Texas A/C Contractor License Renewal: CE Requirements, Explained

To renew a Texas air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) contractor license, you need 8 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education every year, including 1 hour of Texas law and rules. Here is what that means in practice.

Who needs ACR continuing education?

Licensed ACR contractors. If you hold only a technician registration or a technician certification, you renew without continuing education.

What has to be in the 8 hours?

One hour must cover Texas state law and rules for ACR licensees. The other seven can come from any approved course on:

• Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 (the ACR law)
• 16 TAC Chapter 75 (the ACR rules)
• The International Mechanical Code, the Uniform Mechanical Code, or other applicable codes
• Ethics
• Business practices
• Technical requirements

One CE hour means 50 minutes of actual instruction.

Does the course have to be TDLR-approved?

Yes. TDLR only accepts courses it has approved. If you take the same course more than once, it only counts once.

When do the hours have to be done?

Before your license expires. For an on-time renewal, the hours must be completed during your current license term. If you renew late, they must have been completed within the one year before the date you renew.

Who reports the hours to TDLR?

Your course provider. TDLR rules give providers up to seven days after you finish to report your completion. You can check that your hours posted with TDLR's online continuing education course lookup. If they have not posted seven days after you finish, contact your provider.

Keep a copy of every completion certificate for one year, in case TDLR asks for it.

How much does it cost to renew?

The TDLR contractor license renewal fee is $65, separate from what you pay for continuing education.

Late renewals cost more. If your license has been expired 90 days or less, the fee is 1.5 times the normal renewal fee. If it has been expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months, the fee is 2 times the normal renewal fee.

There is no inactive status for an ACR contractor license. Even if you are not working, you still have to renew.

Texas ACR contractor renewal checklist

• Confirm your license expiration date
• Complete 8 hours from a TDLR-approved provider, including 1 hour of Texas law and rules
• Finish before your license expires
• Check that your hours posted in TDLR's CE lookup
• Renew at tdlr.texas.gov and pay the $65 renewal fee
• Keep your certificate for one year

Take all 8 hours in one course

The RenewEd CE Texas 8-Hour A/C and Refrigeration Contractor course covers all 8 required hours, including the mandatory hour on Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 and 16 TAC Chapter 75, plus the A2L refrigerant transition (R-454B and R-32), EPA 608, electrical safety, airflow and sizing, heat pumps, and combustion safety.

It is online, self-paced, available in English or Spanish, and has no exam. Start free with your name and TDLR license number, pay whenever you are ready, and get your certificate as soon as you finish and pay. We report your completion to TDLR within 24 hours.

RenewEd CE is TDLR CE Provider #2553. Course #33204.

Start your Texas A/C contractor CE at renewedce.com/HVACRenewalTX

License renewal is handled by TDLR at tdlr.texas.gov, where a separate state fee applies.