HVAC Contractor Permit Requirements in Shreveport, LA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

2. EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (refrigerant handling)

   Section 608 of the federal Clean Air Act (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F) requires anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of appliances containing regulated refrigerants — and anyone who buys those refrigerants — to hold EPA Section 608 technician certification. There are four types: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure and very-high-pressure equipment), Type III (low-pressure equipment) and Universal (all three). HVAC contractors in Louisiana normally need Type II or Universal. Testing is given by EPA-approved certifying organizations, not by EPA itself; EPA does not review or approve any preparatory training materials.

   Official government source

   EPA neither charges nor publishes a fee. Each EPA-approved certifying organization sets its own test price, so the '$20-$100' figure has no official source — check the price with the program you choose from EPA's approved-programs list.·Not published by EPA. Timing depends on the certifying organization you use: Type I can be done by open-book mail-in test through some programs, while Type II, III and Universal require a proctored exam that must be scheduled. Certification issued by an approved program does not expire.

   EPA neither charges nor publishes a fee. Each EPA-approved certifying organization sets its own test price, so the '$20-$100' figure has no official source — check the price with the program you choose from EPA's approved-programs list.

   Not published by EPA. Timing depends on the certifying organization you use: Type I can be done by open-book mail-in test through some programs, while Type II, III and Universal require a proctored exam that must be scheduled. Certification issued by an approved program does not expire.

1. Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors — Mechanical/HVAC Contractor License

   HVAC contractors in Louisiana must be licensed by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC, 600 North Street, Baton Rouge; 225-765-2301) under the mechanical specialty. Mechanical work valued over $10,000 requires licensure (commercial projects generally at $50,000 or more), and proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance is required. The license is held by the company and supervised by a Qualifying Party who passes the trade exam. EPA Section 608 certification is separately required under federal law for refrigerant handling. Note the board's site moved from lslbc.louisiana.gov to lslbc.gov.

   Official government source

   Not published: LSLBC does not post a fee schedule on its public pages, so the '$200-$400 initial' figure is unverified. Confirm current application, exam and license fees with LSLBC at 225-765-2301 or through the online application portal.·Not published by the board; the '4-8 weeks' figure has no official source. Applications are approved at board meetings, so timing depends on the meeting calendar — confirm with LSLBC.

   Not published: LSLBC does not post a fee schedule on its public pages, so the '$200-$400 initial' figure is unverified. Confirm current application, exam and license fees with LSLBC at 225-765-2301 or through the online application portal.

   Not published by the board; the '4-8 weeks' figure has no official source. Applications are approved at board meetings, so timing depends on the meeting calendar — confirm with LSLBC.

2. City of Shreveport Revenue Division — Occupational License

   Shreveport requires an Occupational License for all businesses operating within city limits, administered by the Department of Finance (318-673-5500). A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained first. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.·Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.

   Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

3. City of Shreveport Mechanical (HVAC) Permit

   A mechanical permit is required for most HVAC installations, changeouts and major repairs. The City of Shreveport's Division of Permits and Inspections (505 Travis St., Suite 130; HVAC permits 318-673-6106) issues these permits for all of Caddo Parish except inside the town limits of Greenwood and Oil City. Apply online through mgoconnect.org (My Government Online). Before pulling permits, any contractor doing mechanical work in the jurisdiction must hold a City Registration, renewed annually with current liability insurance on file. HVAC subcontractors call in their own rough and final inspections, and all trade inspections must pass before the building framing inspection is called. Portable heating, ventilation and cooling units, portable evaporative coolers, minor part replacements, and self-contained refrigeration systems with 10 pounds or less of refrigerant or motors of 1 horsepower or less are exempt from permitting.

   Official government source

   Calculated from contract value under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1, not a flat per-project fee. Commercial repairs, alterations and renovations are $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price (rounded up to the next $1,000), with a $31.50 minimum permit fee; residential repairs, alterations and renovations are $4.20 per $1,000, same $31.50 minimum. Commercial new construction is $5.25 per $1,000 up to $5,000,000 and $2.63 per $1,000 thereafter, plus 25 percent of the permit fee for plan review. Each inspection is $68.25, and each reinspection is $68.25. Starting work without a permit costs double the permit fee plus a $100 penalty.·Not published as a fixed window. The city states that for simple projects with properly completed plans, application review can often be finished in one or two days; large or complex commercial projects must be submitted to the State Fire Marshal, which takes approximately three weeks. Permits issue once plans are approved and payment is made through MGO.

   Calculated from contract value under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1, not a flat per-project fee. Commercial repairs, alterations and renovations are $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price (rounded up to the next $1,000), with a $31.50 minimum permit fee; residential repairs, alterations and renovations are $4.20 per $1,000, same $31.50 minimum. Commercial new construction is $5.25 per $1,000 up to $5,000,000 and $2.63 per $1,000 thereafter, plus 25 percent of the permit fee for plan review. Each inspection is $68.25, and each reinspection is $68.25. Starting work without a permit costs double the permit fee plus a $100 penalty.

   Not published as a fixed window. The city states that for simple projects with properly completed plans, application review can often be finished in one or two days; large or complex commercial projects must be submitted to the State Fire Marshal, which takes approximately three weeks. Permits issue once plans are approved and payment is made through MGO.

Official Sources

• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors — Mechanical/HVAC Contractor License
• City of Shreveport Revenue Division
• EPA Section 608 Certification

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