HVAC Contractor Permit Requirements in Lewiston, ME

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. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. EPA Section 608 Certification (for refrigerants)

   Technicians who purchase, recover, or handle refrigerants must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Required by federal law regardless of state.

   Official government source

   $20–$100 (exam)·1–2 days

   $20–$100 (exam)

   1–2 days

1. Maine Fuel Board - Oil and Solid Fuel Burner Technician License

   Maine licenses fuel technicians individually through the Maine Fuel Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) - not the Plumbers' Examining Board - and there is no separate 'HVAC contractor' licence. A Journeyman Oil Burner and/or Solid Fuel Technician installs and services oil- or solid-fuel-burning equipment under a Master's indirect supervision; a Master may run the business. Propane and natural gas work requires a Propane and Natural Gas Technician licence. Federal EPA Section 608 certification is separately required to handle refrigerants, and pure air-conditioning and ductwork are not covered by any Maine state licence.

   Official government source

   $200 Master Oil and Solid Fuel Burner Technician, $100 Journeyman, $100 Propane and Natural Gas Technician or $40 Apprentice - each plus a $21 criminal background check fee on first application; renewal is the same licence amount biennially·Licences run two years from the date of first licensure; a $50 late fee applies after expiration, and reinstatement after 90 days costs the licence fee plus a $100 penalty

   $200 Master Oil and Solid Fuel Burner Technician, $100 Journeyman, $100 Propane and Natural Gas Technician or $40 Apprentice - each plus a $21 criminal background check fee on first application; renewal is the same licence amount biennially

   Licences run two years from the date of first licensure; a $50 late fee applies after expiration, and reinstatement after 90 days costs the licence fee plus a $100 penalty

2. City of Lewiston - Selective Business Licensing (City Clerk)

   Lewiston does not require a general business licence or registration, and licensing is run by the City Clerk's Department (207-513-3124), not the Finance Department. The Clerk licenses over 40 specific business types required by Maine statute or city ordinance - among them food service establishments, mobile units and roving diners, massage establishments and therapists, tattoo parlours, lodging houses, flea markets, pawnbrokers, peddlers, second-hand dealers, taxicab companies, junk collectors and adult businesses. Most other trades - cleaning, landscaping, handyman, photography, tutoring, pet sitting, notary, bookkeeping, real estate, insurance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contracting - are not licensed by the City at all. Most licensed types require inspection by the Fire, Code (Health) or Police departments before issue.

   Official government source

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.·File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.

   File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

3. Lewiston Mechanical Permit (per project)

   A mechanical permit must be obtained from the City of Lewiston Planning and Code Enforcement Department for each HVAC installation or major repair, and inspections are required on completion. Androscoggin County has no mechanical permit role - Lewiston's Permits page names only the City. Any associated electrical or plumbing work is permitted and priced separately.

   Official government source

   No fee - the City of Lewiston Mechanical Permit Application prints the permit fee as NONE. Associated electrical work is charged separately ($40-$70 residential, $50 commercial minimum) as is plumbing ($10 per fixture, $40 minimum). Confirm with Planning and Code Enforcement at 207-513-3125.·Submit the application to Planning and Code Enforcement; no work may start until the permit issues, and inspections are required on completion

   No fee - the City of Lewiston Mechanical Permit Application prints the permit fee as NONE. Associated electrical work is charged separately ($40-$70 residential, $50 commercial minimum) as is plumbing ($10 per fixture, $40 minimum). Confirm with Planning and Code Enforcement at 207-513-3125.

   Submit the application to Planning and Code Enforcement; no work may start until the permit issues, and inspections are required on completion

Official Sources

• Maine Plumbers Examining Board — Oil Burner Technician / HVAC Contractor License
• City of Lewiston Finance Department

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