A step by step guide to Michigan's mechanical contractor license for HVAC: classifications, experience, the PSI exam, fees, timeline, renewal, and what changes when a company holds the license.
To get an HVAC license in Michigan, you earn the state's mechanical contractor license from the Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC) inside the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), not a separate HVAC credential. You choose the work classifications your trade needs, log 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in each one, then pass a PSI exam at 75 percent before LARA issues the license.
This guide walks the process in order: who needs the license, the classifications, experience and education, the PSI exam, the application steps, 2026 fees, bond and insurance, timeline, renewal, and what changes once a company is the one holding the license. For every trade Michigan licenses, see our Michigan contractor license guide, and for all 50 states the contractor license hub.
At a glance
- Who issues it: LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8.
- Classifications: ten in the statute; the Specialty class splits into five, so PSI offers 14 separate exams.
- Experience: 3 years or 6,000 hours per classification under a licensed mechanical contractor.
- The exam: PSI, 75 percent to pass; HVAC equipment is 150 questions in 180 minutes.
- The fee: $300 at application and $300 at each renewal, every three years.
Who Needs a Mechanical Contractor License in Michigan
Michigan requires a mechanical contractor's license for anyone who installs, alters or services HVAC, hydronic, refrigeration or related systems, whether that person works alone or as a company's employee. Under MCL 339.5809(1), a company cannot perform this work unless the company, if it is an individual, or one of its employees, holds the license in the right classification. There is no dollar threshold; the requirement turns on the type of work, not the contract price. This credential is sometimes called a mechanic's license or a state mechanical license; Michigan's own statute and LARA both call it the mechanical contractor's license.
A narrow exclusion applies to portable self contained refrigeration equipment and window air conditioners of 1 1/2 horsepower or less, defined in MCL 339.5801. A homeowner installing a system in their own single family residence can also work without a license under a separate exemption, covered later in this guide under permits.
Unlike Michigan's electrical and plumbing trades, there is no apprentice, journeyman or master ladder for HVAC. The mechanical contractor license is the only HVAC credential Michigan issues, earned directly by meeting the experience rule and passing the exam for each classification you want.
Michigan's Ten Mechanical License Classifications
MCL 339.5807(2) lists ten classifications, lettered (a) to (j). LARA's application numbers them 1 to 10, and the Specialty class splits into five narrower licenses, for 14 separate exams in total. You are licensed only for the classifications you test in, and each one carries its own experience and exam requirement.
| No. | Classification | Covers | Exam fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (a) | Hydronic heating and process piping | Boilers, fluid and vapor piping | $50 |
| 2 (b) | HVAC equipment | AC, ductwork, gas piping, venting | $100 |
| 3 (c) | Ductwork | Air distribution, flues, vents | $50 |
| 4 (d) | Refrigeration | Non-AC refrigeration systems | $50 |
| 5 (e) | Limited heating service | Small gas, solid fuel, oil units | $50 |
| 6 (g) | Unlimited heating service | Heating service, no size limit | $50 |
| 7 (f) | Limited refrigeration/AC service | Group 1 refrigerant, any size | $50 |
| 8 (h) | Unlimited refrigeration/AC service | Any capacity or refrigerant | $50 |
| 9 (i) | Fire suppression | Fire alarm and suppression systems | $50 |
| 10 (j) | Specialty, 5 sub-licenses | Solar, solid fuel, LP, fuel gas | $50 each |
Notes on the table:
- Hydronic heating and process piping (1/a) covers forced circulation of fluids or vapors in pipes, including residential boilers.
- HVAC equipment (2/b) covers air conditioning for building occupants and already includes ductwork, gas piping and venting; most forced air companies test only in this classification, while a boiler and hydronic shop tests in classification 1.
- Limited heating service (5/e) covers gas sectional boilers up to 1,000,000 BTU, other gas or solid fuel units under 400,000 BTU, and oil units firing under 5 gallons per hour.
- Limited refrigeration and air conditioning service (7/f) covers systems of unlimited capacity that use group 1 refrigerants only.
- The five specialty licenses under classification 10 (j) cover solar heating and cooling, solid fuel equipment and vented decorative gas appliances, LP distribution piping, fuel gas piping, and fuel gas piping and venting, each limited to what the board sets.
Experience and Education: Who Can Sit for the Exam
MCL 339.5807(1) sets the gates: good moral character, and at least 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in each classification you want, gained while working for a licensed mechanical contractor. LARA's licensing map adds a practical point: your employer's own license must include the classifications you plan to apply for.
