Arkansas HVACR License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 8 min read

Class A, B, D and E HVACR licenses from the Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (Department of Labor and Licensing) last one year: under the Board's rules each expires on the last day of the month, one year from the original date of issuance, and the law asks for the renewal and fee before the expiration date. The yearly fee is $200 for Class A and $150 for Class B, D or E. No license is renewed without at least 8 hours of Board-approved continuing education per International Mechanical Code cycle, and you show proof of at least $250,000 of liability insurance at each renewal. A late renewal adds a $10 penalty for each month, and after more than three years delinquent you retake the exam.

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who designs, installs, constructs, maintains, services, repairs, alters or modifies an HVACR system in Arkansas needs a license or registration, unless an exemption in Ark. Code 17-33-102 applies (such as work in an existing home you own and live in, on household appliances or on motor vehicles). Under the Board's rules, employees of the designated license holder who do HVACR work must be registrants, unless exempt
License classes: Class A (no limit on BTUH or horsepower), Class B (air conditioning up to 25 tons of cooling or 1,000,000 BTUH heating input per unit, refrigeration up to 15 horsepower per unit), Class D (sheet metal ductwork) and Class E (refrigeration), plus the Class L lifetime license
Renews every: 1 year. Under the Board's rules a license expires on the last day of the month, one year from the original date of issuance. The law asks you to submit the renewal and fee before the expiration date
Renewal notice: The Department mails the license expiration notice to the permanent address on file with the Board, so tell the Board in writing within 30 days of any change to your mailing address, business affiliation, business location or business phone
Fee: $200 a year for a Class A license and $150 a year for a Class B, D or E license. The Class L lifetime license has no charge. Registrations are $25 a year
Continuing education: No HVACR license is renewed unless you complete at least 8 hours of continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle, in courses the Board has approved (the Department posts its list of approved CEU providers). The course provider's attendance roster, which the provider sends to the Board, is the only proof of completion the Board accepts. The rule asks for the hours to be completed before the final year of the code cycle; check with the Department which date applies to you
Missing CE: If you don't get the required hours, your class holder license is suspended until the Board receives an approved, verifiable course certificate showing you completed them
Liability insurance: Class A, B, D and E license holders must carry liability insurance for any work they do, or be covered by an employer's policy: at least $250,000 for an individual licensee, or $250,000 per licensed employee on an employer's policy. Proof of coverage goes to the Board at each renewal
Insurance waiver: You can ask the Board to waive the insurance if your primary work is for a business whose primary job is maintenance and repair of its own equipment, or you teach at a recognized school or apprenticeship program and aren't doing HVACR work for a for-profit business. With a waiver, send a letter from the employer's or school's human resources office or other responsible official at every renewal stating you work in a not-for-profit position
Registrants: A registrant's yearly registration, and its $25 fee, are the license holder's responsibility. License holders must make sure every HVACR employee holds a current registration or license
Renew: In your profile on the Department's licensing system, linked from its HVAC/R page. The Department's page says a license expired under 3 years can be renewed in your profile
Late renewal: A penalty fee of $10 a month is added for late payment, calculated on the first day of each calendar month. Under the rules, an expired license is reinstated once you pay the current and past due license fees, late fees and any outstanding civil money penalties, with an amended experience record covering your experience since the license lapsed
Expired 3 years or more: Use the Department's Reinstatement Application. Under the rules, anyone delinquent for over three years must take the prescribed exam
Lifetime license: At 65 or older, with a current Class A, B, D or E license in good standing held for a number of years, you can apply for a Class L lifetime license with no fee. The Board's rules ask for 10 consecutive years licensed by the Board, while the Department's lifetime application says at least 12 years: check with the Department before you apply. Under the rules, it covers service and maintenance only, on air conditioning up to 15 tons of cooling or 1,000,000 BTUH heating input per unit and refrigeration up to 15 horsepower per unit, with no installing or replacing equipment and no registrants
Display: Show your license number and company name, in letters at least 2 inches high, on both sides of every service and installation vehicle; your company name, license number and phone on a sign of at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches at job sites with new HVACR work, and on your business cards. Keep your license (paper or digital) and a photo ID on you, or immediately available, while you work
Working unlicensed: The Board can assess a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, and each day of a continuing violation can count separately. An unlicensed person who needed a license can't claim a mechanic's, materialman's or other artisan's lien for the work
Deployed service members: The expiration date for a deployed uniformed service member or spouse is extended for 180 days following the service member's return from deployment, with a full exemption from continuing education until then
Contact: HVAC/R section, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing: 501-682-9201 or 501-682-4553

An Arkansas HVACR license or registration means you don't need a city or county license for HVACR work, but local permits and inspections still apply where required.

