TL;DR: To verify a Florida HVAC license, search the contractor’s license number at MyFloridaLicense.com. Confirm the status is current and active, the license type covers AC work, and the license holder qualifies the business on your estimate. Florida treats contractors working on an inactive or suspended license as unlicensed, and unlicensed contracting during a declared state of emergency is a felony, so check before you sign or pay.
To verify a Florida HVAC license, go to MyFloridaLicense.com, click Verify a License and search the contractor’s license number. Then check three things. The status should be current and active, the license type should cover air conditioning work, and the name should match the company on your estimate. It takes about five minutes.
Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) licenses AC contractors. In Tavares and the rest of Lake County, the AC runs most of the year. A five-minute check protects one of the most expensive systems in your home. This is how we’d walk a neighbor through it.
How do you verify a Florida HVAC license, step by step?
You look up the license number in the state’s free database, read the record, and then make sure the person who holds the license actually qualifies the business you’re hiring.
What you need first
- The contractor’s license number, in writing (on the estimate, website or contract)
- The exact business name on your estimate
- The name of the person who holds the license (just ask the company)
- A phone or computer and about five minutes
- Get the license number. A licensed AC contractor should give it to you right away. DBPR says you can search by license number, the contractor’s name or the business name.
- Open the state search. Go to MyFloridaLicense.com and click Verify a License. DBPR also has a free mobile app that runs the same search.
- Search by license number. This is the most exact way to search. If you search by business name, you may get a list of companies with similar names.
- Read the record. Check the licensee’s name, the business tied to the license, the license type, the status and the expiration date. You want a current, active air conditioning license.
- Search the license holder by name. In Florida, every construction business has to be qualified by a licensed person. DBPR suggests running the search again with that person’s name to make sure they qualify the business you’re hiring.
- Look for complaints or discipline. If anything is listed on the record, open it and read it. One old issue may not rule a company out, but a pattern is worth asking about.
- Confirm the permit for installs. For a new system, ask which license the permit will be pulled under and get the permit number. Your building department can confirm it. Our guide on why a new AC installation in Florida needs a permit explains what that permit protects.
What do Florida’s AC license classes mean for your job?
Florida law has three classes of air conditioning contractor: Class A, Class B and Class C. Each one allows a different scope of work. The definitions are in Section 489.105, Florida Statutes.
| License type | What Florida law allows | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Class A air-conditioning contractor | Installing, maintaining, repairing and designing central AC, heating and ventilating systems, with no size limit | Homes and commercial buildings of any size |
| Class B air-conditioning contractor | The same kind of work, limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system | Most homes and many smaller businesses |
| Class C air-conditioning contractor | Limited to servicing AC, heating and refrigeration systems | Service and repair work, not designing or installing full new systems |
| No state AC license | No authority to contract AC work | Nothing on your AC system |
Home systems are usually only a few tons, so a Class A or Class B license normally covers a home replacement. For a big commercial job, look more closely at the license class.
Why does a license check matter so much in Central Florida?
A license gives you protection and a place to turn if something goes wrong. Hurricane season also brings unlicensed crews into our area.
Under Section 489.127, Florida Statutes, a contractor working on an inactive or suspended license is treated as unlicensed. A first offense of unlicensed contracting is a first-degree misdemeanor. During a state of emergency declared by the Governor, it becomes a third-degree felony. Storm damage is the reason that rule exists. After a hurricane, homeowners from Grand Island to Astor may see unfamiliar trucks knocking on doors and offering quick AC replacements.
A licensed contractor also answers to the state. DBPR can discipline a licensed contractor and even revoke the license. If the person was never licensed, you don’t have that option.
Which building department handles your permit depends on where you live. Zellwood, for example, is in Orange County, not Lake County, so its permits go through a different office.
What mistakes do homeowners make when checking a license?
The biggest mistake is skipping the check because the truck, uniform and business card look professional.
- Trusting the card. DBPR’s consumer guidance says a business card or a nice truck proves nothing. Only a license lookup does.
- Checking only the business name. Make sure a licensed person qualifies that business, not just that the name looks familiar.
- Skipping the status line. A real license number can still be inactive or suspended.
- Not matching the license type to the job. A Class C license is limited to servicing, so it doesn’t fit a full system replacement.
- Checking after paying the deposit. Verify before you sign or pay anything.
- Assuming a license means insurance. Ask for a current certificate of insurance as a separate step.
What red flags should make you stop and call someone else?
If you see any of these, stop before you sign anything.
- The contractor won’t give you a license number or avoids the question.
- The number on the estimate belongs to a different person or company.
- They say a full system replacement doesn’t need a permit, or they ask you to pull it yourself.
- They show up uninvited after a storm and want a big cash deposit that day.
- The record shows an inactive, suspended or expired status.
You can report suspected unlicensed work to DBPR’s Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 866-532-1440. The license is only one part of hiring well. For the rest, see how to choose an HVAC contractor in Florida.
Why is Lucas Air Conditioning and Heating a good company to check out?
We’d rather you verify us than take our word for it. Here are the facts about Lucas Air Conditioning and Heating, LLC.
- Our Florida license is CAC1819409, and you can look it up on MyFloridaLicense.com.
- Our office is at 15800 Old US Hwy 441 in Tavares.
- Cameron Lucas founded the company in early 2018 after serving 8 years in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne Division.
- We pull a permit on every installation.
- New systems start at $7,500 and include the permit, a one-year labor guarantee and a ten-year manufacturer’s parts warranty.
- We have a 5.0-star Google rating from more than 1,000 reviews.
- At the Colonial Pines apartment complex in Tavares, we replaced 30 split systems and installed 2 ductless units in 10 working days.
You can read more about our HVAC contractor services in Tavares, FL.
Look us up first. Then call (352) 805-0359 or book an estimate online. Estimates on new systems are free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check a Florida contractor license without a computer?
Yes. DBPR has a free mobile app for license lookups, and it has also listed a phone line for license verification at 850-487-1395.
Does every technician who comes to my house need his own contractor license?
No. In Florida, the contractor license belongs to the licensed person who qualifies the business. Make sure the company sending the technician is properly licensed and that the license holder qualifies that company.
What should I do if I already hired someone who turns out to be unlicensed?
Stop making payments and keep copies of the contract, receipts and photos of the work. Report it to DBPR’s Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 866-532-1440, then call your building department to ask about the permit.
How often should I re-check a contractor’s license?
Check it before every new contract, even with a company you’ve used before. A license’s status can change between jobs, so a quick lookup each time is worth it.
Recommended Reads
- Why Your New AC Installation in Florida Requires a Permit — and What Happens If It Doesn’t
- How Your HVAC System Affects Indoor Air Quality — and Your Family’s Allergies
- Is an HVAC Maintenance Plan Worth It? A Florida Cost Breakdown