Since 2021 PA 68 took effect on July 29, 2021, each present or former employer's contractor of record signs a statement under penalty of perjury. It must describe the work with dates and detail such as BTU ratings, venting and duct systems, fuels, refrigerants and equipment.
Two other routes count toward the requirement. A 2 year HVAC program at a recognized trade school, community college or university, or a 2 year HVAC training program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, can be credited for up to 1 year or 2,000 hours of the 3 years. Experience gained in the armed forces counts with a DD214 or DD215 showing an honorable discharge and a signed letter from a commanding officer or supervisor describing the mechanical work.
Adding a classification to an existing license
A licensee who has held a prerequisite classification for at least 3 years immediately before applying can add certain classifications on that basis. LARA's application lists the pairings.
| Classification to add | Prerequisite held for 3 years |
|---|---|
| 3 (c) Ductwork | 2 (b) HVAC equipment |
| 5 (e) Limited heating service | 2 (b) HVAC equipment |
| 7 (f) Limited refrigeration/AC service | 2 (b) HVAC equipment or 4 (d) Refrigeration |
| 6 (g) Unlimited heating service | 2 (b) HVAC equipment or 5 (e) Limited heating service |
| 8 (h) Unlimited refrigeration/AC service | 2 (b), 4 (d) or 7 (f) |
| 10 (j) Any specialty classification | 2 (b) HVAC equipment |
The PSI Exam: Format, Score and Test Centers
PSI schedules and proctors the exams, but BCC staff write them from the code, law and rules for the trade. After LARA approves your application, PSI should contact you within 10 business days to pay and schedule. The application stays valid for one year from its first review. Mechanical contractor is a contractor level credential, so PSI's rules allow unlimited retakes inside that year, rather than the two attempt cap that applies to Michigan's tiered journeyman and master trade licenses.
| Exam | Questions | Book | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC equipment | 150 | Open | 180 min |
| Hydronic, ductwork, refrig, fire suppression | 55 each | Open | 60 min |
| 4 service classes (limited/unlimited heating, refrig/AC) | 55 each | Closed | 60 min |
| 5 specialty classifications | 55 each | Open | 60 min |
The minimum passing score is 75 percent on every mechanical exam. Every exam also includes questions on the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407) and the Stille DeRossett Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230). LARA's reference list for the HVAC equipment exam includes the 2021 Michigan Mechanical Code, the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, ACCA Manuals J and D, SMACNA duct standards and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code; books must be bound and unmarked. PSI tests at seven centers: Dearborn, Holt, two in Southfield, Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette.
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Pick your classifications. Match them to the work you will actually do; forced air installers usually need HVAC equipment.
- Log the experience. Work at least 3 years or 6,000 hours for a licensed mechanical contractor whose license includes those classifications, or combine a 2 year HVAC program with 2 years of work.
- Collect employer statements. Have each employer's contractor of record sign the BCC work experience report, with dates and a detailed description of the work.
- Apply to LARA. File form BCC-11 online through LARA's Accela portal or by mail, with the $300 license fee, or the veteran waiver documents.
- Schedule with PSI. Once approved, PSI contacts you; pay $100 for HVAC equipment or $50 for each other exam and choose a test center.
- Pass each exam at 75 percent. Bring only the bound, unmarked references the bulletin allows for open book exams.
- Designate a contractor of record. If a company will perform the work, it names the license holder as contractor of record and notifies LARA in writing.
- Register locally and pull permits. Register the license with each municipal enforcing agency where you work, up to $15, then secure the mechanical permit before the job.
Want the Application Done for You?
Eight steps, years of experience documentation, and a PSI exam registration is a lot to manage alone, especially while running a business. The Licensing Company's License Application Processing prepares and submits your Michigan mechanical contractor application: an eligibility audit before anything is filed, a document checklist so you know exactly what to gather, every state form prepared and reviewed line by line, submission the way LARA requires, and the board's paperwork questions answered and resubmitted until LARA decides.
It is a flat $999 per state application, paid up front. State fees, PSI exam fees, background checks and fingerprinting are paid to Michigan and to PSI, not to us. The service does not promise approval, does not promise a timeline, and does not take the exam for you. Call 615-219-2110 to talk through your Michigan application.
If you cannot yet meet the 3 year or 6,000 hour experience requirement on your own, a qualifying agent can still let your company perform HVAC work today while you build toward your own license; see hire a qualifying agent.
