STATE LICENSE
NoneSee what applies
For HVAC, Indiana leaves licensing to local municipalities. In the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, Code § 875-301 requires an HVAC license to install, replace, service, or repair heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment — and even certain exhaust-hood ductwork. Applicants pass the Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners exam (or apply by reciprocity), then license both the business and the individual craft license holder.
The federal layer never goes away: technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants must hold EPA Section 608 certification (Core plus Type I, II, III, or Universal).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Indiana has no statewide contractor license outside plumbing, so the license question is answered where the work is: the Consolidated City of Indianapolis (BNS, Revised Code Chapter 875) runs a real licensing program with bonds and insurance; Allen County's Building Department licenses building, residential, home-improvement, and sub-contractors for the Fort Wayne area; and cities like Lafayette and counties like Monroe run their own electrical boards. The Attorney General's own guidance is that licensing requirements vary from community to community.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Indiana 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.
Indianapolis sets the HVAC license bond at $5,000 — half the $10,000 required of electrical and general contractors.
In Indianapolis, exhaust-hood ductwork (over four square feet in Class 2 structures; any size in Class 1) requires the HVAC license.
Indianapolis publishes a separate Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners reciprocal application for licensees from other jurisdictions.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC contractor in Indiana. 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.
Installing, replacing, servicing, or repairing heating, cooling, or refrigeration equipment in the Consolidated City requires the HVAC license.
Servicing refrigerant-containing equipment without Section 608 certification violates federal Clean Air Act 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: Fine amounts for unlicensed HVAC work under Indianapolis Code Chapter 875 · Which other Indiana cities run HVAC licensing boards (Allen County/Fort Wayne details could not be read) · Federal civil penalty amounts for Section 608 violations
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.