General information, not legal advice. The NSW Government’s licence pages, linked at the foot of this page, are the official place to check, and Building Commission NSW is the contact for help with a licence application.
What counts as air conditioning work
NSW defines air conditioning and refrigeration work in Schedule 4 of the Home Building Regulation 2014. Air conditioning work is the work needed to install, maintain and service an air conditioning system in a building or other structure, a vessel, a container or a railway vehicle, together with the associated electrical wiring work.
Two things sit outside it. The definition leaves out a self-contained, single-phase, plug-in home unit, such as the portable air conditioners people use at home. And NSW says no licence is needed for duct work outside a dwelling.
The refrigerant is covered by a different licence again, under national rules: it is an offence for anyone other than a licensed technician to handle fluorocarbon refrigerants.
The electrical side of the job
An air conditioning and refrigeration licence also allows electrical wiring work that relates to the general servicing and maintenance of the systems. NSW lists that work as:
- testing and diagnosing problems in control and power circuits, electrical equipment and electrical motors
- disconnecting and reconnecting electrical components designed to be permanently connected
- replacing electrical components on the load side of the mains supply
- repairing and adjusting electrical components, in line with normal trade practice
- repairing, replacing or making good cable terminations or defective wiring
- minor changes to electrical wiring.
To do that work, NSW says a person must hold an air conditioning, refrigeration or electrical licence.
Electrical work beyond that list falls under the general NSW rule, which needs an electrical licence or certificate for any electrical wiring work, residential, commercial or industrial, whatever the job costs. There is also a narrower certificate. A qualified supervisor certificate covers straightforward work to disconnect or reconnect fixed electrical equipment, meaning hard-wired appliances, motors and water heaters, and each certificate carries an endorsement for appliances, motors or hot water heaters.
A condition worth asking about
Not every air conditioning and refrigeration licence covers the electrical side. NSW’s licence page describes licences and certificates that carry a condition restricting the associated electrical work, worded on the page as “excluding the associated electrical work”. A holder can apply to have it removed by showing they have completed the required electrical modules.
So when an installer quotes for a job that includes connecting the unit, it is reasonable to ask whether their licence carries that condition, and to check the licence itself on the register.
The licence types
Which type a person holds depends on whether they contract to do the work, supervise it, do it, or a combination of these.
| Licence type | How long it is issued for |
|---|---|
| Individual contractor licence | 1, 3 or 5 years |
| Company or partnership contractor licence | 1, 3 or 5 years |
| Qualified supervisor certificate | 1, 3 or 5 years |
| Provisional tradesperson certificate | 3 years, and it cannot be renewed |
To apply, a person needs one of the listed qualifications, such as a Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, plus one set of mandatory electrical modules, and individuals must also supply a National Police Check. Apprentices and trainees cannot be issued a licence or certificate; once they finish, they apply for a contractor licence if they intend to do, or contract for, the work. Air conditioning and refrigeration is included in the NSW Automatic Mutual Recognition scheme, and NSW has a separate page for people licensed interstate or in New Zealand.
Unlicensed work
NSW says doing air conditioning and refrigeration work without a licence or certificate breaches the Home Building Act 1989. As at 8 October 2026, the same page says unlicensed electrical work can attract a fine of $22,000 for an individual, or $110,000 for a company.
Checking a licence
NSW suggests checking that a tradesperson holds a valid licence on the NSW Government’s Contractor and Tradespeople Register. For electrical work, NSW Fair Trading suggests asking to see an electrical contractor’s licence or doing a licence check on its website. Complaints about unlicensed work or licensing matters may be referred to Building Commission NSW.
For the order an installation follows once you have chosen someone, see from quote to installation in NSW. If the job is a replacement under the state’s discount, see NSW energy schemes for air conditioners.
Before work starts, ask the installer to show you their air conditioning and refrigeration licence.