What Florida's mechanical contractor license covers, how it differs from Class A and Class B air conditioning, the exam and vendor, board fees, insurance and the qualifier rule.
Florida licenses mechanical contracting as its own statewide category, separate from Class A and Class B air conditioning and separate from plumbing. The line between them is written into the statute, and it decides who may pipe a gas furnace, who may wire a condensing unit and who has to subcontract. This guide covers what the license allows, how it differs from the air conditioning classes, how to register for the exam, the board fees, the insurance floor and the qualifier rule, taken from the statute, the rule text and the exam vendor's own pages and checked on October 13, 2026.
At a glance
- It is a Division II category. Mechanical is paragraph (i) of F.S. 489.105(3), the section that defines every contractor category.
- Gas fuel lines are in scope. The definition covers liquefied petroleum gas lines and natural gas fuel lines within buildings, which Class A air conditioning excludes.
- The trade exam is long. The mechanical trade knowledge test is 130 questions over 7.5 hours with a 70% passing score (DBPR candidate information booklet, effective July 2024).
- Insurance. $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage for a mechanical contractor (rule 61G4-15.003).
- Board fees. $335 for the application and examination, $135 on scheduling, $80 per test administered and $40 after you pass (rule 61G4-12.009).
What a Florida mechanical contractor license covers
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation issues the license through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. The statute defines a mechanical contractor as one whose services are unlimited in executing contracts that require the experience, knowledge and skill to install, maintain, repair, fabricate, alter, extend or design central air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems, including duct work, boiler and unfired pressure vessel systems, lift station equipment and piping, and related appurtenances.
The piping list is where this license separates from the air conditioning classes. It names pressure and process piping, pneumatic control piping, standpipes, air piping, vacuum line piping, oxygen lines, nitrous oxide piping, ink and chemical lines, fuel transmission lines, gasoline tanks and pump installations, liquefied petroleum gas lines within buildings, and natural gas fuel lines within buildings. A mechanical contractor may also replace, disconnect or reconnect power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch.
The exclusions matter just as much. The scope does not include potable water lines or connections to them, sanitary sewer lines, swimming pool piping and filters, or electrical power wiring. For how this category fits with every other construction license in the state, see our Florida contractor license guide, and for the categories outside Florida, our contractor license overview covers the other states.
Two bills filed to widen this definition have not become law. CS/HB 801 would have added package pool heater work to the mechanical and Class A scopes in 2025, and HB 431 would have revised the same definitions again in 2026. Both died in committee. The definition above is the one in force today.
Mechanical, Class A and Class B: the comparison page one skips
Florida has three licenses that sound alike and are not. Search results fold them into one "HVAC license" page, and that is how a company ends up holding the wrong credential for the job on its contract.
| Category | Scope in the statute | Gas fuel lines |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical (paragraph i) | Unlimited HVAC and refrigeration, boilers, process piping | Included, within buildings |
| Class A air conditioning (paragraph f) | Unlimited AC, refrigeration, heating, ventilating | Excluded, except disconnecting or reconnecting changeouts |
| Class B air conditioning (paragraph g) | Capped at 25 tons cooling, 500,000 Btu heating | Not covered by the statute's wording for this class |
Notes on the table: Class A's unlimited scope covers central air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems. Class B's cap applies per system, not per building, so a building with several smaller systems can still fall under Class B.
Class C, paragraph (h), is limited to servicing air conditioning, heating or refrigeration systems. If your work is install and replace rather than service, Class C is not the category you are looking for.
The practical test is the system size and the piping. A company that sets rooftop units over 25 tons, or that also pipes the gas supply for boilers and heaters inside the building, is working in mechanical territory. A residential replacement company that stays under the Class B ceiling and leaves the gas to someone else can be fine with Class B or Class A. Our HVAC contractor license guide walks through the air conditioning side in more detail.
Why the license is a business decision
F.S. 489.113(3) sets the default rule for the whole industry: a contractor must subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool and air conditioning work unless it holds a state certificate or registration in that trade. A general or building contractor can run a project, but the mechanical scope on it still has to go to a licensed mechanical or air conditioning contractor.
