Arizona Plumbing Contractor License Requirements (2026)

The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licenses plumbing contracting businesses statewide under Title 32, Chapter 10. The current classification materials include C-37 Plumbing for commercial work and CR-37 Plumbing for combined commercial/residential work; ROC also lists residential plumbing classifications, including R-37 Plumbing Including Solar and legacy R-37R plumbing scopes. Arizona does not issue a statewide journeyman or master plumber license through ROC. A business license must have a qualifying party who meets the classification requirements.

Regulatory Body

Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 32 Chapter 10; Arizona Administrative Code Title 4 Chapter 9. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. AZ ROC licenses residential, commercial, and dual contractors statewide, administers the Residential Contractors Recovery Fund, and conducts complaint investigations and disciplinary proceedings.

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

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. Arizona does not impose a state residency requirement. A corporation or LLC must be registered and in good standing with the Arizona Corporation Commission before applying and renewing.

Good moral character

Every person named on a license must meet the conduct requirements in A.R.S. §32-1122. An applicant generally may not have had a license denied, refused, or revoked in the preceding year, subject to the Registrar’s statutory discretion.

Background investigation

ROC’s current application checklist requires a background check for every person named on the application through its vendor. The Registrar also has statutory fingerprint authority.

Experience and Education

At least 4 years of The qualifying party needs four years of practical or management experience in the specific trade or its equivalent, with at least two years in the preceding ten years. ROC’s classification-requirements document lists four years for CR-37 Plumbing. has to be evidenced and confirmed. Retain payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records, since the board may audit the experience claimed.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

ROC application and qualifying-party information
Experience documentation required by ROC for the classification
Trade-exam results or an approved ROC waiver request, if applicable

Education substitution

Accredited college/university or manufacturer-accredited technical training may substitute for part of the experience, but credited training may not exceed two of the four years.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Arizona ROC Statutes and Rules training/exam through GMetrix; trade examination through PSI, unless ROC approves a waiver.. 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 Examination (SRE) — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
C-37 / CR-37 Plumbing (Commercial) trade examination — 100 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $61 for the SRE paid to GMetrix, plus $66 for a PSI trade-specific examination.

Retake policy: Trade and SRE results must be no more than two years old when the application is filed. Confirm PSI/GMetrix retake scheduling with the current candidate bulletin.

Insurance and Bonds

There is no statewide surety bond tied to this credential in the cited record. Bonding can still surface at the project level — permit, license, or public-works bonds — so check before you bid.

General liability

ROC requires the statutory contractor bond or cash alternative. ROC does not publish a separate statewide general-liability minimum for this classification.

Workers' compensation

Applicants and licensees must comply with Arizona workers’ compensation law. ROC requires the policy number or proof of self-insurance when coverage is required; its renewal checklist says licensees with employees must provide the policy information or select the applicable exemption.

Additional financial requirements

The bond depends on classification and contemplated annual Arizona gross volume. Entry-level amounts are $2,500 for commercial specialty work and $4,250 for residential specialty work; a dual license combines the commercial and residential bond amounts. Residential and dual licenses also have a Residential Recovery Fund assessment or a $200,000 alternative bond.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$100
Examination	$127
Initial license	$480
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 plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Arizona Plumbing Contractor — C-37 Commercial / CR-37 Dual / Residential Plumbing Classifications must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $480. The structured $480 fee is the current commercial-specialty renewal license fee. Renewal amounts differ for residential and dual classifications because they include the Residential Recovery Fund assessment. If a license is not renewed, it is suspended the next business day after the renewal date; it may be reactivated within one year by filing the renewal materials and paying the renewal fee plus $50.

Continuing education: ROC’s current contractor renewal checklist does not list continuing education for C-37/CR-37 plumbing licenses.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Arizona grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

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

Arizona does not have direct contractor-license reciprocity with specific states. ROC may review an out-of-state waiver of the trade examination and experience when the qualifying party held a comparable license within the preceding five years that was obtained by trade examination. The Arizona SRE is not waived for an out-of-state license alone.