Michigan Mechanical License Fees (2026)
Exam fees go to PSI when you schedule. The license fee goes to the State of Michigan with the application and is not refundable.
| Item | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC equipment exam | $100 | PSI |
| Each other classification exam | $50 | PSI |
| Initial mechanical contractor license and classification | $300 | LARA, with the application |
| Adding a classification in year 1, 2 or 3 of the cycle | $300, $200 or $100 | LARA |
| Renewal, every three years | $300 | LARA |
| Late renewal fee | $100 | LARA |
| Registration with each municipal enforcing agency | Up to $15 | The municipality |
MCL 339.5813 caps each exam fee at $100 and sets the license fee at $100 per year of the three year cycle; LARA's application charges $300 for a first license and scales the fee to add a classification down to $200 and $100 as the cycle runs. Under MCL 339.5417, the initial license fee is waived for active service members, honorably discharged veterans and their dependents, with a DD214 or DD215 and, for a dependent, proof of the relationship.
Bond and Insurance
Article 8 of the act sets no surety bond and no insurance requirement for the mechanical contractor license itself. Ask the enforcing agency where you pull permits what proof of insurance it expects on the job, since that requirement is local, not statewide.
How Long Does It Take
The timeline is set mostly by the experience requirement: 3 years or 6,000 hours per classification comes before you can even apply to test. Once LARA approves your application, PSI should contact you within 10 business days to pay and schedule, and your application stays active for one year to pass every exam you need. LARA does not publish a separate fixed processing time for issuing the license itself after you pass, so plan around the experience milestone rather than a promised approval date.
Renewal, Expiration, and Continuing Education
A mechanical contractor license expires August 31 every third year, and not every license shares the same expiration year. LARA asks you to renew by 8/31 and lets you start 90 days before that date; the statute allows renewal through October 31 before the license is void for permits.
Michigan requires no code update or continuing education courses for the mechanical contractor license, per LARA's renewal page.
A lapsed license cannot be used to obtain a permit. Renew within three years and you are not retested; after more than three years expired, LARA requires you to apply and test again.
What Changes When a Company Holds the License
If you searched for a Michigan HVAC business license, this is it: there is no separate state HVAC business license. The mechanical contractor license, tied to a company through its contractor of record, is what lets a company pull mechanical permits and perform HVAC work in its classifications. That puts the mechanical trade on the same footing as Michigan's other state licensed trades, where a licensed individual stands behind the business; see the Michigan electrical contractor license guide and the Michigan plumbing contractor license guide for how that works in those trades.
Here is the structural point every Michigan HVAC owner should know. Under MCL 339.5809(1), no company performs regulated mechanical work unless the company, if it is an individual, or one of its employees holds a mechanical contractor's license in the right classification. Under MCL 339.5809(2), the company must designate that license holder as its contractor of record and notify LARA in writing. Michigan uses a different term, qualifying officer, for residential builders under the Occupational Code; for mechanical work the term is contractor of record, and the company's authority rests on that one licensed person.
MCL 339.5815 gives the company 90 days after its contractor of record stops being an employee or officer, or after the business is sold, to designate another licensed employee or officer and notify LARA. That is where Michigan HVAC companies get stuck: an owner who has not logged the 6,000 hours or passed the exam can build a capable company and still have no one to name as contractor of record, a contractor of record who resigns starts a 90 day clock the company may not be able to meet from inside, and a firm expanding into Michigan must meet Michigan's classification experience and exam rules even when it is licensed elsewhere.
That licensed individual is what the industry calls a qualifying agent. Start with what a qualifying agent is and the HVAC contractor qualifying agent guide. A qualifying agent qualifies the company as either an owner or a full time W-2 employee who supervises the work, not a 1099 contractor passing through a license. The Licensing Company, led by founders Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, places licensed mechanical contractors who join your company as full time W-2 employees, serve as your contractor of record, and actually supervise the work in their classifications. If your Michigan HVAC company needs a contractor of record, you can hire a qualifying agent.
Permits, Local Registration, and Exemptions
Under MCL 339.5811, a municipality may not create its own licensing requirement for these classifications or stop a state licensed mechanical contractor from working in them. Local offices control the permit and the inspection.
MCL 339.5817 requires a licensed contractor to register the license with each enforcing agency that issues mechanical permits where the work happens. The registration lasts until the license expires, and the fee cannot exceed $15. Under MCL 339.5201, an inspector or building official can ask to see proof of licensure and a government issued photo ID on the job.
