Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Arkansas's official board.
Corrects the task premise: HVAC/R licensing is administered by the Dept. of Labor and Licensing (State HVAC/R Board), not the Dept. of Health. EPA 608 required for refrigerants.
| Requirements | Obtain organization registration (unless employed by an already-registered business), submit a notarized HVAC/R Contractor Application (pre-approval required before exam eligibility), and pass examinations proctored by Prov. |
| Reciprocity | The State HVAC/R Board has no reciprocal licensing agreements with any other state board at this time. |
| Renewal | Annual. 17 CAR § 261-105(a) provides that all licenses shall expire on the last day of the month one year from the original date of issuance; the late fee is $10 per month calculated on the first of each month, and reinstatement after three or more years delinquent requires re-examination. Continuing education, two official texts conflict and both are recorded here. The rule as codified by the state's official rules publisher, 17 CAR § 261-120 (history line: Ark. R. 2026-31, effective April 2, 2026), provides that no HVACR license shall be renewed unless the licensee completes at least eight (8) hours of continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle published by the International Code Council, consisting of classroom or other HVACR Licensing Board-approved instruction relating specifically to the construction, installation, maintenance and repair of HVACR systems or the current IMC; mechanical inspectors in adopting jurisdictions must additionally complete an annual 8-hour course free of charge. An earlier version, effective June 3, 2022 and still posted live on the agency's own website, instead requires at least four (4) hours of continuing education per calendar year, of which two hours shall be on the mechanical code as adopted by the Board and the remaining two may be any other Board-approved instruction, applying to Classes A, B, C, D and E with registrants exempt. The 2026 codified version appears to be controlling, but the agency has not withdrawn the 2022 document. License classes under the current 17 CAR § 261-103 are Class A (unlimited), Class B (up to 25 tons / 1,000,000 BTUH / 15 hp refrigeration), Class D (ductwork and sheet metal only), Class E (refrigeration only) and Class L (lifetime, up to 15 tons, no new installations); there is no Class C in the current rule. Annual fees under 17 CAR § 261-106 are Class A $200, Class B $150, Class D $150, Class E $150, and Class L free. |
| Notes | Corrects the task premise: HVAC/R licensing is administered by the Dept. of Labor and Licensing (State HVAC/R Board), not the Dept. of Health. EPA 608 required for refrigerants. |
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Sources: labor.arkansas.gov, labor.arkansas.gov, codeofarrules.arkansas.gov, www.labor.arkansas.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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