Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Texas's official board.
Technicians handling refrigerant must hold federal EPA Section 608 certification.
| Requirements | CONTRACTOR (Class A or Class B). Experience, one of two routes: 48 months of practical air-conditioning and refrigeration work in the past 72 months under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor; or hold a technician certification for 12 months plus 36 months of practical ACR work under a licensed ACR contractor in the past 48 months. Experience is documented by the supervisor on TDLR's Experience Verification Form. Applicant must be an adult. Application steps in order: (1) complete the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Application; (2) attach the Experience Verification Form(s); (3) pay the $115 non-refundable application fee; (4) file a Criminal History Questionnaire if applicable; (5) receive TDLR's eligibility approval; (6) pass the endorsement examination; (7) send a Certificate of Insurance to TDLR customer service; (8) license issues. Commercial general liability insurance must be carried for the life of the license: Class A $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate for property damage and bodily injury and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations; Class B $100,000 per occurrence, $200,000 aggregate and $100,000 aggregate. Class A carries no size limit; Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU/hr and under. Licenses are valid for one year from the date of issue. TECHNICIANS. Registered Technician: at least 16 years old, works only in assistance to a licensed ACR contractor and under that contractor's supervision, may not advertise services independently; non-refundable application fee $20; registration valid one year from date of issue. Certified Technician is a separate, examined credential. EXAMINATION. PSI administers four contractor endorsement examinations - Environmental Air Class A, Environmental Air Class B, Commercial Refrigeration Class A and Commercial Refrigeration Class B - plus the ACR Certified Technician examination. There is no separate business-and-law paper; Texas laws and rules are scored inside each endorsement examination. All examinations are OPEN BOOK. From TDLR's ACR Candidate Information Bulletin: Environmental Air Class A, 120 items in 230 minutes plus 5 non-scored items and 10 minutes, 70% to pass, fee $74; Environmental Air Class B, 100 scored items in 170 minutes plus 5 non-scored and 10 minutes, 70%, fee $60; Commercial Refrigeration Class A, 120 scored items in 230 minutes plus 5 non-scored and 10 minutes, 70%, fee $74; Commercial Refrigeration Class B, 100 scored items in 170 minutes plus 5 non-scored and 10 minutes, 70%, fee $60; Certified Technician, 60 scored items in 112 minutes plus 4 non-scored and 8 minutes, 70%, fee $60. Environmental Air Class A is weighted: air distribution 18, equipment requirements and design 14, HVAC systems 11, service 12, testing 12, ventilation 6, venting 5, basic refrigeration components 6, combustion air 6, controls 6, piping 6, refrigeration principles 6, safety 6, Texas laws and rules 6. Commercial Refrigeration Class A is weighted: HVACR systems and design 20, controls 14, equipment requirements 12, piping 11, service 11, basic refrigeration components 10, refrigeration principles 10, safety 7, air distribution 6, Texas laws and rules 5, testing 10, combustion air 3, ventilation 5, venting 4. Code references for the examinations are the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code; the bulletin states that effective September 1, 2026 the examinations will be referenced to the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, 2024 International Mechanical Code and 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code. Business and law references are Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 and 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75; technical references are Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 22nd edition (2025) and the ADI Duct Size Calculator, with ACCA Manual D (2014), Manual J (8th edition, version 2.50, 2016) and Manual S (2014) used for the Environmental Air Class A and Class B examinations only. Candidates bring their own references; spiral-bound, three-hole-punched and permanently tabbed copies are allowed, temporary tabs, post-it tabs and homemade tabs are not, and no marking is permitted during the session. |
| Reciprocity | TDLR maintains a licensing reciprocity/out-of-state applicant process (see /acr/acrreciprocity.htm and /acr/acrstate.htm). |
| Renewal | Annual - the contractor license is valid for one year from the date of issue. Contractor renewal fee $65. Continuing education is 8 hours of TDLR-approved coursework each year, of which at least 1 hour must cover Texas state law and rules that regulate the conduct of licensees; courses must be completed before the license expires, or, for a late renewal, within the one-year period immediately before the date of renewal. The same approved course may not be counted twice. Providers report hours to TDLR; the licensee keeps completion certificates for one year. Late renewal is a multiple of the base fee: expired 90 days or less, 1.5x = $97.50; expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months, 2x = $130; expired 18 months to 3 years, 2x = $130 and requires executive director approval. Registered technician registrations are also valid one year from date of issue. |
| Notes | Technicians handling refrigerant must hold federal EPA Section 608 certification. |
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Sources: www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov, www.tdlr.texas.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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