North Carolina HVAC License: How to Get Certified as an HVAC Technician in NC

Are HVAC contractors required to be licensed in North Carolina?

Like most professional trades, you must be licensed to legally do HVAC in North Carolina. 

The first level of certification is the HVAC/R technician license, which allows you to work under a licensed business or for a government, educational, or institutional organization. 

You can write an exam to obtain your full HVAC/R contractor license after receiving your technician license and gaining the necessary work experience.

Because HVAC involves heating, cooling, and refrigeration, NC has two boards that issue licenses depending on the specialty in question: 

1. State Board of Refrigeration Contractors

This HVAC licensing board certifies people who want to specialize in refrigeration systems for commercial, industrial, and transportation purposes. 

2. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors

This HVAC licensing board certifies HVAC technicians who work with heating and air conditioning systems for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. 

Whether you want to work with refrigeration systems or traditional HVAC, you must progress through the specific trade licensing phases. Without a license from either state board, you are not eligible to perform HVAC work in North Carolina.

Types of HVAC licenses in NC

HVAC technicians and contractors in North Carolina are licensed based on a system of groups and classes that differ across the two regulatory boards. 

For HVAC systems using water or forced air, the certification system has three groups and two classes:

HVAC License Groups

Heating Group 1	Water-based heating systems for any structure
Heating Group 2	Forced-air heating and cooling systems weighing over 15 tons
Heating Group 3	Forced-air heating and cooling systems weighing less than or equal to 15 tons

HVAC License Classes

Class I	Technicians can work in any residential, commercial, or industrial building
Class II	Restricts technicians to work in single-family homes

Together, these groups and classes form the designations given out by the North Carolina State board:

Heating Group 1

H1-I	Licensed Heating Group 1, Class I Contractor
H1-II	Licensed Heating Group 1, Class II Contractor
H1-T	Sublicensed technician of an H1 Contractor
SLGT-H1	A technician employed by a state or local government
PEIT-H1	A technician employed by a private educator

Heating Group 2

H2	Licensed Heating Group 2 Group Contractor
H2-T	Sublicensed technician of an H2 Contractor
SLGT-H2	A technician employed by a state or local government
PEIT-H2	A technician employed by a private educator

Heating Group 3

H3-I	Licensed Heating Group 3, Class I Contractor
H3-II	Licensed Heating Group 3, Class II Contractor
H3-T	Sublicensed technician of an H3 contractor
SLGT-H3	A technician employed by a state or local government
PEIT-H3	A technician employed by a private educator

If you’re interested in working with refrigeration systems, there are 4 contractor licenses you can get from the state board: 

• Commercial refrigeration
• Service refrigeration
• Industrial refrigeration
• Transport refrigeration

NC HVAC license requirements

Most skilled professions have certain requirements for applicants looking to obtain a license — HVAC and commercial refrigeration are no different. 

If you want to pursue your HVAC or refrigeration licenses in North Carolina, there are specific requirements that you need to meet. These include: 

• Getting a degree or certificate from an accredited institution
• Meeting the hour requirements for on-site and academic experience:
  • HVAC/R Technician = 3,000 hours of on-site and academic training and has passed a technician exam
  • HVAC/R Contractor = 4,000 hours of on-site and academic training and has passed both the contractor and NC business operator exams
• Passing the exam for a particular HVAC or refrigeration specialty
• Completing a background check and filling all necessary forms

Alright, now let’s take a look at the specific steps of this process.

How do I get my HVAC license in NC?

The process of getting your HVAC or refrigeration license in NC typically takes around 3-5 years. However, it can be longer depending on whether you want to be a technician or contractor. 

To get your HVAC or refrigeration license in North Carolina, you need to follow these steps: 

1) Obtain an HVAC or refrigeration diploma, certificate, or two-year degree from an accredited college: 

• a) Guilford Technical Community College
• b) Pitt Community College
• c) Wake Tech Community College 
• d) Central Piedmont Community College
• e) Johnston Community College
• f) Alamance Community College

One of the first things interested people usually ask is, “how long is HVAC school in North Carolina?” The typical time to receive a certificate or diploma is 6 months to 2 years.

Graduates from some university and college engineering programs are also eligible to become HVAC/R apprentices.

2) Enter into either: 

• a) A formal apprenticeship with a trade organization or union
• b) An informal apprenticeship as the supervised employee of a licensed contractor 

3) After gaining 3,000 hours of on-site experience with installation, maintenance, and repair, apply for the technical examination for your desired class and group.

