STATE LICENSE
ConditionalLouisiana State Licensing Board for Contr…
Mechanical work has its own, lower line in R.S. 37:2150.1: $10,000, regardless of whether the building is a home or a business. Above it, the contractor needs a commercial license in the Mechanical classification or the HVAC subclassification, which means a trade exam, the Business & Law course, and $50,000 net worth. Residential licensees' subcontractor exemption expressly excludes mechanical work, so an HVAC sub on a new home still needs its own license at $10,000+.
Two adjacent rules bite. Act 757 of 2026 added that a mechanical contractor who performs plumbing work worth $10,000 or more must hold a master plumber license from the State Plumbing Board. And parishes and cities may still require their own mechanical competency licenses (New Orleans issues mechanical permits only to city-licensed contractors), although state law bars local governments from re-examining a statewide licensee.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Louisiana runs on parishes, not counties, and every parish or municipal permit desk is bound by R.S. 37:2160(B): it may not issue a building permit to anyone without an active LSLBC license in the classification that matches the scope, and it must collect a board-form exemption affidavit from owner-builders (§ 2160(C)). LSLBC staff may audit local permit lists monthly (§ 2160(A)). Beyond the state license, a contractor owes only local occupational license taxes, inspection permit fees, and any local competency license for mechanical, plumbing, or electrical contractors (R.S. 37:2156(N), electrical added by Act 757 of 2026); state law preempts local examination authority over LSLBC licensees (§ 2160(D)). In New Orleans, permits run through the Department of Safety & Permits, and a building-permit application must include a copy of the contractor's current Certificate of Registration and license number. Baton Rouge is a consolidated city-parish: the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge Permits & Inspections Division handles building, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical permits — except inside the City of St. George, which took over its own permitting on October 16, 2024. Jefferson, Caddo (Shreveport), and Lafayette permit offices apply the same state gate. For HVAC specifically, statewide-licensed mechanical contractors and their employees are excluded from local examination procedures (R.S. 37:2156.1), and New Orleans issues mechanical permits only to city-licensed contractors.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Louisiana 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.
The mechanical threshold is not split by occupancy — a $10,000 residential changeout needs the state license just like a commercial job.
Commercial classifications (Mechanical included) do not file insurance certificates with LSLBC; that requirement is for residential, home improvement, and mold licensees.
Since August 1, 2026, a mechanical contractor performing $10,000+ of plumbing must also hold a master plumber license.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC contractor in Louisiana. 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.
Bidding or performing $10,000+ of mechanical work without the classification is unlicensed contracting.
Up to 10% of the contract or work value, plus costs and attorney fees.
An unlicensed contractor cannot file a claim or lien for payment.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Caddo Parish Shreveport | City of Shreveport — Permits & Inspections Division ↗ Unincorporated: Caddo Parish Commission — Public Works, Engineering ↗ | My Government Online ↗ |
| Calcasieu Parish Lake Charles | City of Lake Charles — Permit Center ↗ Unincorporated: Calcasieu Parish Police Jury — Division of Planning and Development ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
| East Baton Rouge Parish Baton Rouge (consolidated gov.) | City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge — Permits & Inspections Division ↗ | MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) ↗ |
| Lafayette Parish Lafayette (consolidated gov.) | Lafayette Consolidated Government — Development & Planning, Permitting Division ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
| Orleans Parish New Orleans (consolidated gov.) | City of New Orleans — Department of Safety and Permits (One Stop Shop) ↗ | One Stop App ↗ |
| Terrebonne Parish Houma (consolidated gov.) | Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government — Planning & Zoning, Permits Division ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Whether connecting a gas appliance during an HVAC install is 'gas fitting' that requires a State Plumbing Board gas fitter license under R.S. 37:1367(J) — depends on R.S. 37:1377 definitions not reviewed here · Below-$10,000 HVAC work: no LSLBC credential applies, but local mechanical licensing in each parish was not surveyed · Current LSLBC fee amounts — the board resets fees each July under LAC 46:XXIX.131; this record uses the statutory caps in R.S. 37:2156(C) · PSI trade-exam vendor fees (paid to PSI; not published on lslbc.gov) · The LSLBC Aug 1, 2026 compilation still prints the R.S. 37:2157(A)(19) exemption for electrical/mechanical/plumbing licensees, but Act 757 of 2026, Section 2, repeals it — treat it as repealed · Local registration or competency-license requirements in Jefferson Parish, Caddo Parish/Shreveport, and Lafayette Consolidated Government were not reviewed on those governments' sites
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.