South Carolina HVAC License Requirements

Official classification: Mechanical Contractor - Air Conditioning / Heating [commercial]; Residential Specialty Contractor - HVAC [residential] · Issued by the SC Contractor's Licensing Board (commercial) and SC Residential Builders Commission (residential), under the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR).

❄️ HVACSC ✔ Verified 2026-06-18

License types

Mechanical Contractor - Air Conditioning / Heating — Commercial HVAC work on projects of $10,000 or more (with related Refrigeration and Pressure/Process Piping subclasses); bid limit set by financial Group 1-5.
Residential Specialty Contractor - HVAC — Residential heating and air conditioning work, licensed under the Residential Builders Commission.

Requirements at a glance

Experience required	Commercial (CLB): qualifying party needs about 2 years of experience (or a completed apprenticeship). Residential: at least 1 year of HVAC experience within the past 5 years.
Application fee	$350 (CLB commercial); residential specialty application fee is lower
License fee	$350 (CLB commercial)
Renewal fee	$350 biennial (CLB commercial); late penalties $100/$150/$200 at 30/60/90 days
Renewal period	Every 2 years (biennial). CLB mechanical renews by Oct 31 of odd-numbered years; the residential commission renews by June 30 of odd-numbered years.
Continuing education	None required
Bond required	No fixed state bond for the commercial license; a surety bond may substitute for the CPA financial statement to set the Group bid limit. A residential licensed HVAC specialty requires a $10,000 surety bond when a job exceeds $5,000.
Liability insurance	Not mandated by the board for issuance
Property damage	—
Workers' comp	Required under SC law if you have employees (generally 4 or more); not collected by the board at licensing
Background check	Notarized Verification of Lawful Presence required; no fingerprint/criminal background check mandated for issuance.
Credit requirement	Commercial: a CPA-reviewed financial statement (net worth) sets the bid Group, or a surety bond may substitute. Residential: no net-worth tier; a bond substitutes.
Reciprocity	Technical-exam waivers are available with some states (varies by subclassification); the SC Business/Law exam is still required. Confirm the current agreement with the board.
Processing time	Variable; typically a few weeks after exams and a complete application.

Exams

Air Conditioning technical exam (Heating/Refrigeration/Pressure-Process Piping are separate subclass exams)	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $60-$75 depending on subclass
SC Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $75

Local / municipal notes

SC licenses HVAC as a Mechanical Contractor subclassification (commercial) or a Residential Specialty (residential). EPA Section 608 certification is separately required nationwide to handle refrigerants.

Fees and rules change frequently (often annually). This page was last verified on 2026-06-18 — always confirm current requirements directly with the SC Contractor's Licensing Board (commercial) and SC Residential Builders Commission (residential), under the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) before applying. This is not legal advice.