your license number must appear on every ad, quote, bid, and contract, online or on paper.
| The rule | Your license number must appear on every ad, quote, bid, and contract, online or on paper |
|---|
10Does an HVAC contractor charge sales tax on labor in Florida? What is this?
In Florida, count as part of the building; you pay tax when you buy the unit and materials, and charge the customer no tax on labor or materials. The rest of the rules are below.
See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states
| Central AC and furnaces | Count as part of the building; you pay tax when you buy the unit and materials, and charge the customer no tax on labor or materials |
|---|---|
| Window and portable units | Do not count as part of the building; you buy them tax-free with a resale certificate and charge the customer tax on the full price, installation included |
| Repairs to things that are not part of the building | Charge tax on labor and materials if parts are used; labor-only service calls are not taxable and must be documented |
| Service and warranty plans | Taxed if they cover equipment that is not part of the building; not taxed if the equipment became part of the building, like a central AC unit |
| Tax rate | 6 percent state plus county discretionary surtax |
11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Florida HVAC contractor What is this?
If you are not paid in Florida, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job.
- Day 0Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
- Day 45Send your notice
Before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job
- Day 90File your lien
Within 90 days of your last day on the job
Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.
| Do you have to send a notice? | Yes, if you were hired by the contractor rather than the property owner (workers paid by the hour are exempt) |
|---|---|
| Send your notice by | Before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job |
| File your lien by | Within 90 days of your last day on the job |
12How do you renew an HVAC license in Florida? What is this?
The Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A renews on this cycle: biennial. You need 14 hours of training each renewal.
| License | Renewal | Training hours each renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A | Biennial | — |
Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.
13What catches people out in Florida What is this?
The things people get wrong or do not expect about Florida, in a few sentences.
- Florida's minimum insurance for an HVAC contractor is $100,000 for injury and $25,000 for property damage. Many insurance websites say $300,000. That is the figure for general and building contractors in the same rule.
- Class A lets you work on any size system. Class B stops at 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating. Both need the same insurance.
- A central AC unit or a furnace counts as part of the building for sales tax. You pay tax when you buy it and charge the customer nothing. A window unit is the opposite. You charge tax on the full price, installation included.
- Workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee. Owners can file an exemption for themselves.
- Anyone who handles refrigerant needs the federal EPA Section 608 certification on top of the state license.
- If a contractor hired you rather than the property owner, send a Notice to Owner within 45 days of starting or you lose the right to file a lien.
·5 official pages
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-61G4-15-003
- floridarevenue.com/forms_library/current/gt800067.pdf
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/Sections/0440.02.html
- epa.gov/section608
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html
14Where these numbers come from
The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.109.html
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-61G4-18-001
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-61G4-15-001
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.105.html
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.111.html
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-61G4-15-006
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.115.html
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-61G4-15-003
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/Sections/0440.02.html
- epa.gov/section608
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.119.html
- floridarevenue.com/forms_library/current/gt800067.pdf
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.06.html
- leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0713/Sections/0713.08.html