Do You Need a Licensed A/C Contractor in Florida? CAC vs RA Explained
If your air conditioner needs more than a filter change, Florida law is direct about who is allowed to do the work. Air-conditioning contracting is a licensed trade under Chapter 489 of the Florida Statutes, regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Hiring someone without the right license is not just risky — unlicensed contracting is illegal in Florida, and homeowners who use unlicensed workers can be left without recourse when something goes wrong.
What counts as air-conditioning contracting?
Under state law, installing, repairing, replacing, or servicing central air-conditioning and heating systems is contracting work that requires a state license. In practice, that includes replacing a condenser or air handler, installing a heat pump or mini-split system, running or modifying refrigerant lines, and most ductwork alterations. Federal rules add another layer: anyone who opens the refrigerant circuit must hold an EPA Section 608 certification to handle refrigerants.
Simple tasks like swapping return-air filters or keeping the outdoor coil clear of debris are routine homeowner maintenance. The moment the work involves refrigerant, electrical connections to the system, gas heat, or replacing equipment, it belongs with a licensed contractor.
CAC vs RA: the two Florida A/C license types
When you browse listings on LicensedHVACNearMe, you will see one of two DBPR license prefixes on every profile:
- CAC — Certified Air Conditioning Contractor. A statewide certificate. A certified contractor may work anywhere in Florida. Within the certified group, Florida law (s. 489.105, F.S.) distinguishes Class A contractors, who may work on systems of any size, from Class B contractors, whose scope is limited to smaller-capacity systems (generally up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating). For a typical home system, either class is fully licensed for the job.
- RA — Registered Air Conditioning Contractor. A registration tied to local competency: the contractor is licensed to work in the specific local jurisdiction(s) where they hold registration, rather than statewide. Registered contractors are a small group today — in the current DBPR weekly file, registered A/C licenses number only in the low hundreds statewide, compared with more than ten thousand certified contractors.
Both types are real state licenses. The practical difference is geography: a CAC number is valid across Florida, while an RA number is valid where the contractor is locally registered.
Why licensing matters for A/C work in particular
Air-conditioning work sits at the intersection of refrigerant handling, electrical circuits, condensate management, and — in much of Florida — hurricane tie-down and energy-code requirements. Most Florida jurisdictions require a permit for an A/C changeout, and permits are issued to licensed contractors. A licensed contractor also carries the insurance and financial-responsibility requirements the state imposes at licensure, which protects you if a job goes wrong.
How to use this when hiring
Every listing on this site is matched to an active Florida DBPR air-conditioning contractor license from the state’s weekly public license download, with the license number displayed on the profile. Start with contractors near you — for example licensed A/C contractors in Miami, Tampa, or Orlando — then verify the license yourself before signing anything. Our step-by-step guide, how to verify a Florida A/C contractor license, walks through the DBPR lookup in a few minutes.
Planning a full system swap? Read what Florida homeowners report paying for AC replacement before you collect estimates, or browse every licensed contractor in the directory.