Mississippi’s commercial HVAC credential is the HVAC specialty classification held as a Certificate of Responsibility from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. PSI examines it in an open-book HVAC sitting of 80 questions in 4 hours at 70% to pass, together with the mandatory Mississippi Law and Business Management examination. Mississippi has no mandatory statewide code edition — the examinations are keyed to their listed references. The PassProfessor Mississippi HVAC Specialty Contractor program prepares candidates for those sittings and the commercial-track rules around them.
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What this credential certifies
Mississippi runs commercial contracting through the Certificate of Responsibility regime in Title 31, Chapter 3. A certificate is numbered and held by a contractor, issued by the Board after payment of the special privilege licence tax. The issuing authority is the Mississippi State Board of Contractors — a nine-member board created at Section 31-3-3, including one plumbing or heating and air conditioning contractor member — under its commercial-track rules at 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 802, with powers at Section 31-3-13(a) that include conducting standardised examinations and classifying the work a certificate covers.
Inside that system, a contractor is classified only for the work requested on the application and may not bid or perform work outside the classifications held. Work outside the major classifications — which include Mechanical Work and Electrical Work — requires a specialty classification, and HVAC is a specialty classification. PSI states its scope plainly: all aspects of heating and cooling including fuel gas systems and appliances as well as associated equipment and ductwork.
This program is that commercial specialty credential. Two neighbouring credentials are boundaries only: the Mechanical Work major classification, examined by a separate examination whose content is majority plumbing, and Residential HVAC, a separate residential-track classification examined on a different reference set.
The commercial threshold and the work it reaches
Title 31, Chapter 3 defines its contractor population by dollars. The definition excludes any contract or undertaking — prime, sub, or sub-sub, public or private — under fifty thousand dollars. Above that floor, contracting without a certificate is unlawful, and all bids over fifty thousand dollars must carry the contractor’s current certificate number on the outside of the bid envelope or container, or a statement that the bid did not exceed that figure. Knowingly bidding without a certificate is a misdemeanour, punishable by a fine of up to one thousand dollars, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
Two carve-outs move work out of the commercial track: a residential project occupied by fifty or fewer families and not more than three storeys is licensed under Title 73, Chapter 59 instead, and a commercial project not exceeding 7,500 square feet and not more than two storeys, undertaken by a person licensed under the residential chapter, is likewise excluded. Those edges decide which regime governs a job before any examination question is reached.
The examinations at a glance
| Item | Verified position |
|---|---|
| Program | Mississippi HVAC Specialty Contractor: the commercial HVAC specialty classification |
| Regulator | Mississippi State Board of Contractors |
| Credential | Certificate of Responsibility, commercial track, Title 31, Chapter 3 |
| Trade examination | HVAC — 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass, via PSI |
| Companion examination | Mississippi Law and Business Management — 50 questions, 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass, mandatory for all contractors |
| Code position | No mandatory statewide code edition; examinations keyed to listed references only |
| Administrator note | PassProfessor is independent and is not affiliated with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors |
Two sittings, not one
Every Mississippi commercial applicant sits two examinations. The trade sitting is the HVAC examination: 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass. The companion sitting is the Mississippi Law and Business Management examination: 50 questions, 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass, mandatory for all contractors. Trade examinations are also required unless the trade examination is waived through reciprocity — the Law and Business sitting is never waived by reciprocity.
The published counts are the scored counts. Separately, one to ten experimental items may be administered; they are not scored but count against examination time, and are never merged into the totals above.
Eligibility is determined by the Board: the Board notifies PSI of eligibility and PSI emails a confirmation notice, and scheduling is not allowed before that confirmation. The Board reviews applications weekly, and successful candidates receive the certificate approximately one week after Board approval. Scores appear immediately on screen, with a diagnostic report on a failure. The published standard is stated in one form: in order to pass the examinations, you must achieve a minimum score of 70%.
