GEORGIA · hvac
Conditioned Air Contractor Class II (unrestricted)
Georgia Secretary of State — Division of Conditioned Air Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board) →SCOPE
Class I Vs Class Ii. Georgia issues two statewide Conditioned Air Contractor licenses through the Division of Conditioned Air Contractors. Class I (Restricted) is limited to conditioned-air systems that do not exceed 175,000 BTU (net) of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling (roughly 5 tons); Class II is unrestricted and covers systems that exceed those thresholds. The Class I / Class II split and the capacity thresholds are set in Board Rule 121-1 and the Conditioned Air Contractors Exam Application (Form 45). Sources: Georgia Secretary of State, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors (https://sos.ga.gov/board/conditioned-air-contractors); Conditioned Air Contractors Application, Form 45 (https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/45%20Application%20-%20Conditioned%20Air%20EXAM_0.pdf).
No Statewide Journeyman License
Georgia does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC license. Individual technicians perform conditioned-air work under the license of a statewide-licensed Class I or Class II Conditioned Air Contractor. This is a structural difference from states that issue a journey-level HVAC credential. Workers gaining hours toward the experience requirement are typically employed by a licensed contractor; hours must be documented by references, including at least one licensed Conditioned Air Contractor on Form 45. Source: Georgia Secretary of State, How-To Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor (https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-conditioned-air-contractor).
Experience
Applicants must document a minimum of 4 years of Primary experience in the conditioned-air field. Applicants for Class II must show experience with installations that exceed single-phase, 175,000 BTU heating / 60,000 BTU cooling systems. Up to one year of the four may be earned through qualifying Secondary Experience or education, consistent with the experience-equivalent rules administered by the Division. Statutory authority for the Division and the license classes sits at O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 (Electrical Contractors, Plumbers, Conditioned Air Contractors, Low-Voltage Contractors, and Utility Contractors). Sources: O.C.G.A. § 43-14-8 (https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-43/chapter-14/section-43-14-8/); Conditioned Air Contractors Application, Form 45 (https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/45%20Application%20-%20Conditioned%20Air%20EXAM_0.pdf).
Exam
The Class I and Class II exams are administered by PSI Services (which acquired AMP Testing Services) at Georgia test centers. A minimum score of 70 is required on the appropriate examination. The Class II exam covers conditioned-air installation (heating, cooling, refrigeration, ducting), mechanical code as adopted by Georgia, and Georgia business and law. Applications must be approved by the Board before an exam sitting can be scheduled. Sources: Georgia Secretary of State, How-To Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor (https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-conditioned-air-contractor); PSI Services, Georgia HVAC Candidate Information (https://candidate.psiexams.com/).
FEES
The state exam/application fee as listed on Form 45 is $30 (non-refundable). PSI charges a separate exam-sitting fee, which the candidate verifies against the current PSI Georgia Candidate Information Bulletin at the time of scheduling. Applicants should confirm the current fee schedule on the Secretary of State board page before remitting. Source: Georgia Secretary of State, Conditioned Air Contractors Application Form 45 (https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/45%20Application%20-%20Conditioned%20Air%20EXAM_0.pdf).
EPA 608 Federal Overlay
A Georgia Conditioned Air Contractor license authorizes contracting in Georgia; it does not substitute for federal EPA Section 608 Technician Certification, which is required under the Clean Air Act for any technician who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of stationary equipment containing regulated refrigerants. EPA recognizes four certification types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), and Universal (all three). Section 608 Technician Certifications do not expire. Sources: EPA, Section 608 of the Clean Air Act (https://www.epa.gov/section608); EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification (https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-1).
Renewal and CE
Conditioned Air Contractor licenses renew on a 2-year cycle set by the Joint Secretary, Professional Licensing Boards Division. Licensees must complete 4 hours of approved continuing education each license year (8 hours per 2-year cycle). CE content must relate to conditioned air contracting in the areas of safety, technological advances, business management, or government regulations, per Rule 121-4-.05. Approved providers include accredited colleges and universities, post-secondary institutes under the Georgia Board of Technical and Adult Education, trade or professional organizations, public utilities, and equipment manufacturers (product-promotion courses are excluded) per Rule 121-4-.07(4). Licensees must retain CE documentation for at least five years. CE is not required for Conditioned Air Contractors who are also licensed Professional Engineers. Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-4: License Issuance, Renewal, Reinstatement (https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/121-4).
Reciprocity
The Division does not publish a formal reciprocity schedule with named states; out-of-state applicants are evaluated case-by-case on equivalence of originating-state licensure and documented experience. Source: Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Conditioned Air Contractors FAQ (https://sos.ga.gov/page/board-conditioned-air-faq).
Municipal Layer
Permits for conditioned-air work are pulled at the local building department, not the state. The City of Atlanta Office of Buildings, Trade Permits Division, requires the physical state-issued contractor's license card for permit issuance and imposes its own registration and permitting workflow (permitissuance-oob@atlantaga.gov; 404-865-8550). Other jurisdictions (e.g., Augusta-Richmond County) set their own general-liability insurance minimums at the permit-pull stage. Technicians working under a licensed contractor's state license must still comply with local permit rules and hold current EPA 608 certification for any refrigerant work. Sources: City of Atlanta, Online Permitting (https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/zoning-development-permitting-services/online-permitting); Atlanta 311, Electrical, HVAC or Plumbing Permits (https://www.atl311.com/en-US/knowledgearticle/?code=KB0012499).
Application Channel
The Division accepts applications through the GOALS online portal; candidates complete Form 45 and supporting references, and schedule the PSI exam after Board approval. Source: Georgia Secretary of State, How-To Guide: Conditioned Air Contractor (https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-conditioned-air-contractor).