STATE LICENSE
RequiredDelaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Vent…
24 Del. C. § 1820 bars anyone from providing HVACR services — design, installation, maintenance, service, repair, or alteration of heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, or process heating and cooling equipment, including gas piping (§ 1802(8)) — without a master HVACR or master HVACR restricted license from the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. Restricted licenses cover one specialty: forced-air heating with ventilation and gas piping, hydronic heating with gas piping, commercial hood systems, refrigeration, air conditioning, or gas piping.
Applicants need a journeyman's certificate plus two years under a master, or seven years under a master plus the apprenticeship equivalency test; a passing Board exam (70%); and EPA-approved certification for handling refrigerants (§ 1821(a)(1)–(3)). DPR's application fee is $173. Licenses renew every two years, expiring October 31 of even years, with 5 hours of CE including 1 hour on the energy code. Apprentices and journeymen are exempt only under a supervising master in the same business (§ 1820(c)(1)), and the business also needs the Division of Revenue contractor license.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
HVACR licensing is state-only through DPR, while § 1832 lets counties and municipalities adopt and enforce HVACR and fuel gas codes that do not conflict with the licensing chapter; mechanical and gas permits and inspections are local. The business also needs the Division of Revenue contractor license.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Delaware county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
A master HVACR licensee also needs a master plumber license to work on water supply or drainage piping, per DPR.
You may hold more than one restricted license, each covering a different specialty.
Plumbing/HVACR licenses expire October 31 of even years.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC contractor in Delaware. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Providing HVACR services or using a master HVACR title without a license or exemption.
Fraud, incompetent or negligent work, or violating the chapter or rules.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Biennial renewal fee amount (DPR states it only at renewal) · Whether the Board requires liability insurance or a bond for HVACR licensees (none found in chapter 18 or the 1800 rules reviewed) · HVACR exam vendor and exam fee
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.