New Hampshire HVAC & Appliance Repair Insurance Requirements (2026)
HVAC Contractors
New Hampshire does not license general HVAC/air-conditioning/refrigeration contractors at the state level -- there is no statewide 'HVAC contractor' license or exam. The state's Board of Mechanical Safety and Licensing (RSA 153, administered by OPLC) licenses only a narrow set of adjacent trades: fuel gas piping installer, fuel gas installation technician, fuel gas service technician, domestic appliance technician (gas appliances only -- see applianceRepair), hearth system installation/service technician, and master plumber. In practice this means installing or servicing a gas furnace or gas-fired boiler requires a state fuel-gas license, but installing/servicing central air conditioning, heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, or other electric HVAC equipment does not require any state credential. Some municipalities (e.g., Manchester, Nashua) require their own local HVAC licenses.
Appliance Repair
Domestic Appliance Technician (RSA 153:27) -- limited to installation, service, and repair of liquefied-propane or natural-gas domestic appliances: residential clothes dryers and their venting, stovetops/cook stoves/ranges and their venting, and outdoor cooking equipment and pool heaters. Repair of electric appliances (refrigerators, electric dryers, dishwashers, washing machines, electric ranges) is NOT covered by this or any other New Hampshire state license.
NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification -- Board of Mechanical Safety and LicensingGeneral LiabilityConditional
Minimums: No specific dollar minimum set by statute
Condition: Business entity applicants (corporations, partnerships, LLCs) seeking a mechanical business-entity license that includes a Domestic Appliance Technician; individual sole-proprietor licensees are not subject to this statutory requirement
A business entity whose mechanical license includes a Domestic Appliance Technician must provide proof of liability insurance to the state prior to issuance and renewal of the business entity license.[1]
Workers' Compensation Threshold
New Hampshire requires every employer with any employees, full- or part-time, to carry workers' compensation insurance (RSA 281-A:5) -- there is no minimum employee-count threshold for ordinary employees. Sole proprietors, partners, and self-employed persons are only included in the definition of 'employee' if they affirmatively elect coverage (RSA 281-A:2, VI(a)), i.e. they are not required to cover themselves by default, and a corporation or LLC may elect to exclude up to 3 executive officers/members from mandatory coverage (RSA 281-A:18-a) -- but once a business has any employee beyond those excluded owners, or a 4th executive officer/member, coverage becomes mandatory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New Hampshire require insurance for HVAC contractors?▾
New Hampshire does not license general HVAC/air-conditioning/refrigeration contractors at the state level -- there is no statewide 'HVAC contractor' license or exam. The state's Board of Mechanical Safety and Licensing (RSA 153, administered by OPLC) licenses only a narrow set of adjacent trades: fuel gas piping installer, fuel gas installation technician, fuel gas service technician, domestic appliance technician (gas appliances only -- see applianceRepair), hearth system installation/service technician, and master plumber. In practice this means installing or servicing a gas furnace or gas-fired boiler requires a state fuel-gas license, but installing/servicing central air conditioning, heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, or other electric HVAC equipment does not require any state credential. Some municipalities (e.g., Manchester, Nashua) require their own local HVAC licenses.
How much liability insurance does an HVAC contractor need in New Hampshire?▾
For the Fuel Gas Installation/Service Technician & Fuel Gas Piping Installer (RSA 153) -- covers installation, piping, and service of gas-fired heating equipment and gas appliances only; central air conditioning, refrigeration, heat pumps, and other electric HVAC equipment are NOT covered by any state license, the required minimum is No specific dollar minimum set by statute. This applies when: Business entity applicants (corporations, partnerships, LLCs) seeking a mechanical business-entity license; individual sole-proprietor licensees are not subject to this statutory requirement.
Do appliance repair businesses need a license or insurance in New Hampshire?▾
Domestic Appliance Technician (RSA 153:27) -- limited to installation, service, and repair of liquefied-propane or natural-gas domestic appliances: residential clothes dryers and their venting, stovetops/cook stoves/ranges and their venting, and outdoor cooking equipment and pool heaters. Repair of electric appliances (refrigerators, electric dryers, dishwashers, washing machines, electric ranges) is NOT covered by this or any other New Hampshire state license. (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification -- Board of Mechanical Safety and Licensing) requires general liability insurance.
When is workers' compensation insurance required in New Hampshire?▾
New Hampshire requires every employer with any employees, full- or part-time, to carry workers' compensation insurance (RSA 281-A:5) -- there is no minimum employee-count threshold for ordinary employees. Sole proprietors, partners, and self-employed persons are only included in the definition of 'employee' if they affirmatively elect coverage (RSA 281-A:2, VI(a)), i.e. they are not required to cover themselves by default, and a corporation or LLC may elect to exclude up to 3 executive officers/members from mandatory coverage (RSA 281-A:18-a) -- but once a business has any employee beyond those excluded owners, or a 4th executive officer/member, coverage becomes mandatory.
Sources
- New Hampshire General Court (Office of Legislative Services) — RSA 281-A:5 -- Securing Compensation to Employees, accessed 2026-07-15
- New Hampshire General Court (Office of Legislative Services) — RSA 281-A:2, VI(a) -- Definitions ('employee' includes self-employed persons only if they elect coverage), accessed 2026-07-15
- New Hampshire General Court (Office of Legislative Services) — RSA 281-A:18-a -- Exclusion of executive officers/LLC members from coverage, accessed 2026-07-15
- New Hampshire General Court (Office of Legislative Services) — RSA 153:29-a -- Mechanical License; Business Entities, accessed 2026-07-15
Last verified 2026-07-15. Spot something inaccurate? Report an inaccuracy.