4) Complete the background check and application form in full, sending all necessary documents and fees to the board office.

5) If approved, receive exam eligibility virtually or through the mail and contact the exam provider to schedule your test within 30 days of your approval notification.

6) Take the exam and receive a pass or fail grade following completion. If passed, obtain your technician license by completing the activation form and paying a fee.

7) To become a contractor, accrue 4,000 hours of full-time, on-site experience in relevant categories (up to half of these hours can also come through academic training)

8) Repeat the examination, activation, and fee-paying process for the full HVAC contractor license.

Exams can now be scheduled online for HVAC and refrigeration specialists through their respective board websites. You can find more information about scheduling your exams on the refrigeration and HVAC board websites.

You can also find all forms related to HVAC license applications on the board website.

NC HVAC license test

When you’ve collected 4,000 hours of work experience and feel confident in your abilities and knowledge as a technician, you can sign up for the contractor examinations to become a fully-licensed HVAC/R contractor. 

Here are what you can expect from these exams:

HVAC Contractor Exams

After you’ve decided which one of the HVAC specialties you want to pursue and built up enough experience, you’re ready to take on the exam. After the technical component of each contractor exam, there is also a 1 ½ hour section on NC business law. 

For an H1-I contractor license, you need to pass an exam where you have 4 hours to answer 90 questions on: 

• Heating systems using steam, vapor, or hot water
• Plan and specification analysis
• Design and installation fundamentals
• Cost estimation
• Residential, industrial, and commercial building codes, fire hazards, and relevant laws

For an H1-II contractor license, you need to pass an exam where you have 4 hours to answer 90 questions on: 

• Heating systems using steam, vapor, or hot water
• Plan and specification analysis
• Design and installation fundamentals
• Cost estimation
• Building codes, fire hazards, and relevant laws for single-family, detached residences

For H2 contractor licenses, you need to pass an exam where you have 4 hours to complete  90 questions on:

• Systems that produce cooled air and have a refrigeration capacity above 15 tons
• Plan and specification analysis
• Design and installation fundamentals
• Cost estimation
• Building codes, fire hazards, and relevant laws for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings

For an H3-I contractor license, you need to pass an exam where you have 4 hours to answer 90 questions on:

• Heating systems using electrical or combustion exchange systems
• Plan and specification analysis
• Design and installation fundamentals
• Cost estimation
• Building codes, fire hazards, and relevant laws for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings

For an H3-II contractor license, you need to pass an exam where you have 4 hours to answer 90 questions on:

• Heating systems using electrical or combustion exchange systems
• Plan and specification analysis
• Design and installation fundamentals
• Cost estimation
• Building codes, fire hazards, and relevant laws for single-family, detached residences

Refrigeration Contractor Exams

The NC State Board of Refrigeration Contractors provides an exam workbook outlining the tests you must take for the type of refrigeration you’re interested in pursuing: 

The Commercial Refrigeration Contractor exam is a multiple choice and true-or-false test. You’ll have 6 ½ hours to complete 100 questions across 4 parts: 

Part A: 15 questions on law, administrative code, and safety

Part B: 40 questions on theory, electrical, equipment, and equipment performance

Part C: 20 questions on mechanical and electrical code

Part D: 25 questions on the estimation and specification of plans

The exam is split into 2 sections, giving you 4 hours to complete Parts A, B, and C, and 2 ½ hours to complete Part D. 

The Industrial Refrigeration Contractor exam is also multiple choice and true-or-false. You’ll have 6 ½ hours to complete 100 questions across 4 Parts:

Part A: 25 questions on purging, piping, safety, law, and administrative code

Part B: 25 questions on compressors, evaporators, condensers, and controls

Part C: 25 questions on electrical code and the basics of ammonia

Part D: 25 questions on plans and specifications, some of which are calculations

The exam is split into 2 sections, giving you 4 hours to complete Parts A, B, and C, and 2 ½ hours to complete Part D. 

The Service Refrigeration Contractor exam is multiple choice and true-or-false. You’ll have 4 hours to complete 75 questions across 3 Parts:

Part A: 15 questions on law, safety, and administrative code

Part B: 40 questions on theory, electrical, equipment, and equipment performance

Part C: 20 questions on electrical and mechanical code

The Transport Refrigeration Contractor exam is multiple choice and true-or-false. You’ll have 4 hours to complete 75 questions across 3 Parts:

Part A: 15 questions on law, safety, and administrative code

Part B: 35 questions on theory, equipment, and equipment performance

Part C: 25 questions on transport specific applications

All of these exams are written at the Board office in Garner, NC. 

