Louisiana: HVAC contractor licensing, reciprocity and contract rules.

This page lists what Louisiana publishes about licensing an HVAC or mechanical contractor and contracting with homeowners: who issues the licence, whether one is required statewide, the classes and qualifications, insurance or bond minimums, reciprocity with other states, renewal and continuing education, and the state's home-improvement contract statute if it has one.

It is built for owners of residential HVAC companies, especially those hiring across a state line or opening a second territory. Every entry is a snapshot of what the cited source published on the verification date; it is a research starting point, not legal advice.

Louisiana, field by field.

Contractor licensing authority

Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC), created “within the office of the governor” (La. R.S. 37:2151(A)); the Residential Contractors Subcommittee, established within the board, has, subject to board approval, the power “To adopt rules and regulations to govern residential and home improvement contractors in this state” and to issue, suspend or revoke licences (R.S. 37:2155(A), (G)).

HVAC licence required

Statewide above threshold — a “Mechanical contractor” is any person who bids on or performs the construction, installation, maintenance, testing and repair of air conditioning, refrigeration, heating systems and plumbing for residential, commercial and industrial applications, ventilation systems and related mechanical work “for which the project value is ten thousand dollars or more” (R.S. 37:2150.1 — paragraph (16) in the LSLBC Blue Book updated 8/1/2026, which incorporates Act 757 of 2026; paragraph (13) in the legis.la.gov display, whose history line still ended at Acts 2025, No. 422 on 2026-10-14); R.S. 37:2163(A)(1): “It shall be unlawful for any person to engage or to continue in this state in the business of contracting, or to act as a contractor as defined in this Chapter, unless he holds an active license as a contractor in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter”; LSLBC Types of Licenses page: “Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing projects exceeding $10,000 including labor and materials” require a commercial licence; LAC 46:XXIX §301 (Mechanical, and its subclassification Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration): “A license is required when the value exceeds $10,000.”

Licence classes & qualifications

Commercial major classification “Mechanical” (R.S. 37:2156.1(A)(6)) with the subclassification “Heat, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Duct Work, and Refrigeration” — “the installation, maintenance or repair of air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, coolers, freezers, and ice rinks” (LAC 46:XXIX §301; LSLBC Exams/Classifications page, classification 6 and subclassification 6.1, each with a trade examination). Each classification needs a designated qualifying party who “shall satisfy any examination and credential requirement”, and a qualifying party is designated for the Louisiana business and law requirement (R.S. 37:2156.1 — subsection (E)(1) in the 2026 Blue Book, (D)(1) on legis.la.gov; LAC 46:XXIX §109); the applicant files a financial statement showing “a net worth of fifty thousand dollars or more” for commercial licences and twenty-five thousand dollars for home improvement, mold remediation and labor-only specialties (R.S. 37:2156.1(B)(2)); no years-of-experience requirement appears in the statute or rules read. Home-improvement work on an existing residence with a project value “at least seven thousand five hundred dollars but less than fifty thousand dollars” requires home-improvement registration (R.S. 37:2150.1, “home improvement contractor” — paragraph (13) Blue Book / (11) legis.la.gov). R.S. 37:2157(A) exempts “Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing licensees who are acting exclusively within the scope of their classification” (paragraph (19) in the 8/1/2026 Blue Book; (20) in the 8/1/2025 edition), while its subcontractor exemptions (paragraphs (17)–(18), 2026 numbering) exclude “electrical, mechanical, plumbing” scopes of work, so an HVAC subcontractor on a residential or building-construction job is not exempt from licensure. Statewide-licensed mechanical contractors “are excluded from local, municipal, or parish regulatory authority examination procedures and may bid and perform work within any local jurisdiction upon paying all appropriate fees” (R.S. 37:2156.1 — subsection (I) Blue Book / (H) legis.la.gov).

