How often does a Texas HVAC license expire?

A Texas HVAC license isn't permanent — it expires and has to be renewed every year. For a homeowner, that has a practical consequence most people miss: a contractor who was perfectly licensed when they gave you the quote could let their license lapse mid-project. Here's how renewal works, and how to make sure a license is active right now — not just at some point in the past.

The short version

• Texas HVAC contractor licenses and technician registrations renew annually.
• Renewal requires continuing education — the holder has to stay current.
• The license number stays the same year to year. What changes is the status and the expiration date.
• So "is this contractor licensed?" really means "is their license active today?"

Search a name or license number and you'll see the current status and the exact expiration date.

Why annual renewal matters to you

Because the cycle is yearly, two things can happen that catch homeowners off guard:

1. A license lapses during a long job. If your project spans the renewal window and the contractor doesn't renew, they're operating outside their authority partway through your work.
2. A quote is months old. If you got an estimate in the spring and start the job in the fall, the license could have changed status in between. It's worth a fresh check before work begins.

This is exactly why we refresh our records nightly — a status that was accurate last month may not be accurate today.

How Texas HVAC renewal works

• Cycle: one year. The license expires on its anniversary date.
• Continuing education: the holder must complete approved CE hours to renew — it's how the state keeps licensees current on code and safety.
• Lapsed licenses: if the deadline passes without renewal, the license becomes expired. It can usually be reinstated, but until it is, the holder isn't authorized to do the regulated work.

The takeaway: an expired status isn't necessarily permanent — but it does mean right now, that contractor isn't currently licensed to do the job.

How to check that a license is active today

1. Get the contractor's license number (or full business name).
2. Look it up on licensed-tx or the state's TDLR verification page.
3. Read the status (active vs expired) and the expiration date. If the expiration is close and your project is long, ask the contractor about their renewal.

Browse licensed HVAC contractors by county to see active licenses near you, and see how often we sync the data.

Frequently asked questions

How often do Texas HVAC licenses renew?

Annually. Both the ACR contractor license and technician registrations are on a one-year cycle, and renewal requires continuing education.

Does the license number change when it's renewed?

No. The number stays the same year over year. Only the status and expiration date change, which is why you should check the current status rather than assume.

What happens if my contractor's license expires during the job?

They're no longer authorized to perform the regulated work until they renew. If you spot an expiring license before a long project, ask the contractor to confirm their renewal.

Can an expired Texas HVAC license be renewed?

Usually, yes — expired licenses can typically be reinstated. But until that happens, the holder isn't currently licensed, so an "expired" status should be treated as not-currently-valid.

How current is the license data on licensed-tx?

We pull the TDLR dataset every night, so the status and expiration you see reflect the most recent sync. Each record links back to the official state source.

---

Every license fact on licensed-tx is published from the TDLR All Licenses dataset and refreshed nightly. We don't edit the underlying records — we make them readable and link back to the source.