If you stop being the designated (responsible) class holder for a company's HVACR work, tell the Department in writing within 5 business days.

How to renew

Check the expiration date on your license or in your profile (under the Board's rules, licenses expire on the last day of a month). Check the Department has your current mailing address, since that's where the expiration notice goes.
Make sure your 8 hours of continuing education for the current International Mechanical Code cycle are done with a Board-approved provider, who sends the attendance roster to the Board.
Get a current certificate of liability insurance showing at least $250,000 (or $250,000 per licensed employee on an employer's policy), or your waiver letter if you have one.
Renew in your profile on the Department's licensing system before the expiration date, and pay $200 for Class A or $150 for Class B, D or E. Renew your registrants' $25 registrations too.
Missed it? A $10 penalty is added each month. Under 3 years expired, the Department's page says you can still renew in your profile; at 3 years or more, use the Reinstatement Application, and over three years delinquent means retaking the exam.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

90 days outCheck you have 8 Board-approved CE hours for the current code cycle on the Board's record, and that the Department has your current mailing address.
60 days outAsk your insurer for a current certificate of liability insurance showing at least $250,000 (or your waiver letter).
30 days outRenew in your profile on the Department's licensing system ($200 Class A, $150 Class B, D or E) and renew your registrants' $25 registrations.
Expiration monthUnder the Board's rules, your license expires on the last day of this month: renew before then. After it, a $10 penalty is added for each month you're late.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your registrants' registrations, which renew every year and are your responsibility as the license holder
Your liability insurance policy, which the Board asks you to prove at each renewal
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When does an Arkansas HVACR license expire?

Under the Board's rules a license expires on the last day of the month, one year from the original date of issuance. The law asks you to submit the renewal and fee before the expiration date.

How much does it cost to renew an Arkansas HVACR license?

$200 a year for a Class A license and $150 a year for a Class B, D or E license. The Class L lifetime license has no charge. Registrations are $25 a year.

How many CE hours do Arkansas HVACR license holders need?

No HVACR license is renewed unless you complete at least 8 hours of continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle, in courses the Board has approved. If you don't get the required hours, your class holder license is suspended until the Board receives an approved, verifiable course certificate showing you completed them.

What insurance does an Arkansas HVACR license need?

Class A, B, D and E license holders must carry liability insurance for any work they do, or be covered by an employer's policy: at least $250,000 for an individual licensee, or $250,000 per licensed employee on an employer's policy. Proof of coverage goes to the Board at each renewal.

What if my Arkansas HVACR license expired?

A penalty fee of $10 a month is added for late payment. The Department's page says a license expired under 3 years can be renewed in your profile; at 3 years or more, use the Reinstatement Application. Under the rules, anyone delinquent for over three years must take the prescribed exam.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, HVAC/R

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Arkansas guides

All Arkansas guides on one page

HVAC guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

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Arkansas HVACR License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 8 min read

