STATE LICENSE
ConditionalNew Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board …
No New Hampshire statute licenses HVAC or refrigeration contractors as such. The state credential that does apply is the fuel gas fitter license under RSA 153:27–153:36: installing or servicing natural gas or propane piping, heating and water-heating appliances, venting, and combustion air requires a fuel gas installation technician, fuel gas service technician, piping installer, hearth, or domestic appliance license, and gas businesses need a mechanical business entity license (RSA 153:29-a; Mec 302.05). An installation technician needs 100 hours of education and 1,000 field hours within 60 months; a service technician 2,000 field hours — up to 500 or 750 of which may be oil-heat experience (RSA 153:28, I(a); Mec 305.03).
Oil-fired heating is different: RSA 153:16-b sets up only a VOLUNTARY certification for oil heating equipment installers and service personnel ($50 per two years under Plc 1002.25), and falsely claiming it is an offense. Plumbing done in connection with heating, cooling, air conditioning, or water heating systems is exempt from the plumbing license (RSA 153:36, VII), and installing oil or gas furnace or boiler equipment and its controls is exempt from the electrician license (RSA 319-C:3, IX). Anyone handling refrigerants needs federal EPA Section 608 certification.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Plumbing and fuel gas licenses are issued only by OPLC for the Mechanical Licensing Board. Its rules may be enforced by a town's building inspection department or any officer the town designates (RSA 153:35), and state inspectors appointed under RSA 153:34 may order violations corrected and must notify the local building authority. A licensed mechanical business entity may obtain permits from any municipality (RSA 153:29-a, IV). Permits and inspections follow the state building code, which adopts the 2024 International Plumbing and Mechanical Codes (RSA 155-A:1, IV).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every New Hampshire 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.
New Hampshire licenses gas work, not HVAC as a trade; electric heat pumps and A/C need no state trade license beyond EPA 608 for refrigerant handling.
RSA 153:16-b certification for oil-heat installers and service personnel is voluntary — but advertising it without holding it is an offense.
RSA 319-C:3, IX exempts installing oil or gas furnace or boiler equipment and its controls — new circuits and other wiring still need a licensed electrician.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC contractor in New Hampshire. 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.
Advertising, holding out, or doing work that requires a Mechanical Licensing Board license without one is unlawful practice.
Licensees who violate the practice act or rules can be reprimanded, suspended, revoked, or put on probation.
No licensee may engage in any activity not covered by his or her specialty license.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Manchester (consolidated gov.) | City of Manchester Planning and Community Development Department — Building Regulations ↗ | — |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: OPLC agency pages (oplc.nh.gov) returned HTTP 403 to automated retrieval; license facts were taken from the RSA and the Plc/Elec/Mec rule text instead, and current application forms and processing times were not reviewed · Whether a criminal penalty still applies to unlicensed plumbing or gas fitting — the former penalty provisions (RSA 153:37–153:38) were repealed by 2023, 79:303, and no replacement criminal clause was found in RSA 153; the RSA 310:13 civil fine is confirmed · Whether any 2025–2026 legislation proposed a mandatory oil-heat or HVAC license (the current RSA 153:16-b text, last amended 2023, keeps oil certification voluntary) · Education-hour requirement for the fuel gas service technician (statute fixes 2,000 field hours; Mec 305.04 education hours were not extracted)
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.