These exams are open-book, so make sure you bring any text material with you! The Board website provides a list of prep courses and reference books you can use for studying and writing the exam.

EPA Certifications

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act requires that skilled technicians who install, service, or repair refrigerant-releasing equipment are certified by the agency. Under Section 608, AC and refrigerant technicians must pass an exam to earn their Technician Certification. 

There are 4 different certification types that you need to take for certain HVAC and refrigeration jobs:

Type I: Servicing of small appliances 

Type II: Servicing and disposal of some high-pressure appliances

Type III: Servicing and disposal of low-pressure appliances

Type IV: Servicing of all types of equipment

Each of these certification types has its own exam but they all contain the same “Core Section” that must be passed itself to pass the entire exam.

NC HVAC license reciprocity

North Carolina currently doesn’t have reciprocity for HVAC or refrigeration licenses. This means that your state license won’t be recognized in other states, and you’ll have to go through the HVAC licensing process for the new state in question. 

Reciprocity changes depending on the state and trade in question, so keeping tabs on reciprocity laws in your area is important.  

NC HVAC license costs

There are some administrative costs and fees for getting your NC HVAC or refrigeration license. These include payments for administration, examination, and license renewal:

	HVAC	Refrigeration
Examination
Technician License Exam Fee	$100	$100
Contractor License Exam Fee	$100	$100
Activation
Technician License Activation Fee	$75-150	$80
Contractor License Activation Fee	$150	$80
Renewal
Technician License Renewal	$75.00	$120
Contractor License Renewal	$150.00	$120

You can find the license activation form for HVAC technicians and contractors here.

NC HVAC license renewal 

North Carolina HVAC licenses must be renewed annually before the end of each calendar year (Dec 31st). The state board website has forms for both contractors and technicians. The renewal fee for contractors is $150, while technicians pay $75.

Refrigeration licenses are also renewed annually, with contractor license renewal required by October 31st of each year. The fee for this license renewal is $80.

What happens if my HVAC license expires? 

Contractors and technicians who think their license may have expired can check in with the state HVAC and refrigeration board databases to make sure. 

If your HVAC or refrigeration license is expired, state law requires that you immediately stop work and submit the renewal form to the proper location alongside any late fees and penalties. 

Your NC HVAC license can be reinstated as long as it has not expired for over 3 years. You just need to request reinstatement and pay the licensing fee for the unpaid years. You’ll need to retake the exams if the license is more than 3 years expired. 

For refrigeration workers, you have 2 years to reinstate your license before reexamination is required.

Requirements for business owners

Whether you’re an HVAC technician who wants to go out on their own or someone who is looking for stable, lucrative work, starting an HVAC business is a great idea — the industry is already worth over $16 billion and is showing no signs of slowing down!

If you want to be an HVAC business owner in NC, there are quite a few things you need to know:

1) Make sure to register, license, and insure your HVAC business

• Select and register the name of your company
• Decide which business structure you want to operate under
• Apply for your small business license
• Buy the right business insurance

2) Find funding for your HVAC business

• Determine the startup cost for an HVAC or refrigeration business, including rental property, equipment, fees, and more
• Create an HVAC business plan to help get funding from a bank or financial service provider

3) Get the right HVAC license and certifications

• Gain experience and pass the exam for the specific type of HVAC work you will be conducting 
• Obtain your EPA certification, as outlined in the Clean Air Act

But this is just the start! 

Check out this startup guide for the rest of the important steps in your journey to an NC HVAC business owner!

Does an HVAC license in North Carolina increase your earning potential?

As you gain work experience and pass through the different HVAC certifications, your earning potential will steadily increase. 

For instance, when you start as an HVAC technician in NC, you can expect to earn around $32,700. After about 5 years, that salary jumps to an average of $44,719. If you continue to the path of HVAC service manager, you can command a salary of over $70,000.

If you want to learn more about how much HVAC and refrigeration technicians make in North Carolina as they build up experience and how those salaries compare to other technicians across the country… have we got the resource for you!

Our Essential HVAC Salary Guide gives you an interactive view of average HVAC and refrigeration technician salaries across the country, including how they increase along with years of experience.