Trades by State
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Indiana HVAC license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as an HVAC contractor in Indiana, you need the Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis) license. Indiana has 3 HVAC license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $500,000 for injury and $100,000 for property damage, and workers' comp is required as soon as you have an employee. The state does not ask for a bond.

Who it applies to

1Who needs a heating and air conditioning license in Indiana? What is this?

Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis): anyone who installs, replaces, services or repairs heating, cooling or refrigeration equipment in Indianapolis or Marion County. People who work for you do not need their own license if a license holder directs the work

LicenseWho needs itWhat it covers
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis)Anyone who installs, replaces, services or repairs heating, cooling or refrigeration equipment in Indianapolis or Marion County. People who work for you do not need their own license if a license holder directs the workUnrestricted. Any size of heating or cooling system
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning B (Indianapolis)—Cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 500,000 BTU, with the ductwork and pipework that goes with it. Boilers up to 15 psi steam and 30 psi water
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning D (Indianapolis)—Single phase systems only. Cooling up to 5 tons and heating up to 300,000 BTU, with boilers up to 15 psi steam and 30 psi water
Outside IndianapolisAnyone doing heating and cooling work anywhere else in IndianaThere is no state license. Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and many other cities and counties set their own rules, and some places license nothing
Who runs it

2Who issues HVAC contractor licenses in Indiana? What is this?

Indiana has no state HVAC board. In Indianapolis and Marion County the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses heating and cooling contractors, with the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners issues HVAC licenses in Indiana.

See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state

NameIndiana has no state HVAC board. In Indianapolis and Marion County the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses heating and cooling contractors, with the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners
Websiteindy.gov
Look up a licenseindy.gov
The lawRevised Code of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, chapter 875
The rulebookThe yearly policies of the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners
Does the state license this trade?None. Indiana does not issue a heating and cooling license. The city's own paperwork says licensing is up to each local government
Taken from the linked page, not separately checked
·3 official pages
Getting licensed

3How to become an HVAC contractor in Indiana What is this?

Indiana has 4 licenses that matter to an HVAC contractor: Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis), Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning B (Indianapolis), Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning D (Indianapolis), Outside Indianapolis. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

LicenseExperience requiredExam
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis)Five years. It can be five years of practical work in heating and cooling, or a mix of work and schooling that adds up to five years. You show it with letters from current and past employersYes, a written exam. You go before the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners first, and you need 70 percent to pass
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning B (Indianapolis)Same as Air Conditioning AYes, a written exam. You need 70 percent. It costs $80, paid to Prov
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning D (Indianapolis)Same as Air Conditioning AYes, a written exam. You need 70 percent. It costs $100, paid to Prov, which is more than any other heating and cooling exam the city uses
Outside Indianapolis——
What it costs

4How much does an HVAC license cost in Indiana? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $377 in Indiana. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

LicenseFirst license, company or partnershipFirst license, sole ownerRenewal, company or partnershipRenewal, sole owner
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis)$624$377$494$247
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning B (Indianapolis)————
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning D (Indianapolis)————

Added up

Government fees, added up$377

Indianapolis only, for a sole owner applying at the start of a license term. Apply later in the term and the fee falls to $283, then $189. A company or partnership adds the business license, up to $247. Does not include the $80 exam fee paid to Prov, the EPA 608 test, the $5,000 bond premium, insurance, tools, a vehicle, or permits

Our estimate
Insurance

5How much HVAC insurance do you need in Indiana? What is this?

The least liability insurance Indiana lets an HVAC contractor work with is $500,000 for injury and $100,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required as soon as you have an employee.

Minimum liability insurance$500,000
Minimum liability insurance (property damage)$100,000
Or one combined limit of$500,000
Type of policyGeneral liability. Either $500,000 per claim for injury or death plus $100,000 per claim for property damage, or one combined limit of $500,000 per claim
Who this applies to
  • Every licensed heating and cooling business in Indianapolis and Marion County.
  • The state itself asks for nothing, because it has no license.
  • The policy must cover all your work, not one job or one address
Who must be named on the certificate
  • The Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, or the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, with the department's address.
  • The city must also be named as an additional insured.
  • Your insurer must give the department 15 days' notice before canceling
Workers' comp required?
  • Yes, as soon as you have an employee.
  • Every Indiana employer must insure its workers' comp duty or get the board's approval to pay claims itself.
  • Indianapolis also wants a certificate of that cover on file
Who can opt out
  • A sole owner, partnership or LLC with no employees can sign the waiver box on the city's company application.
  • A corporation cannot.
  • The city says a corporation must cover at least its owner, or show an exemption certificate from the Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana
Workers' comp: what to know
  • The state exemption is a two step job.
  • The Department of Revenue first checks that you owe no tax, then passes the application to the Worker's Compensation Board.
  • Pay by money order or certified check
Workers' comp: application fee20
Workers' comp: if you skip itGoing without cover is a Class A misdemeanor under state law. A court can make you prove cover every six months for up to three years
Checked by a person against the official page
·8 official pages
Money checks

6Does Indiana check your credit for an HVAC contractor license? What is this?