That makes the license a revenue license. A company without it bids around the mechanical scope or hands it to a competitor. A company with it keeps the full contract value, and in commercial work that is often the largest trade line on the job. The same logic applies to the other trade categories we cover, including roofing, pool, solar and sheet metal.
The four experience routes
F.S. 489.111(2) sets eligibility for licensure by examination. An applicant must be 18, be of good moral character, and meet one of four criteria.
| Route | Experience | Education |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | 1 year in the category | Baccalaureate: engineering, architecture, building |
| Trade | 4 years, at least 1 as a foreman | None |
| Mixed A | 1 year as a foreman | 3 years of accredited college credits |
| Mixed B | 1 year skilled plus 1 year foreman | 2 years of accredited college credits |
Notes on the table: the degree route requires a baccalaureate specifically in engineering, architecture or building construction, not any four year degree. A third mixed combination exists: two years as a skilled worker, one year as a foreman and one year of accredited college credits. The statute counts all junior college and community college level courses as accredited college level courses, and it sets a minimum of 2,000 person hours per year for full time equivalency under the degree route. A technician with an associate degree and a year as a foreman may already qualify.
The examination
A Division II license takes two examinations: Business and Finance, and Trade Knowledge. The DBPR candidate information booklet, effective July 2024, lists the figures below. All are computer based and open book, which means only approved reference materials may be brought to the test center; no other references are allowed at the site.
| Examination | Questions | Time | Passing score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Finance | 120 | 6.5 hours | 70% |
| Mechanical trade knowledge | 130 | 7.5 hours | 70% |
| Class A air conditioning | 130 | 7.5 hours | 70% |
| Class B air conditioning | 80 | 5 hours | 70% |
Mechanical and Class A are the longest examinations in the Division II set. A candidate who holds a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited four year college with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher is exempt from the trade knowledge portion and sits only Business and Finance.
Registration runs through a vendor, not the test center directly. Candidates for the trade knowledge and business and finance parts apply with Professional Testing, Inc., the DBPR contracted exam developer, and the completed application and fee must reach the vendor at least 30 days before the exam date. Once approved, the mechanical trade knowledge exam and the business and finance exam are both scheduled and delivered on computer through Pearson VUE. That differs from plumbing trade knowledge, which is still administered on paper on fixed dates.
This guide covers how the examination is structured and registered, not how to study for it.
Board fees
Rule 61G4-12.009 prescribes the fees, and they are collected in pieces at different moments.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application and examination | $335 total, nonrefundable | Across the steps below |
| Paid on scheduling | $135 | When you schedule the tests |
| Examination administration | $80 | For each test administered |
| Processing after passing | $40 | After you pass |
A missed or failed test is not free: the next attempt costs $135 on scheduling plus $80 for administration of each test. Renewal is $200 every two years for an active license and $50 for an inactive one, and the business organization renewal is $50.
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
Insurance and financial responsibility
Rule 61G4-15.003 requires a signed affidavit that the applicant has obtained and will maintain public liability and property damage insurance for the life of an active license. A mechanical contractor carries $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage, the same floor the rule sets for air conditioning and plumbing contractors. General and building contractors carry a higher floor of $300,000 and $50,000 under the same rule, since Division I work carries more exposure.
The board audits coverage by random sample, and a selected licensee has 30 days from a certified mail request to produce proof. The certificate must name the exact business organization the applicant qualifies. Applicants must also demonstrate financial responsibility under F.S. 489.115: a credit report from a nationally recognized agency, evidence of business reputation, and disclosure of any license revoked, suspended or otherwise acted against by another state. Address that before filing rather than after a denial.
The qualifier rule decides who can bid
The license is earned by a person and used by a company. Under F.S. 489.119, a business organization may operate in a category of contracting only if its qualifying agent is certified or registered in that category. The qualifying agent files an affidavit that it holds final approval authority over all construction work the business performs.
The replacement window is the part that ends seasons. If the qualifying agent is the only certified or registered contractor affiliated with the business and leaves, the company must notify the department and has 60 days from the termination of that affiliation to employ another one. Until it does, it may not contract, except under a temporary credential limited to finishing incomplete contracts.
