North Carolina HVAC License Requirements
North Carolina doesn't license individual HVAC technicians. HVAC contractors need a state license from the NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. Some cities license HVAC technicians. Anyone who handles refrigerant also needs federal EPA 608 certification.
Contractor only · By BrazeJobs Team · Updated
License tiers
| Apprentice | No state license |
| Journeyman | No state license |
| Master | No state license |
| Contractor | Heating Groups H-1, H-2, H-3 (Class I/II); Refrigeration (separate board) |
Requirements
| Contractor experience | 2 years (4,000 hours) |
| Exam | State exam |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Renewal | Annual |
| Continuing education | None (eliminated 2012) |
| Local license | Workers may need local license |
| Board | NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors |
Federal: EPA 608 certification
| Rule | Federal certification required to service or dispose of refrigerant equipment and to buy refrigerant |
Who: anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant (attaching gauges, adding or removing refrigerant). Types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high- and very high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), Universal (all types). Expiry: credentials do not expire. Buying refrigerant: sellers may sell only to certified technicians or employers of one, with limited exceptions (e.g. small cans of MVAC refrigerant). EPA does not issue cards; approved certifying organizations do. Universal requires a proctored core exam.
Exam
| Exam provider | Board-administered |
| Time | Heating Group 1 contractor: 4 hours + Business and Law 1.5 hours |
| Bulletin date | 2017-03 |
State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors gives its own exams.
Apprenticeship
| Registering agency | State Apprenticeship Agency (ApprenticeshipNC (NC Community College System)) |
- Source: apprenticeship.gov · checked November 6, 2026
- Source: nccommunitycolleges.edu · checked November 6, 2026
Mechanical code
| Code in force | 2015 IMC with state amendments (as 2018 NC Mechanical Code) |
| Next edition | 2024 NC State Building Code: adopted, start date not set |
2024 NC State Building Code adopted; effective date not set (S.L. 2025-2). 2018 NC codes effective Jan 1, 2019.
- Source: ncosfm.gov · checked November 5, 2026