Arizona · plumber licensing · verified July 2026
Arizona plumber license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Arizona does not license plumbers as individuals (no apprentice/journeyman/master tiers); instead, any business contracting for plumbing work must hold a plumbing contractor license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (C-37 commercial, R-37 residential, or CR-37 dual). The license's qualifying party must document a minimum of four years of practical or management trade experience (at least two within the last ten years) and pass the AZ Statutes and Rules Exam plus a trade exam. Licenses run two years; tradespeople work under the contractor's license without individual state certification.
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Arizona?
Arizona regulates this trade at the contractor level rather than licensing individual plumbers.
Hybrid/contractor-only state: journeyman and apprentice plumbers are not licensed by Arizona at any level of government; they work under a licensed contractor. Residential and dual licensees pay into the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund. The trade exam (but never the SRE) may be waived under R4-9-106(E) if the qualifying party served as a qualifying party for the same/comparable classification in Arizona or another state within the preceding 5 years, Arizona has no formal plumbing reciprocity agreements (NASCLA acceptance applies to building and electrical classifications, not plumbing). No continuing education requirement appears on the ROC licensing pages reviewed. Handyman exemption exists for work under $1,000 (A.R.S. 32-1121).
What licenses does Arizona issue?
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-37 Plumbing (Specialty Commercial contractor) | not published | not published | Yes |
| R-37 Plumbing, Including Solar (Specialty Residential contractor) | not published | not published | Yes |
| CR-37 Plumbing (Specialty Dual contractor) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) (roc.az.gov). Verified July 2026.
What exam does Arizona require?
Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) - cannot be waived. Administered by Gmetrix (online, on behalf of AZ ROC). Exam fee $61.
Plumbing trade examination (C-37 / R-37 / CR-37). Administered by PSI. Exam fee $66.
How much does an Arizona plumber license cost?
Arizona sets its fees per license class rather than as one figure for the trade, so no single total would be true of every applicant. The published items are below exactly as the board sets them.
- Application feeset per license class
- Exam fee$127
- Initial license feeset per license class
- Renewal fee (recurring)set per license class
Source: fee schedule (roc.az.gov). Verified July 2026.
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: 2 years
How does the apprenticeship route work?
No individual apprentice registration exists at the state level. Time in a plumbing apprenticeship counts as practical trade experience toward the qualifying party's 4-year requirement, and technical training (accredited college/university or manufacturer program) may substitute for up to 2 of the 4 years (A.R.S. 32-1122(E)). The ROC also maintains an Apprenticeship Program Information page and certificate registry.
Which states does Arizona have license reciprocity with?
Arizona appears in 1 published reciprocal licensing agreement for this trade, covering California. Boards write these as agreements between two states rather than as a one-way list, and some publish the list while their counterpart does not, so this counts every agreement naming Arizona from either side. Recognition is never automatic: the board you apply to decides, and most require the original license to have been earned by examination and to be in good standing.
How does Arizona compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | not published | Contractor level only |
| California | not published | Contractor level only |
| New Mexico | not published | Statewide |
| Utah | not published | Statewide |
| Colorado | 6,800 | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- License and Renewal Fees - Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- License Classifications - Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Applying for a License - Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- A.R.S. 32-1122 - Qualifications for license
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to plumbers overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) before making decisions. Not legal advice.