A qualifying agent QUALIFIES the company, meaning they are an owner or full time W-2 employee whose license and affidavit stand behind every mechanical contract the business signs. The agent does not just attach a license number to the business; the affidavit makes that person responsible for the construction work itself. Our explainer on what a qualifying agent is covers the role, and hiring a qualifying agent covers how the placement works.
For a company that needs to fill the role quickly, contractor qualifier services place a vetted, licensed individual as a full time employee, never on any other arrangement. For mechanical and HVAC companies specifically, the HVAC contractor qualifying agent guide is the closest match, and our Florida qualifying agent guide covers the state rules in full.
Step by step
- Decide the category. Compare mechanical, Class A and Class B against the system size and piping you actually do.
- Choose your eligibility route from the four in F.S. 489.111(2) and document the hours.
- Prepare the financial responsibility material, including the credit report under F.S. 489.115.
- File the application with the $335 application and examination fee.
- Apply with Professional Testing, Inc. at least 30 days before your exam date, then schedule Business and Finance and the mechanical trade knowledge test through Pearson VUE, paying $135 on scheduling and $80 for each test.
- Pass both parts, then pay the $40 processing fee.
- Bind the $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage coverage a mechanical contractor must carry and sign the affidavit.
- Qualify the business organization under F.S. 489.119.
Questions mechanical contractors ask
How much does it cost to get licensed in Florida? The board side is knowable: $335 for the application and examination, $135 on scheduling, $80 per test, $40 after passing, then $200 at each biennial renewal. What varies is everything around it, including insurance premiums priced to your revenue and loss history, the time off for a seven and a half hour examination, and whether your company needs a qualifier at all.
Do I need a separate license to pipe gas? The mechanical definition includes liquefied petroleum gas lines and natural gas fuel lines within buildings. Class A excludes them except for disconnecting or reconnecting changeouts, and the plumbing definition also reaches natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas lines. Check which license fits the exact scope on your contract.
Does a mechanical license cover electrical work? Only a narrow piece: replacing, disconnecting or reconnecting power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing disconnect switch. Electrical power wiring beyond that is excluded, and belongs with an electrical contractor.
Can a general contractor do the mechanical scope? Not without holding the trade credential. F.S. 489.113(3) requires the work to be subcontracted unless the contractor is certified or registered in that category.
Who administers the exam, the state or a private company? Professional Testing, Inc. registers candidates and develops the exam content under contract to DBPR, and Pearson VUE delivers the computer based test. The passing score and content weighting still come from the board's own rule, not the vendor.
What if our qualifier leaves? Notify the department and employ another qualifying agent within 60 days of the termination. The company may not contract in the meantime except under a temporary credential for incomplete contracts.
Related reading
Florida runs several Division II categories on the same fee schedule and insurance floor. If your company holds more than one, see the state by state index and our national contractor license overview.
Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski founded The Licensing Company to solve the problem this article ends on: a company with the work, the crews and the capital, and no licensed individual able to qualify it. Every qualifier we place is a full time W-2 employee of the company that needs one. Call 615-219-2110 or see hiring a qualifying agent to talk through your situation.
Sources
- F.S. 489.105, definitions, Florida Legislature, retrieved October 13, 2026
- F.S. 489.111, licensure by examination, Florida Legislature, retrieved October 13, 2026
- F.S. 489.113, scope of practice, Florida Legislature, retrieved October 13, 2026
- F.S. 489.115, financial responsibility, Florida Legislature, retrieved October 13, 2026
- F.S. 489.119, qualifying agents, Florida Legislature, retrieved October 13, 2026
- Rule 61G4-12.009, fees, Fla. Admin. Code via Cornell LII, retrieved October 13, 2026
- Rule 61G4-15.003, public liability insurance, Fla. Admin. Code via Cornell LII, retrieved October 13, 2026
- DBPR candidate information booklet, construction examinations, retrieved October 13, 2026
- DBPR construction examinations page, retrieved October 13, 2026
- HB 801 (2025), Florida Senate bill history, retrieved October 13, 2026
- HB 431 (2026), Florida Senate bill history, retrieved October 13, 2026
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.