A few narrow exemptions exist. MCL 339.5819 lets the owner of a single family dwelling that is, or will be, the owner's residence install a heating or refrigerating system there, with a permit and a final inspection. Registered security alarm system providers may install and service HVAC and hydronic thermostats without a mechanical license under MCL 339.5809(4).
EPA 608 Is a Separate Federal Requirement
Anyone who handles refrigerants also needs federal EPA Section 608 certification. It is a federal technician certification, not a Michigan license, and it does not replace the mechanical contractor license. See EPA 608 certification vs. HVAC license.
Out of State and Military Applicants
LARA does not publish a general reciprocity agreement for the mechanical contractor license, so a contractor licensed in another state normally applies with the same employer experience statements and takes the PSI exams. The published exception is the military examination waiver.
A service member, honorably discharged veteran or dependent can be licensed without the exam after holding a license in good standing for at least one year in a state with substantially equivalent requirements, having passed that state's exam. The same group qualifies for the initial fee waiver under MCL 339.5417.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Michigan have a journeyman or master HVAC license?
No. Michigan licenses HVAC only at the contractor level, through the classification based mechanical contractor license. There is no separate state journeyman or master HVAC credential.
How long does it take to get a mechanical contractor license in Michigan?
You need 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in each classification under a licensed mechanical contractor before you can test. A 2 year HVAC program, or a Department of Labor approved program, can count for up to 1 year or 2,000 hours.
How much does a Michigan HVAC license cost?
The HVAC equipment exam is $100 and each other exam is $50, paid to PSI. The license fee is $300 at application and $300 at each three year renewal, with a $100 late fee. Confirm current fees with LARA and PSI before you apply.
What score do I need to pass the Michigan mechanical exam?
75 percent on every classification exam. The HVAC equipment exam is 150 questions in 180 minutes, open book; every other exam is 55 questions in 60 minutes.
Does Michigan require a bond for mechanical contractors?
No. Article 8 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act sets no surety bond or insurance requirement for the mechanical contractor license itself. Check with the municipal enforcing agency where you pull permits for any insurance it expects on the job.
Do I still need EPA 608?
Yes, if you handle refrigerants. EPA Section 608 is a federal certification, separate from and in addition to the Michigan mechanical contractor license.
Does Michigan require continuing education for mechanical contractors?
No. LARA's renewal page states that code update courses are not required for the mechanical contractor license.
Do Detroit or Grand Rapids require a separate city HVAC license?
No city license applies to these classifications, because MCL 339.5811 bars local licensing. You do register your state license with each municipal enforcing agency where you pull permits, for a fee of no more than $15.
Michigan has no statewide GC license, so how is HVAC licensed?
Michigan has no statewide commercial general contractor license (see the Michigan general contractor guide), but it licenses the mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades at the state level, so an HVAC contractor answers to LARA.
Related Michigan and HVAC Guides
- Michigan contractor license guide
- How to get a general contractor license in Michigan
- How to get an electrician license in Michigan
- How to get an electrical contractor license in Michigan
- How to get a plumbing license in Michigan
- How to get a plumbing contractor license in Michigan
- How to get an HVAC contractor license, state by state
- What is a qualifying agent?
Talk to The Licensing Company
If your Michigan HVAC company needs a licensed contractor of record, call us at 615-219-2110 or start online at hire a qualifying agent. Ask about License Application Processing if you would rather we handle the paperwork. We will walk through your trade, your classifications and your timeline.
Sources
All retrieved 2026-10-05.
- LARA BCC: Mechanical Examination, Licensing/Registration and Application Information
- LARA: Application for Mechanical Contractor Examination and Licensing, BCC-11
- LARA: Notice, Mechanical Licensing Change in Experience Requirements
- LARA: Obtaining a Mechanical Contractor License (licensing map)
- LARA BCC: License and Registration Renewals
- LARA BCC: PSI Examinations
- PSI: Mechanical Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin
- LARA: Mechanical Contractor Licensing Exam Reference Materials
- LARA: Military Examination Waiver Procedure
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5801, definitions A to H
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5807, eligibility and classifications
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5809, license required and contractor of record
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5811, local licensing barred
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5813, fees and expiration
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5815, new contractor of record
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5817, municipal registration
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5819, homeowner installation
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5417, military and veteran fee waiver
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 339.5201, proof of licensure
- License Application Processing
Classifications, fees, hours and exam formats above are set by the Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes, the Legislature and PSI, and they can change. Verify current requirements with LARA before applying. This guide covers the licensing process only and is not exam preparation material.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.