HVAC licenses and certifications to check

The HVAC/R contractor specialty

L&I's HVAC/R specialty covers fabricating, installing, servicing and maintaining equipment that heats and cools indoor air. Systems may include duct work, air filtering devices, and gas piping from the service connection to the equipment it serves. (WAC 296-200A-016(28))

Work in this specialty may also need electrical licensing under chapter 19.28 RCW, or plumber certification under chapter 18.106 RCW. (WAC 296-200A-016(28)) The specialty bond is $15,000. (WAC 296-200A-016, read Oct 19, 2026)

Electrical specialty 06A

• HVAC/refrigeration system (06A) is an electrician specialty that needs 4,000 hours of experience. (L&I)
• Trainees must be supervised at least 75 percent of the time and complete 48 hours of basic classroom instruction before they can renew or sit for the exam. (L&I)
• The 06A specialty is not limited by voltage, phase or amperage except as that rule sets out. It may install, repair, replace and maintain HVAC/R Class 2 low-voltage control wiring in homes, and line-voltage parts inside HVAC/R equipment. (WAC 296-46B-920)

EPA Section 608

Technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants must be certified. Since January 1, 2018, that also covers most substitute refrigerants, including HFCs. (EPA) They pass an EPA-approved test. The credential does not expire. (EPA)

2026 mechanical permit fees nearby

• Unincorporated King County: mechanical installation only, inspection fee $183, covering up to six systems or components (wood stoves, boilers, furnaces, AC or heat pumps) per dwelling unit. Electrical permits come from L&I. (King County 2026 fee guide, read Oct 19, 2026)
• Tacoma single-family and duplex mechanical: 2.81 percent of construction value, minimum $190; E-permit mechanical $140. (Tacoma PDS fee schedule, read Oct 19, 2026)

What I ask before the bid

1. What is your L&I contractor registration number, and is it in the HVAC/R specialty?
2. Who holds the 06A electrical specialty on this job, if the work needs it?
3. Who on the crew holds EPA Section 608 certification?
4. Who pulls the mechanical permit, and which fee table applies?

Next

See HVAC licenses explained and how to hire.