Apply for a Technician Certification

Certified Technician is a voluntary qualification that exceeds the standards of Registered Technician designation. Only persons who have obtained the certified technician designation may call themselves “certified technicians”.

Any person who assists a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor in performing air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance or repair work must obtain a designation as either a certified technician or a registered technician.

Technicians must work under the supervision of a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor and may not advertise air conditioning and refrigeration services.

Qualifications

Before applying for a technician certification, you must meet either the practical experience or training requirement.

Practical Experience

You may qualify for technician certification by proving that you have performed 24 months of air conditioning and refrigeration-related work under the supervision of a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor.

An experience verification form is included with the application form. Do not complete this form yourself. The experience verification form must be completed by the licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor who supervised your experience.

Military Experience

Military experience may be combined with or used as part of the experience requirement.

If using this method, include with your application materials supporting documents showing that you were trained in or performed air conditioning and refrigeration-related work as part of your military occupational specialty.

Also include with your application a completed Military Supplemental Application Form (PDF).

Training Program

Applicants may become qualified for technician certification by completing a department-approved certification program consisting of 2,000 hours of combined instruction and practical experience.

The completed application materials must be received by the department within 48 months of the date you completed the certification program.

Any entity (including secondary schools, institutions of higher education or apprenticeship programs) can offer an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Certification Training Program, however, individuals seeking to obtain a Certified Technician License via this path should verify it is approved by TDLR before enrolling in a program.

Application and Fee

To apply for a new technician registration, submit a completed Certified Technician Application Form (PDF) along with the non-refundable application fee of $50.

You must be at least 18 years old to apply.

Registrations are valid for 1 year from the date of issue.

Examination

After submitting your application and proof of qualifications, TDLR will approve your eligibility to take the licensing exam. Please see the examination requirements page for further information.

You must complete all requirements of the application process, including passing the licensing exam, within one year of the date the application is filed.

Exemptions to Registration

Some persons and equipment are exempted from the technician registration requirements.

Please see the Exceptions to Technician Registration Requirements page for complete details.

Upgrade to Contractor License

Once you have held a Certified Technician designation for 12 months and acquired at least 36 months of practical experience (in the preceding 48 months) in air conditioning and refrigeration related work under the supervision of a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor, you will be eligible to apply for a Contractor License, and if approved, sit for the Air Conditioning and/or Refrigeration Contractor examination.

Applicants with Criminal Convictions

If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than a minor traffic violation) or pleaded guilty or no contest (resulting in a deferred adjudication) to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) along with your application materials.

The department will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for a license. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.

Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.

Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.