Indiana does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you needNone. The city code lists what a heating and cooling contractor must file, and nothing on it is about your credit, your net worth or a financial statement
If your score is lowerNot needed. The city asks for insurance and a bond instead
How we knowChapter 875, article III, was read section by section. It asks for the exam, the experience, the bond, the insurance and the fee, and nothing else about money
Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Bonds

7Does an HVAC contractor need a bond in Indiana? What is this?

Indiana 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
AmountNot listed yet
City rules
  • Indianapolis asks for a $5,000 license bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job).
  • It must name the Consolidated City of Indianapolis or an unknown third party as the party protected.
  • The city will not take a bond with no end date, and the current packet wants one ending 31 December 2027

The city may take an irrevocable letter of credit for $5,000 instead of a bond, if the controller approves your bank and the city lawyer approves the wording. Indiana has no state bond because it has no state license. Other cities and counties may ask for their own bond before you pull permits.

Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Federal rules

8Federal rules that also apply What is this?

Rules from the US government that apply to an HVAC contractor in Indiana on top of the state's own.

EPA refrigerant certificationAnyone who opens a refrigerant circuit, adds or removes refrigerant, or hooks up gauges must hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is a federal card, the state does not issue it, and it never expires
Card typesType I covers small appliances. Type II covers high pressure equipment. Type III covers low pressure equipment. Universal covers all three
City rules
  • Indianapolis checks your EPA card before it lets you sit the exam.
  • Air Conditioning A and Refrigeration need Universal.
  • Air Conditioning B and D need Type I and Type II.
  • High Pressure Steam needs none
Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Showing your number

9Where must an Indiana HVAC contractor show the license number? What is this?

In Indiana: there is nothing to put anywhere. Indiana has no state license number for this trade, and the Indianapolis contractor chapter has no rule about showing a city number.

The ruleThere is nothing to put anywhere. Indiana has no state license number for this trade, and the Indianapolis contractor chapter has no rule about showing a city number
On adsNo rule found, in state law or in the city code
On your vehiclesNo rule found, in state law or in the city code
On quotes, contracts, and invoicesNo rule found, in state law or in the city code
City rules
  • Indianapolis lets you put a sign or placard at the job showing the city's license seal.
  • It is your choice, not a duty.
  • If you use the seal you must also show your name and address on the sign.
  • Using the seal when you are not licensed is against the law
If you forget
  • Working without the license the chapter requires is unlawful.
  • A first offense in a twelve month period goes to the ordinance violations bureau as a civil penalty.
  • A second or later offense in the same twelve months carries a fine of at least $1,000.
  • The board's own policies add two more ways to lose the license.
  • Selling the use of it, or failing to supervise the work done under it, can bring a suspension of up to 180 days or revocation
Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Tax

10Does an HVAC contractor charge sales tax on labor in Indiana? What is this?

In Indiana, not taxed, as long as you write the installation labor on the invoice as its own line. The state says separately stated installation charges are left out of the taxable amount. 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

What this tax isIndiana sales tax, which the law calls the state gross retail tax, and its partner the use tax. For a contractor, the kind of contract decides who pays tax on the equipment and materials
When you quote one total price
  • You pay the tax on furnaces, condensers, duct and fittings, either when you buy them or as use tax when you install them.
  • You do not add sales tax to the customer's bill.
  • A window air conditioning unit is different.
  • It never becomes part of the building, so selling one is an ordinary taxable sale
When you bill time and materialsThe state treats you as a store selling the equipment and materials. You buy them tax free with your own exemption certificate, then charge the customer sales tax on the material part of the bill and send it to the state
LaborNot taxed, as long as you write the installation labor on the invoice as its own line. The state says separately stated installation charges are left out of the taxable amount
Homes versus businessesNo difference. The rule turns on the kind of contract, not the kind of building
New buildings versus repairsNo difference. Both are treated the same, because improving a building and repairing one both count as turning materials into part of the building
Tax-exempt customers
  • If the customer could have bought the materials tax free, you can buy them tax free too.
  • That covers charities, and federal and Indiana government bodies.
  • You keep their certificate for at least three years
Do you register to collect tax?Yes, if you use time and material contracts. You need a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate, which you get by registering at inbiz.in.gov. You then file and pay through intime.dor.in.gov
Tax rate7 percent state
Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Getting paid

11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for an Indiana HVAC contractor What is this?