What the HVAC examination covers
The published outline sums to its 80 questions, and its shape tells a story about Mississippi’s view of the trade. Load Calculations carries 10, and Ducts carries 10 — design arithmetic and air distribution together are a quarter of the paper. Fuel Gas Systems carries 9 and LP Gas Systems 5, so fuel work in both forms is the second centre of gravity. Refrigerants and Refrigeration carries 6. The remaining blocks spread across the working system: Piping 4, A/C and Heat Pump Equipment 4, Furnaces and Heaters 4, Boilers and Hydronics 4, Safety 4, Heating and Cooling Principles 3, Hangers and Supports 3, Controls 3, Chimneys, Flues and Vents 3, Combustion Air 2, Evaporative Cooling 2, Insulation 1, Sound, Vibration and Seismic Control 1, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing 1, and Machine Room 1. A candidate strong on equipment but thin on load calculation and duct design is, on this outline, underprepared for the largest blocks on the paper.
The Law and Business outline is equally concrete — Licensing 5, Estimating and Bidding 7, Contracts 6, and the remaining blocks across financial, tax, labour, project, risk, and safety topics — referenced to the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Mississippi edition.
No statewide code edition — what that means for study
Mississippi has no mandatory statewide code edition. Local jurisdictions adopt their own editions, and the examinations key their listed references regardless of local adoption. The HVAC examination’s reference list includes the International Mechanical Code, 2021 and the International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 — as examination references only. They are never described in this program as an adopted Mississippi code, because no such statewide adoption exists in the sources for this credential. For this lane, the exam editions are the keying basis: candidates answer sitting questions from the listed references, and answer field questions from the edition the local jurisdiction governing the job has adopted.
The rest of the tested list is textbook-centred: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA); NFPA 58, 2020; HVAC Duct Construction Standards, Metal and Flexible, 2005, 3rd edition (SMACNA); Manual J, Eighth Full Edition; Manual N, Fifth Edition, 2008; Manual D, 2016; the ACCA Ductulator; and the Pipefitters Handbook, 3rd edition. One transition is time-bound: the 20th, 21st, or 22nd editions of Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning were accepted until August 1, 2026; from that date only the 22nd edition is used.
Open-book rules reward prepared books. References may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the session, and tabbed with permanent tabs only. References may not be written in: a candidate caught writing in references during the exam has them confiscated and is reported. No additional papers are allowed, and a silent, nonprinting, non-programmable calculator is permitted. For code questions, only the listed editions are the basis and only those editions enter the site; for other references, answers may be based on earlier or later editions at the candidate’s own risk. Where references conflict, a legal requirement overrides any other reference, and a state-specific legal requirement overrides a national one.
Who may qualify the firm: the qualifying party and the gates behind the application
Each company must designate a qualifying party — an owner, officer, executive staff member, or responsible managing employee — who takes the examinations, with proof of employment by W-2 or check stub. A qualifying party may serve no more than three entities without Board permission. If that person leaves, the company must notify the Board in writing immediately, and a successor must pass the required examinations within 90 days.
Behind the application sit financial and experience gates. A specialty applicant files a CPA-prepared reviewed or audited financial statement completed within the prior twelve months, shows net worth of at least twenty thousand dollars, furnishes general liability coverage of at least three hundred thousand dollars per occurrence and six hundred thousand dollars aggregate, and shows experience in the classifications requested — at least three jobs. No certificate or renewal issues until the applicant furnishes Mississippi tax identification numbers. False information terminates the certificate or application and bars reissuance for five years.
Timing runs on a six-month clock: applicants have six months from eligibility to take the examination, retests are unlimited within that window with a fee each time, and an applicant who does not pass within six months must reapply. Cancellation or rescheduling without forfeiting the fee requires notice two days before the date — voice mail is not acceptable — and a missed appointment or late cancellation forfeits the fee. Candidates bring one form of identification bearing signature and photograph, the name matching the application exactly, arriving thirty minutes early.
Fees, in four separate layers
Mississippi’s dollars are four distinct instruments, never merged here. At the vendor layer, PSI charges $120 for one portion and $240 for two portions in one registration, each registration, not refundable or transferable. At the Board layer, the commercial application fee is $400 including one classification, plus $100 per additional classification; applications not completed within 180 days are destroyed. At the statutory layer, $200 is paid at application and at renewal to the Construction Education Fund under Section 31-3-14(1). At the renewal layer, renewal is $400 per year, late renewal $450 including the fifty-dollar late fee, and a certificate expired 180 days or more requires a fresh application. While inactive, the annual renewal fee is still due, though insurance proof and a balance sheet are not required.
