North Carolina HVAC technician license

How much experience do you need in North Carolina?

15 months / 2,500 hours¹

Technician Class II

2,500 hrs15 months / 2,500 hours

Technician Class I

3,000 hrs18 months / 3,000 hours

Contractor license

4,000 hrs2 years / 4,000 hours (up to 2,000 hours via education)

Keep your own record of hours, employers and pay stubs. NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors can ask for proof when you apply.

What is the North Carolina HVAC technician exam like?

You take the state exam once the board approves your hours. A Board-approved outside exam provider. The Board emails approved applicants the provider's contact details; schedule within 90 days and bring approved reference books. Exams are 4 hours for plumbing or heating technicians.¹²

How much does the hvac technician license cost?

Exam fee: $150 per exam, non-refundable; application without exam: $30 application plus $150 activation; government or educational technician: $30 application plus a $75 license fee to work under a current qualifier, or $150 to become the qualifier for a state or local government entity or private educational institution; annual renewal technician: $75 for a plumbing, heating/A/C or fire protection technician license not listed under a contractor; annual renewal contractor: $150 for a plumbing, heating/A/C or fuel piping contractor license³⁴

How do you renew it?

Annual. All licenses expire December 31; renew in the 90 days before. A license not renewed during January costs $25 more (G.S. 87-22). An expired license can be reinstated within 3 years; after that you must retest.⁵ Continuing education: no continuing education is required to renew. Mandatory CE was eliminated at the end of 2012; the Board uses disciplinary education instead.⁶

Does a license from another state count in North Carolina?

No reciprocity with other states; technical exam waiver with SC (plumbing/HVAC contractors); Neighbor State License Recognition Act (NC residents licensed in GA, SC, TN, VA, WV).¹

License levels in North Carolina

Plumbing/Heating Group 1/2/3 Contractor; Technician Class I and II (individual); State & Local Government Technician; Private Educational Technician; Restricted Limited Plumbing; Fuel Piping.

More for HVAC technicians in North Carolina