If you are not paid in Indiana, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: for repairs or replacements on a home the owner lives in, give the owner written notice within 30 days of your first day of work or first delivery (first day on March 1 means notice by March 31). The notice says what you supplied and that you have lien rights.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days
  1. Day 0
    Your first day on the job

    The clock starts here.

  2. Day 30
    Send your notice

    For repairs or replacements on a home the owner lives in, give the owner written notice within 30 days of your first day of work or first delivery (first day on March 1 means notice by March 31). The notice says what you supplied and that you have lien rights

  3. Day 60
    File your lien

    File a sworn statement that you intend to hold a lien with the county recorder. On a one or two family home or a townhouse you get 60 days after your last work (last day June 1 means file by July 31). On other property you get 90 days (last day June 1 means file by August 30)

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.

Who has to send a noticeAnyone who supplies labor or materials on credit to a contractor or subcontractor, and not to the owner, on a one or two family home. If the owner who lives there hired you directly, this notice does not apply to you
Send your notice byFor repairs or replacements on a home the owner lives in, give the owner written notice within 30 days of your first day of work or first delivery (first day on March 1 means notice by March 31). The notice says what you supplied and that you have lien rights
New buildingsOn a new one or two family home the notice is due within 60 days of your first work or delivery (first day on March 1 means notice by April 30). A copy is filed with the county recorder in the same 60 days
File your lien by
  • File a sworn statement that you intend to hold a lien with the county recorder.
  • On a one or two family home or a townhouse you get 60 days after your last work (last day June 1 means file by July 31).
  • On other property you get 90 days (last day June 1 means file by August 30)
Copy to the ownerYou file two copies. The recorder mails one to the owner within three business days and charges you $2 for it
File a lawsuit byYou must sue to collect within one year of the day the lien statement was recorded
Homes the owner lives inA person who buys a new one or two family home to live in, in good faith, is protected. Your lien does not reach that home unless your notice was recorded before their deed
Who can file a lienContractors, subcontractors, mechanics, laborers and suppliers of materials or machinery
Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Keeping it

12How do you renew an HVAC license in Indiana? What is this?

The Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis) renews every two years. Every license runs out on 31 December of an odd year.

LicenseRenewal
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning A (Indianapolis)Every two years. Every license runs out on 31 December of an odd year
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning B (Indianapolis)Every two years, ending 31 December of an odd year
Heating and Cooling Contractor, Air Conditioning D (Indianapolis)Every two years, ending 31 December of an odd year

Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.

Watch out

13What catches people out in Indiana What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about Indiana, in a few sentences.

  • Indiana has no state HVAC license, no state exam and no state license number. Your city or county decides, so a license that works in Indianapolis may mean nothing one county over.
  • Indianapolis sorts its HVAC licenses by size. Air Conditioning D stops at 5 tons of cooling, B stops at 25 tons, and A has no limit.
  • In Indianapolis you meet the board in person. You go before the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners for an interview before the exam, and the board wants to see your EPA refrigerant card first.
  • Every Indianapolis license ends on the same day, 31 December of an odd year. Apply late in the term and the $377 license holder fee drops to $283, then to $189.
  • The Indianapolis bond is small at $5,000, but the insurance is not. You need $500,000 of liability cover with the city named on the certificate as an additional insured.
  • Schooling counts here. The city asks for five years, and it will take a mix of work and classroom time that adds up to five, rather than five years on the tools.
Checked by a person against the official page
·3 official pages

14Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.

  1. library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances
  2. us-east-1-indy.graphassets.com/ActDBC5rvRWeCZlNNnLrDz/8EsNlhDjTi7fdVKpqkSw
  3. indy.gov/activity/contractor-licenses
  4. us-east-1-indy.graphassets.com/ActDBC5rvRWeCZlNNnLrDz/cmg9so0q30ajx07jxcx9ut254
  5. provexam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Marion-County-CIB-2025.06.30-1.pdf
  6. in.gov/wcb/independent-contractors
  7. forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=7134
  8. in.gov/dA/5e5d68c2f7/ICAEJul1.pdf
  9. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-22-labor-and-safety/in-code-sect-22-3-5-1/
  10. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-22-labor-and-safety/in-code-sect-22-3-6-1/
  11. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-22-labor-and-safety/in-code-sect-22-3-4-13/
  12. epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-requirements
  13. in.gov/dor/files/sib60.pdf
  14. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-6-taxation/in-code-sect-6-2-5-4-9/
  15. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-6-taxation/in-code-sect-6-2-5-3-2/
  16. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-6-taxation/in-code-sect-6-2-5-2-2/
  17. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-32-property/in-code-sect-32-28-3-1/
  18. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-32-property/in-code-sect-32-28-3-3/
  19. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-22-labor-and-safety/in-code-sect-22-12-1-5/
  20. codes.findlaw.com/in/title-32-property/in-code-sect-32-28-3-6/