Insurance / bond minimum

No insurance or bond minimum for the commercial Mechanical licence appears in R.S. 37:2150 to 37:2165 or LAC 46:XXIX. For residential construction (and its subclassifications), mold remediation and home-improvement applicants and licensees, R.S. 37:2156.1 as amended by Act 757 of the 2026 Regular Session (SB 326; effective August 1, 2026) requires certificates of workers' compensation coverage and “liability insurance in a minimum amount of five hundred thousand dollars or liability protection provided by a liability trust fund as authorized by R.S. 22:46(9)(d) in a minimum amount of five hundred thousand dollars”, with proof from the agent, broker or insurance company showing the policy number and coverage dates, no exclusions for the licensee's scopes of work, coverage for at least six months and the board listed as certificate holder (printed as §2156.1(F)(1)–(4) in the LSLBC Blue Book updated 8/1/2026; LSLBC memoranda of June 25 and July 13, 2026 cite the same change under Act 757 and state that “Failure to meet these new standards will result in suspension of licensure”). The prior minimum was $100,000, which is what legis.la.gov's display of R.S. 37:2156.1(E) (history ending Acts 2025, No. 422) and the LSLBC brochure “Licensing Requirements for Contractors in Louisiana” (June 2025) still showed on 2026-10-14. LAC 46:XXIX §105(B) requires residential, home-improvement and mold-remediation licensees to “obtain and maintain workers' compensation and general liability insurance”.

Reciprocity

R.S. 37:2153(F)(5): the board shall “Waive the trade portion of the examination requirement for any applicant holding a license in a comparable classification in another state as determined by the board, upon written certification from the licensing state that the applicant passed the examination for the classification and is in good standing. The business law requirement shall not be waived.” LSLBC letter of October 23, 2024 (linked from the LSLBC reciprocity page, which otherwise publishes only a reciprocity request form): if an applicant “holds a classification that requires a test in any other state, and they have passed that test - with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering in effect - the LSLBC will accept that passing exam for reciprocity”, “All other requirements for licensure must be met”, and “This change in procedure renders any previous agreements null and void”; no state-by-state list is in force.

Renewal & continuing education

Licences “shall expire on the anniversary of the date on which the license was originally issued”; licensees “shall elect upon renewal one-, two-, or three-year license renewal terms”, and “Licenses dependent on insurance requirements or certifications shall not be eligible for multiple-year renewal” (R.S. 37:2156(H)(1)); the LSLBC renewal page confirms renewal “for a one-, two- or three-year period” and sends notices at 60 and 15 days before expiration. Statutory fee caps: renewal fee $100, and a delinquent fee of not more than $50 for renewals filed more than fifteen days after expiration (R.S. 37:2156(C), (H)(1)); the renewal page does not state fee amounts. A licence not renewed within one year of expiration “is no longer eligible for renewal” and a new application is required (R.S. 37:2156(J); LSLBC renewal page: “You cannot renew the license after the license has been expired for one year”; trade examinations need not be retaken if the qualifier and classifications are unchanged). Continuing education: LSLBC CE page: “There are no continuing education requirements for commercial, mold, or home improvement contractors/registrants”; a residential construction contractor “shall be required to complete a minimum of six hours of continuing education annually by a board approved provider”, with an exemption for holders of a current commercial licence in building construction, highway/street/bridge, heavy, or municipal and public works construction (LAC 46:XXIX §505(A)).

Home-improvement contract rule

R.S. 37:2159(A): “Every agreement to perform contracting services that requires licensure or registration as defined by this Chapter shall include” the complete agreement (with a description of incorporated documents), “The full names, addresses, and the license number of the contractor”, a description of the work, the total price (or an approximation of the owner's cost under a cost-plus or time-and-materials contract), “The signature of all parties”, and current certificates of insurance showing workers' compensation coverage and the amount of liability coverage for any licensee for which insurance is required; R.S. 37:2159(B): “At the time of signing, all parties shall be furnished with a copy of the signed contract. No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract by all parties”; 2159(C): noncompliant contracts “shall not be invalid solely because of noncompliance”; 2159(D): a contractor who fails to obtain a required licence may not file a statement of claim or lien. R.S. 37:2159.1(A) prohibits persons performing contracting services from “Interpreting insurance policy provisions regarding coverage or duties under an insured's property insurance policy”, “Adjusting a property insurance claim on behalf of an insured as a public adjuster”, providing an agreement for repairs on an insured claim before giving a good-faith itemized estimate, sharing legal fees or steering insureds to attorneys, advertising as insurance claims specialists, and assignment of benefits; 2159.1(C)(1): “No person shall solicit or accept an assignment, in whole or in part, of any post-loss insurance benefit under a residential or commercial property insurance policy. Any such assignment agreement shall be against public policy and void.” Home-improvement registration covers existing-residence projects from $7,500 to under $50,000 (R.S. 37:2150.1 definitions of “home improvement” and “home improvement contractor”); the LSLBC brochure (June 2025) describes the same $7,500-to-$50,000 band. No deposit cap and no state cancellation window beyond federal law appear in the chapter.