Holding the certificate: term, duties, and reciprocity
All original certificates and renewals expire one year from the date of issuance. A timely renewal application plus the privilege tax extends the current certificate until the Board renews or denies it, and the holder is under a duty to renew annually — the Board’s failure to notify does not excuse the holder. No continuing-education requirement for renewal of a commercial certificate was found in the sources pulled for this program, and that position is stated only in that form.
Two working duties deserve attention. A holder must disclose in writing, in boldfaced conspicuous type immediately before the contract’s signature space, whether the holder carries general liability insurance when signing a contract to perform work. The Board may revoke a certificate on a finding that the contractor or qualifying party is not responsible, or suspend pending investigation, only after a hearing on not less than ten days’ notice by certified or registered mail; it may also cite anyone performing work without a valid certificate.
Reciprocity waives the trade examination only. Every applicant must still take the Law and Business Management examination and meet every other Board requirement; proof runs through a Reciprocity Verification Form from the home-state board, and the waiver fee is $50 for each exam waived, non-refundable. The carve-outs are board-specific and must never be generalised — each agreement must be read on its own terms. Military-family and universal-recognition routes also appear on the applications, and recognition under them is not automatic. No practical component for these examinations is stated in the sources for this program.
What the PassProfessor program will cover
The commercial specialty sitting, whole. Practice follows the published HVAC outline block by block, with its weight on load calculation, ducts, and fuel gas in both forms, keyed to the listed references including the 2021 mechanical and fuel gas codes as examination references.
The state position, stated exactly. The program teaches Mississippi’s position as sourced: no mandatory statewide code edition, a commercial track and a residential track that never merge, a Mechanical Work major examination that is a boundary rather than a coverage claim, and four fee instruments kept in four layers.
Independence, stated plainly. PassProfessor is an independent preparation provider, not affiliated with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors or with PSI. Completing this program confers no certificate; the Board alone classifies applicants and issues Certificates of Responsibility, and candidates schedule through PSI only after Board eligibility is confirmed.
Tell me when enrollment opens. The Mississippi HVAC Specialty Contractor program is in the works and enrollment is not yet open. Leave an email address and PassProfessor will write to you when the program is ready — and only about this program. For the full route, outline study sequence, and reference discipline, read the companion guide: Mississippi HVAC Specialty Contractor Exam Guide.
Frequently asked questions
What credential does this program prepare for?
The HVAC specialty classification on Mississippi’s commercial track, held as a Certificate of Responsibility from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors.
How many examinations must a commercial HVAC applicant take?
Two: the HVAC trade examination — 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70% to pass — and the mandatory Mississippi Law and Business Management examination — 50 questions, 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass.
Does Mississippi have a statewide mechanical code edition?
No mandatory statewide code edition exists. Local jurisdictions adopt their own editions. The 2021 mechanical and fuel gas codes on the reference list are examination references only, not an adopted Mississippi code.
Who takes the examinations for a company?
The firm’s designated qualifying party — an owner, officer, executive staff member, or responsible managing employee — with proof of employment. A qualifying party may serve no more than three entities without Board permission.
What are the fees?
They sit in separate layers: PSI charges $120 per examination portion; the Board commercial application fee is $400 including one classification; the statutory Construction Education Fund fee is $200 at application and at renewal; and commercial renewal is $400 per year. No merged total replaces those instruments.
Does reciprocity excuse the Law and Business examination?
No. Reciprocity waives the trade examination only. Every applicant still takes the Mississippi Law and Business Management examination and meets every other Board requirement.
Is the Mechanical Contractor examination part of this program?
No. That examination serves the Mechanical Work major classification and is majority plumbing in content. It is a boundary for this program, not a coverage claim.
How long do I have to pass after becoming eligible?
Six months from the date of eligibility, with unlimited retests inside that window for a fee each time. An applicant who does not pass within six months must reapply with the Board.
Is PassProfessor affiliated with the Board or PSI?
No. PassProfessor is independent. The Board determines eligibility and issues certificates; PSI administers the sittings after Board confirmation.
When does enrollment open?
The program is in the works and enrollment is not yet open. Leave an email address on this page and PassProfessor will write to you when the program is ready — and only about this program.