AC repair in Florida: license, permits and tips

Does it need a license in Florida?

Yes. Installing or repairing central AC for pay takes a state license. Two kinds cover it:

• Air-conditioning contractor (CAC or RA). Class A has no size limit. Class B is limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating per system. Class C, a service-only license, hasn’t been issued to anyone new since 1988.
• Mechanical contractor (CMC or RM). This license also covers central air conditioning and heating.

The first letter tells you where they may work. C means certified: anywhere in Florida. R means registered: only in the areas where they’re registered.

The exception: no contractor license is needed to sell, service or install a plug-in unit of 3 tons (36,000 Btu) or less with no ducts, like a window unit.

How to check the license

1. Ask for the license number. Florida requires it on every ad, bid, proposal and contract.
2. Look it up on myfloridalicense.com, the license search of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). You can search by name, license number, city or county.
3. Check the result. The name should match the person or company you’re hiring, the status should say Current, Active, and the letters should be CAC, RA, CMC or RM.
4. An R license? Ask whether they’re registered in your city or county.

For more help, see our license guide.

Do you need a permit?

Florida’s general rule is that building, changing or repairing a building needs a permit, unless a law says otherwise. Permits are handled locally, so the details differ. Two county examples:

• Martin County lists heating and cooling systems among the projects that need a permit. Portable cooling units don’t.
• Putnam County lists replacing an AC, a heat pump or a furnace as permit work.

For your area, see our pages on Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Orange counties, or call your local building department.

The new $7,500 rule doesn’t apply to AC work, whatever the price. Since July 1, 2026, a state law (HB 803) lets the owner of a single-family home, or their contractor, skip the building permit for work under $7,500, on written request with a copy of the contract. But it leaves out mechanical work, which includes AC, along with electrical, plumbing, gas and structural work, and it doesn’t apply in flood hazard areas.

Emergencies: in some counties, for example Martin County, an emergency repair such as a failed AC can start before the permit is issued, but the application is due the next business day.

Let the contractor apply. If they take more than 10% of the price up front, they must apply for the permits within 30 days and start the work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless you agreed in writing to a longer time.

Before you hire

• Ask how they sized the system. Bigger isn’t always better. ENERGY STAR says a contractor should size it to your house, your insulation and your windows. Our AC guide explains why.
• Ask to see the EPA card. Under EPA Section 608 rules, technicians who service equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants must be certified. The EPA doesn’t issue the cards, so ask to see the one the technician received.
• Sign a written proposal before work starts, with the costs, model numbers, schedule and warranty.
• On contracts over $2,500, Florida requires a notice about a state fund that can repay some losses caused by a licensed contractor’s violations, and a warning that unpaid workers or suppliers can make a claim against your home, even if you paid in full. Ask for a written lien release before each payment.
• Skip anyone without a license. If the job goes wrong, your only remedy may be to sue in civil court.

Sources

1. Florida DBPR: verify a license
2. Florida DBPR: what the license codes mean
3. Florida DBPR: certified and registered contractors
4. Florida Statutes §489.105: AC and mechanical contractors
5. Florida Statutes §489.103: exemptions and the owner-builder disclosure
6. Florida Statutes §489.119: license number in ads and contracts
7. Florida Statutes §489.126: deposits over 10%
8. Florida Statutes §489.1425: the recovery fund notice
9. Florida Statutes §713.015: the lien warning
10. Florida Statutes §553.79: permits and the $7,500 exemption
11. Florida Senate: HB 803 (2026)
12. Martin County: do I need a permit?
13. Putnam County: permit requirements (PDF)
14. ENERGY STAR: tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor
15. U.S. EPA: Section 608 technician certification

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and differ from city to city, so check the official links and ask your city or county.