Since January 1, 2023, the federal government has set different minimum efficiency rules for central air conditioners depending on where in the country they get installed. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) split the country into three regions: North, Southeast and Southwest. An air conditioner that is perfectly legal to put in a house in Ohio can be illegal to install in Georgia or Arizona.
That catches a lot of people off guard, so here is how it works, which states fall where, and what it means when you shop with us.
The short version
Heat pumps have one national minimum. Split-system central air conditioners have regional minimums, and the Southeast and Southwest require more than the North does. The Southwest adds a second rating, EER2, on top of SEER2.
The numbers are written in SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2. Those are the newer ratings that came with an updated DOE test procedure in 2023. They run a little lower than the old SEER, EER and HSPF numbers for the same equipment, so compare SEER2 to SEER2 and don’t mix the two.
Minimums for split systems by region
| Equipment | North | Southeast | Southwest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split AC, under 45,000 BTU/h | 13.4 SEER2 | 14.3 SEER2 | 14.3 SEER2, plus 11.7 EER2 (9.8 EER2 if the system is rated 15.2 SEER2 or higher) |
| Split AC, 45,000 BTU/h and up | 13.4 SEER2 | 13.8 SEER2 | 13.8 SEER2, plus 11.2 EER2 (9.8 EER2 if rated 15.2 SEER2 or higher) |
| Split heat pump, any size | 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2 | 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2 | 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2 |
| Single-package AC (5 tons and under) | 13.4 SEER2 | 13.4 SEER2 | 13.4 SEER2 / 10.6 EER2 |
| Single-package heat pump (5 tons and under) | 13.4 SEER2 / 6.7 HSPF2 | 13.4 SEER2 / 6.7 HSPF2 | 13.4 SEER2 / 6.7 HSPF2 |
45,000 BTU/h falls between 3.5 and 4 tons. So in practice, a 4 or 5 ton split AC in the Southeast needs 13.8 SEER2, and anything 3.5 tons or smaller needs 14.3 SEER2.
Which states are in which region
| Region | States |
|---|---|
| North | Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Southeast | Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia |
| Southwest | Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico |
Some of these surprise people. Missouri, Kansas and West Virginia are North. Delaware, Maryland and Kentucky are Southeast. Hawaii counts as Southeast too.
What “Northern states only” means on a product
A split air conditioner rated at 13.4 SEER2 (and under 14.3) meets the North minimum and nothing else. Federal law only allows it to be installed in a North state. You’ll see some of our product cards marked “Northern states only” for exactly this reason.
If you live in the North, these units are a legitimate, legal option and usually the most budget-friendly way to get central air. If you live in the Southeast or Southwest, they aren’t an option for you at all, even if the price looks good and even if a friend up north just put one in.
Goodman builds the region right into the model number. On their current R-32 outdoor units, one letter tells you the region: N means North, S means Southeast and North, and A means all regions. Our guide on how to read an AC model number shows where that letter sits.
Our checkout won’t let you buy the wrong one
We set our checkout to block split-system equipment that can’t legally be installed in your DOE region, based on where you’re having it shipped. If you add a North-only condenser to your cart and ship to a Southeast or Southwest address, checkout will stop you.
That isn’t us being difficult. Your installer can’t legally put it in, and we’d rather catch it before it ships than have a freight truck show up with a unit that has to go back.
If you’re buying for a property in a different state than your shipping address, call us before you order and we’ll sort it out with you.
Why the installation date matters in the South
The DOE enforces the rules a little differently by region.
In the North, compliance is based on when the unit was manufactured. A unit built before 2023 that met the old rules can still be installed.
In the Southeast and Southwest, compliance for split air conditioners is based on the installation date. The DOE counts a system as installed when the refrigerant lines or electrical are connected and it can run. Anything installed in those regions on or after January 1, 2023 has to meet the 2023 regional standard, no matter when it was built or bought.
It’s the whole system, not just the condenser
A split AC’s SEER2 rating belongs to a specific combination: the outdoor unit plus the indoor coil, and sometimes the furnace or air handler blower. The same condenser can land above or below a regional minimum depending on what it’s paired with. That’s especially true in the Southeast and Southwest, where a mismatched indoor coil can drop a system under the line.
This is the main reason we push matched systems. Every system in our system selector is a listed combination, so the rating you see is the rating you get. If you’d rather pick your own parts, build your system keeps the pieces compatible.
What about heat pumps?
Heat pumps don’t have regional cooling rules. Every split heat pump sold for installation anywhere in the U.S. has to hit at least 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. That is one reason a heat pump can make sense in the South even for people who mostly care about cooling. Our guide on what a heat pump is covers the rest.
Common questions
Can I install a 13.4 SEER2 air conditioner in Georgia?
No. Georgia is in the Southeast region, where a new split air conditioner needs at least 14.3 SEER2 (13.8 SEER2 for 45,000 BTU/h and larger). A 13.4 SEER2 unit is only legal to install in North states.
Do furnaces have regional rules too?
These 2023 regional standards cover central air conditioners. Heat pumps follow one national standard. Gas furnaces are covered by their own separate federal rules, not by these regions.
Why does Southwest equipment need an EER2 rating?
EER2 measures efficiency at a single hot outdoor condition rather than across a whole season. The Southwest spends a lot of hours in extreme heat, so the DOE added an EER2 minimum there on top of SEER2.
What happens if I order equipment that isn’t allowed in my state?
Our checkout blocks split-system equipment that doesn’t meet the rules for the DOE region you’re shipping to. If you think it flagged something by mistake, or the install address is different from the ship-to address, give us a call.
Not sure what’s allowed where you live? Call us at (877) 843-4822 and we’ll check it with you, or start with the system selector.