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

Plumber 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 Plumber License Requirements — California Class C-36 — Plumbing Contractor
Colorado Plumber License Requirements — Colorado Master, Journeyworker, Residential, and Apprentice Plumber — State Plumbing Board
Nevada Plumber License Requirements — Nevada C-1 Plumbing and Heating Contractor
New Mexico Plumber License Requirements — New Mexico MM-1 Plumbing Contractor and JP Journeyman Plumber
Utah Plumber License Requirements — Utah Master Plumber License and P200 Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Select the ROC plumbing classification. Choose the commercial, residential, or dual classification that fits the work. C-37 is commercial plumbing; CR-37 combines C-37 with the listed R-37R residential plumbing scope. Confirm the current residential classification where solar scope is needed.
Designate a qualifying party. The business must have a regularly employed qualifying party with the practical or management experience, knowledge, and skills for the requested classification.
Complete the required examinations or request a waiver. Complete the Arizona SRE and the applicable PSI trade examination, unless ROC grants a waiver. Submit results that are no more than two years old.
Gather the ROC application materials. Submit the business application, current background checks for every named person, government identification, qualifying-party materials, and any required disclosures.
File the bond and pay class-specific fees. File a bond matching the classification and planned Arizona annual volume. Residential and dual licenses also require the Recovery Fund assessment unless the alternative financial protection is used.
Renew before the listed renewal date. Keep the bond, business standing, and workers’ compensation information current and renew with the applicable fee. A license suspends by operation of law on the next business day after its renewal date if not renewed.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to AZ ROC, confirm every item on this short list:

Correct C-37, CR-37, or current residential plumbing classification
Regularly employed qualifying party with required experience
Arizona SRE result and applicable PSI trade-exam result, or ROC-approved waiver documentation
Background checks and government ID for every person named on the license application
Bond for the classification and contemplated annual Arizona gross volume
Recovery Fund assessment or permitted alternative financial protection for a residential or dual license
Workers’ compensation policy information or applicable exemption

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Arizona Plumber application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Applying for a nonexistent L-37 classification

Arizona’s current ROC plumbing classifications use C, R, and CR prefixes. The commercial plumbing classification is C-37; CR-37 is the dual classification.

Confusing a business license with individual licensure

ROC licenses the business. The business needs a regularly employed qualifying party, while local jurisdictions may separately regulate individual plumbers.

Budgeting the same amount for every class

Commercial, residential, and dual specialty licenses have different application, license, Recovery Fund, and bond requirements.

Assuming a named state has automatic reciprocity

Arizona does not publish direct reciprocity agreements. An out-of-state applicant can request ROC review of a trade-exam and experience waiver, but must still meet Arizona requirements.

Letting the bond lapse

The bond must remain active and cover anticipated annual volume. ROC’s renewal checklist specifically requires verification of both.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

Arizona ROC/PSI C-37 (CR-37) Plumbing Candidate Information — Arizona ROC / PSI. Use the current PSI bulletin and class-specific content outline; the published commercial examination is open-book and identifies its permitted references.
Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Examination — Arizona ROC / GMetrix. Required Arizona-specific examination unless ROC grants its limited in-state waiver.
A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 10 and Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 9 — State of Arizona. Primary licensing, qualification, bond, classification, and renewal authority.

Other Arizona Trade Licenses

For a different Arizona credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arizona issue statewide journeyman plumber licenses?

Not through the Registrar of Contractors. ROC licenses contracting businesses and requires a qualifying party for the business license. Local jurisdictions may have separate requirements for individuals.

Which Arizona ROC plumbing classification do I need?

C-37 is commercial plumbing. CR-37 is the dual plumbing classification and includes the C-37 commercial and listed R-37R residential scopes. ROC also lists residential plumbing classifications, including R-37 Plumbing Including Solar; choose the current classification that matches the intended work.

How much plumbing experience does ROC require?

ROC’s CR-37 classification-requirements document lists four years. Under A.R.S. §32-1122, the qualifying party needs four years of practical or management experience in the relevant trade or equivalent, with at least two years in the preceding ten years; qualifying technical training can count for no more than two years.

What exams are required?

ROC requires the Arizona Statutes and Rules exam and the applicable trade exam unless it approves a waiver. The published C-37/CR-37 commercial plumbing PSI examination has 100 questions, a 240-minute limit, and a 70% passing score.

How often does an Arizona plumbing contractor license renew?

ROC licenses run on a two-year renewal cycle. The licensee must keep its bond in force and satisfy the renewal requirements; ROC’s current checklist does not list continuing education for this classification.

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

Report a correction to this guide

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.