Contractor Licensing in Maryland: What to Actually Verify Before Hiring

By Max Fisher · Published 2026-10-22 · Updated 2026-10-24

Short answer. “Licensed HVAC contractor” is not one license in Maryland. The people who install and service heating and cooling equipment need an individual trade license from the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors, at one of six levels. The business that signs a home improvement contract with you needs a separate license from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). Technicians who handle refrigerant also need federal EPA Section 608 certification. Heat pump installers who state all three plainly are easier to trust, and every one of them can be checked online in a few minutes.

This page is written for contractors who want to describe their credentials accurately and for homeowners and property managers checking who is coming into the house. The facts are the same for both.

License 1: the HVACR trade license

The Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors, part of the Maryland Department of Labor, licenses and regulates the individuals who provide commercial and residential heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services, under Business Regulation Article 9A of the Annotated Code of Maryland and COMAR 09.15. It also adopts codes and minimum standards for installation and repair, and it investigates complaints about licensees and about unlicensed work.

The Board’s licensing notice is direct: “All individuals providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services in the State of Maryland must be licensed.” The six levels are:

Level	What the Board’s pages say
Apprentice	Must be licensed and supervised by a licensed Master or Journey individual who is present on the jobsite. May not work alone or contract.
Journey	Licensed after at least four years as an apprentice with at least 6,000 hours of training under a licensed contractor, plus an exam.
Journey Restricted	A restricted journey-level license. Ask the Board or the licensee what its restriction covers.
Limited Contractor	Requires at least two years as a licensed journeyman under a master, 1,000 hours in the prior year, and an exam.
Master Restricted	Requires at least three years as a licensed journeyman under a master, 1,875 hours in the prior year, and an exam.
Master	Requires at least three years as a licensed journeyman across all areas of HVACR work, 1,875 hours in the prior year, and an exam.

Every exam requires a score of 70 percent, according to the Board’s licensing requirements. The Board’s page also lists a separate insurance requirement for master, master restricted and limited contractors who contract work.

Penalties. The Board can suspend or revoke a license and assess a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation. The licensing notice adds that working without a proper license can bring a criminal sentence of up to 6 months for a first violation, and up to 2 years for a later violation after a prior conviction.

License 2: the MHIC home improvement license

The Maryland Home Improvement Commission licenses and regulates home improvement contractors and salespersons. Home improvement covers alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building, or part of one, used as a residence, which includes replacing a home’s heating and cooling system. The Commission investigates homeowner complaints, awards damages against licensed contractors and prosecutes violators.

Key points from the Commission’s page:

Only MHIC-licensed contractors may contract with homeowners for home improvement work.
Subcontractors. Maryland eliminated the subcontractor license category on July 1, 2016. A subcontractor may work without an MHIC license only when working for an MHIC-licensed contractor.
Insurance. Since June 1, 2024, Maryland law requires home improvement contractors to carry general liability insurance of at least $500,000.
The Guaranty Fund. Licensed contractors pay into a fund that compensates homeowners for actual losses from poor workmanship or failure to perform a contract. A homeowner can recover up to the amount paid to the contractor, capped at $30,000. If total claims against one contractor exceed $250,000, awards are prorated. The Fund applies only to work by licensed contractors, which is one more reason to check before you sign.
Scope limits. Home improvement does not include work on commonly owned areas of condominiums or buildings with four or more single-family units.

Federal: EPA Section 608 certification

Separate from both state licenses, EPA rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants to be certified. Since January 1, 2018, that includes appliances using most substitute refrigerants, such as HFCs. Technicians earn certification by passing an EPA-approved test for the type of equipment they work on, and the credential does not expire. Every heat pump contains refrigerant, so whoever charges or repairs yours needs it.

If you are in Virginia or DC

The DMV crosses three licensing systems:

Virginia. The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation certifies HVAC tradesmen at journeyman and master levels, with a separate residential HVAC mechanic license for residential work only. Its Board for Contractors licenses businesses that build, repair or improve property owned by others, by class and specialty.
Washington DC. The DC Attorney General’s consumer alert says refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics need a trade-specific license, most home improvement work needs a District permit, and only licensed home improvement contractors may take payment before the work is finished.

For contractors

State which HVACR level and which MHIC license number apply, instead of a general “licensed and insured.” Informed customers and property managers increasingly check.
Do not let apprentices appear to work alone. The Board’s rule is that a licensed Master or Journey individual must be present on the jobsite.
For BEPS work in Montgomery County, be clear which license covers which part of the job; see Montgomery County BEPS.
If you contract work as a master, master restricted or limited contractor, keep the Board’s insurance requirement and MHIC’s $500,000 liability minimum current.

For homeowners and property managers

Before you sign:

Look up the MHIC license of the company named on the contract, using the Commission’s license status search.
Look up the HVACR license of the person who will do the installation, and its level, through the Board.
Ask for EPA 608 certification for any technician handling refrigerant.
Get the license numbers on the contract.
Confirm the permit, where your county requires one, is pulled by the licensed contractor.

Red flags worth stopping for

The contract names a company, but the MHIC search shows no active license for it, or for a different name.
The installer cannot tell you their HVACR license level, or the crew that shows up is all apprentices with no Master or Journey license holder on site.
You are asked to pay most of the price up front, before any work starts. Ask the MHIC what deposit rules apply before you agree.
The company offers to skip the permit to save money.
No one can produce EPA 608 certification for the technician charging the system.

Any one of these is a reason to pause and check. More than one is a reason to get another quote.

DMV Heat Pumps does not verify licenses for the companies in this directory. Every listing should be checked this way before you hire.

How to verify this yourself

Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors: main page and licensing requirements
Maryland Home Improvement Commission
EPA Section 608 Technician Certification
Virginia DPOR: Tradesmen and Board for Contractors

Tell us if a source changes. For the full hiring checklist, read how to choose a heat pump installer.