At a glance

Who needs it: Anyone who designs, installs, constructs, maintains, services, repairs, alters or modifies an HVACR system in Arkansas needs a license or registration, unless an exemption in Ark. Code 17-33-102 applies (such as work in an existing home you own and live in, on household appliances or on motor vehicles). Under the Board's rules, employees of the designated license holder who do HVACR work must be registrants, unless exempt
License classes: Class A (no limit on BTUH or horsepower), Class B (air conditioning up to 25 tons of cooling or 1,000,000 BTUH heating input per unit, refrigeration up to 15 horsepower per unit), Class D (sheet metal ductwork) and Class E (refrigeration), plus the Class L lifetime license
Renews every: 1 year. Under the Board's rules a license expires on the last day of the month, one year from the original date of issuance. The law asks you to submit the renewal and fee before the expiration date
Renewal notice: The Department mails the license expiration notice to the permanent address on file with the Board, so tell the Board in writing within 30 days of any change to your mailing address, business affiliation, business location or business phone
Fee: $200 a year for a Class A license and $150 a year for a Class B, D or E license. The Class L lifetime license has no charge. Registrations are $25 a year
Continuing education: No HVACR license is renewed unless you complete at least 8 hours of continuing education per current International Mechanical Code cycle, in courses the Board has approved (the Department posts its list of approved CEU providers). The course provider's attendance roster, which the provider sends to the Board, is the only proof of completion the Board accepts. The rule asks for the hours to be completed before the final year of the code cycle; check with the Department which date applies to you
Missing CE: If you don't get the required hours, your class holder license is suspended until the Board receives an approved, verifiable course certificate showing you completed them
Liability insurance: Class A, B, D and E license holders must carry liability insurance for any work they do, or be covered by an employer's policy: at least $250,000 for an individual licensee, or $250,000 per licensed employee on an employer's policy. Proof of coverage goes to the Board at each renewal
Insurance waiver: You can ask the Board to waive the insurance if your primary work is for a business whose primary job is maintenance and repair of its own equipment, or you teach at a recognized school or apprenticeship program and aren't doing HVACR work for a for-profit business. With a waiver, send a letter from the employer's or school's human resources office or other responsible official at every renewal stating you work in a not-for-profit position
Registrants: A registrant's yearly registration, and its $25 fee, are the license holder's responsibility. License holders must make sure every HVACR employee holds a current registration or license
Renew: In your profile on the Department's licensing system, linked from its HVAC/R page. The Department's page says a license expired under 3 years can be renewed in your profile
Late renewal: A penalty fee of $10 a month is added for late payment, calculated on the first day of each calendar month. Under the rules, an expired license is reinstated once you pay the current and past due license fees, late fees and any outstanding civil money penalties, with an amended experience record covering your experience since the license lapsed
Expired 3 years or more: Use the Department's Reinstatement Application. Under the rules, anyone delinquent for over three years must take the prescribed exam
Lifetime license: At 65 or older, with a current Class A, B, D or E license in good standing held for a number of years, you can apply for a Class L lifetime license with no fee. The Board's rules ask for 10 consecutive years licensed by the Board, while the Department's lifetime application says at least 12 years: check with the Department before you apply. Under the rules, it covers service and maintenance only, on air conditioning up to 15 tons of cooling or 1,000,000 BTUH heating input per unit and refrigeration up to 15 horsepower per unit, with no installing or replacing equipment and no registrants
Display: Show your license number and company name, in letters at least 2 inches high, on both sides of every service and installation vehicle; your company name, license number and phone on a sign of at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches at job sites with new HVACR work, and on your business cards. Keep your license (paper or digital) and a photo ID on you, or immediately available, while you work
Working unlicensed: The Board can assess a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, and each day of a continuing violation can count separately. An unlicensed person who needed a license can't claim a mechanic's, materialman's or other artisan's lien for the work
Deployed service members: The expiration date for a deployed uniformed service member or spouse is extended for 180 days following the service member's return from deployment, with a full exemption from continuing education until then
Contact: HVAC/R section, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing: 501-682-9201 or 501-682-4553

An Arkansas HVACR license or registration means you don't need a city or county license for HVACR work, but local permits and inspections still apply where required.

If you stop being the designated (responsible) class holder for a company's HVACR work, tell the Department in writing within 5 business days.

How to renew

Check the expiration date on your license or in your profile (under the Board's rules, licenses expire on the last day of a month). Check the Department has your current mailing address, since that's where the expiration notice goes.
Make sure your 8 hours of continuing education for the current International Mechanical Code cycle are done with a Board-approved provider, who sends the attendance roster to the Board.
Get a current certificate of liability insurance showing at least $250,000 (or $250,000 per licensed employee on an employer's policy), or your waiver letter if you have one.
Renew in your profile on the Department's licensing system before the expiration date, and pay $200 for Class A or $150 for Class B, D or E. Renew your registrants' $25 registrations too.
Missed it? A $10 penalty is added each month. Under 3 years expired, the Department's page says you can still renew in your profile; at 3 years or more, use the Reinstatement Application, and over three years delinquent means retaking the exam.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

90 days outCheck you have 8 Board-approved CE hours for the current code cycle on the Board's record, and that the Department has your current mailing address.
60 days outAsk your insurer for a current certificate of liability insurance showing at least $250,000 (or your waiver letter).
30 days outRenew in your profile on the Department's licensing system ($200 Class A, $150 Class B, D or E) and renew your registrants' $25 registrations.
Expiration monthUnder the Board's rules, your license expires on the last day of this month: renew before then. After it, a $10 penalty is added for each month you're late.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your registrants' registrations, which renew every year and are your responsibility as the license holder
Your liability insurance policy, which the Board asks you to prove at each renewal
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When does an Arkansas HVACR license expire?

Under the Board's rules a license expires on the last day of the month, one year from the original date of issuance. The law asks you to submit the renewal and fee before the expiration date.

How much does it cost to renew an Arkansas HVACR license?

$200 a year for a Class A license and $150 a year for a Class B, D or E license. The Class L lifetime license has no charge. Registrations are $25 a year.

How many CE hours do Arkansas HVACR license holders need?

What insurance does an Arkansas HVACR license need?

What if my Arkansas HVACR license expired?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, HVAC/R

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Arkansas guides

All Arkansas guides on one page

HVAC guides for other states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for HVAC techs

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet