Arizona Carpentry Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Arizona licenses commercial carpentry as C-7, residential carpentry as R-7, and both scopes as CR-7 through the Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC). Those classes cover rough and finish carpentry, hardware, millwork, metal studs, metal doors or frames, and windows. Finish Carpentry (C-60/R-60/CR-60) and Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs (C-61/R-61/CR-61) are distinct scopes. The limited unlicensed exemption is only for qualifying casual or minor work below $1,000 that needs no local building permit.

Regulatory Body

Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 10; A.A.C. R4-9. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. AZ ROC issues statewide commercial, residential, and dual carpentry contractor licenses and regulates contractor conduct.

Official portal: https://roc.az.gov/license-classifications
Address: 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (877) 692-9762

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. Arizona does not impose a residency requirement. LLCs and corporations must be registered with and remain in good standing with the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Good moral character

All people named on the license must meet the contractor-law requirements regarding conduct and prior licensure.

Background investigation

AZ ROC requires a background check for every person named on the application; background checks expire 90 days after completion.

Experience and Education

Eligibility requires 4 years of AZ ROC’s current classification requirements table lists four years of hands-on and/or managerial experience for C-7 Carpentry. The qualifying party’s experience must match the classification sought., documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

AZ ROC license application and qualifying-party experience information
Training and work-history documentation if requested by AZ ROC

Education substitution

Consult AZ ROC’s current classification requirements and application instructions for allowable training credit.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: GMetrix for the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE); PSI for the C-7 trade examination. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%
C-7 Carpentry trade examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $61 for the online SRE and $66 for the PSI trade examination.

Retake policy: Use PSI’s current Arizona Candidate Information Bulletin for examination content, scheduling, and retest rules. Results must be no more than two years old when applying.

Insurance and Bonds

The AZ ROC requires a $2,500 contractor license surety bond to be on file before the license will issue.

General liability

AZ ROC does not publish a state general-liability minimum for these carpentry classifications. Project contracts or local rules may impose separate insurance requirements.

Workers' compensation

Applicants attest to workers’ compensation compliance and provide policy or self-insurance information when coverage is required.

Additional financial requirements

A bond or cash deposit is required. C-7 specialty-commercial bonds range from $2,500 to $50,000 by annual volume. R-7 specialty-residential bonds are $4,250 below $375,000 volume and $7,500 at $375,000 or more. CR-7 dual bonds combine the applicable commercial and residential amounts.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$100
Examination	$66
Initial license	$580
Renewal (every 2 years)	$480

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Arizona carpentry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Renewal of the Arizona Carpentry Contractor (C-7, R-7, or CR-7) comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $480. Renew every two years and keep the required bond or cash deposit in force. Listed renewal fees are C-7 $480, R-7 $540, and CR-7 $650.

Continuing education: AZ ROC does not publish a general continuing-education requirement for these carpentry classifications.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Arizona Carpentry License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Arizona for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Arizona has no direct reciprocity. The Registrar may consider an out-of-state trade-exam and experience waiver for a qualifying party who held a comparable license obtained through trade examination in the prior five years. The Arizona SRE remains required unless the separate in-state qualifying-party waiver applies.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Carpentry license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Carpentry Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Arizona's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

California Carpentry License Requirements — California Class C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry / C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry
Colorado Carpentry License Requirements — Colorado Carpentry Requirements — Local Building-Contractor Credentials
Nevada Carpentry License Requirements — Nevada C-3 Carpentry, Maintenance and Minor Repairs Contractor License
New Mexico Carpentry License Requirements — New Mexico GB-2 Residential, GB-98 General Building, or Applicable Specialty Classification
Utah Carpentry License Requirements — Utah S220 Carpentry & Flooring Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Select the correct carpentry scope. Choose C-7 commercial, R-7 residential, or CR-7 dual; use C/R/CR-60 or -61 only when their narrower scopes match the intended work.
Designate the qualifying party. Document the four years of current hands-on and/or managerial C-7 carpentry experience.
Form the license-holding business. A sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation may apply. LLCs/corporations must be in good standing with the Corporation Commission.
Pass SRE and trade examinations. Complete the Arizona SRE and C-7 trade examination at 70%, unless the ROC approves an eligible waiver.
Complete background checks and bonding. File current background checks for all named people and post the classification/volume-appropriate bond or cash deposit.
Pay the applicable license fees. C-7 new-license fees are $580; R-7 $720 including Recovery Fund; CR-7 $850 including Recovery Fund.
Obtain project approvals. The state license does not replace local permits, inspections, code compliance, or any federal project-specific requirements.

Application Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with AZ ROC:

Choose C-7 commercial, R-7 residential, or CR-7 dual
Designate a qualifying party with four years of required carpentry experience
Complete SRE and C-7 trade exam at 70%+
Submit current background checks for all named persons
Post the required bond
Pay license and applicable Recovery Fund fees
Confirm local permits, inspections, and project-specific requirements

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a Arizona Carpentry application.

Using C-9 or R-9 for carpentry

C-9/R-9 are Concrete classifications. Carpentry is C-7/R-7/CR-7.

Assuming C-7 covers every remodeling project

Finish Carpentry and Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs have separate scopes and limits.

Claiming reciprocity

Arizona has no direct state reciprocity; use the Board’s current waiver process if eligible.

Using a residential bond for commercial work

Commercial, residential, and dual specialty classes use different bond frameworks.

Treating the ROC license as the project permit

Local permits, inspections, code compliance, and project-specific safety obligations remain separate.

Study and Reference Materials

The references below are either cited by the board, used during the application, or standard preparation for the trade. They are listed purely for convenience — CLR earns no commission on any of them.

Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course — AZ ROC / GMetrix. Arizona-specific training and examination.
PSI Arizona Candidate Information Bulletin — PSI. Use the current bulletin for C-7 trade exam content, references, and retest rules.
AZ ROC license classifications — AZ ROC. Confirm whether C/R/CR-7, -60, or -61 matches the exact work.

Other Arizona Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Arizona trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arizona license covers carpentry?

C-7 is commercial Carpentry, R-7 residential Carpentry, and CR-7 is dual. Arizona also has separate Finish Carpentry and Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs classes with their own scopes.

What does C-7 cover?

The current ROC scope includes rough and finish carpentry, hardware, millwork, metal studs, metal doors or frames, and windows.

How much experience is required?

ROC’s current C-7 table lists four years of hands-on and/or managerial experience.

What bond is required?

C-7 specialty-commercial bonds range from $2,500 to $50,000 by volume. R-7 specialty-residential bonds are $4,250 or $7,500; CR-7 combines applicable amounts.

Can I transfer an out-of-state carpentry license?

Arizona has no direct reciprocity. An eligible qualifying party can request the ROC’s out-of-state waiver process.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.