ARIZONA · plumber
Plumbing Contractor (C-37 commercial / R-37 residential / CR-37 both)
Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) →Scope of Work
Arizona does not license plumbers as individuals; plumbing work performed for compensation above the handyman threshold must be done by a licensed contracting firm registered with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC). The AZ ROC issues three specialty plumbing classifications: C-37 (commercial plumbing), R-37 (residential plumbing), and CR-37 (dual, both commercial and residential). The classification governs the type of structure the firm may contract on, not a worker's individual credential. Source: AZ ROC license classifications (https://roc.az.gov/license-classifications).
No State Journey License
Arizona does not issue a state journeyman or master plumber license. A plumber working for a C-37, R-37, or CR-37 firm does not personally hold an AZ plumbing credential; the contracting firm's license, carried by its qualifying party, covers the work. Journey-level wage classifications and apprenticeship completion certificates exist through U.S. DOL RAPIDS programs and through local union JATCs, but those are training credentials, not state plumbing licenses. Individual permit-pulling authority flows from the firm's contractor license, not from the worker.
Qualifying Party
Every AZ ROC licensed firm must designate a qualifying party, an individual who is regularly employed by the licensee and who is responsible for the firm's compliance with contractor statutes. The qualifying party personally takes the trade and business-management exams and is the name the Registrar looks to on any complaint or discipline. A qualifying party may qualify only one license at a time in most cases. Source: ARS 32-1127 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01127.htm).
Experience
ARS 32-1122 requires the qualifying party to have a minimum of four years of practical or management trade experience, at least two of which must have been within the last ten years. Up to two of the four years may be satisfied with accredited technical training. Experience must be in the type of construction, or its equivalent, for which the firm is applying. The Registrar may reduce the four-year requirement where industry custom justifies it, or waive experience documentation if the qualifying party previously held the same classification in Arizona. Source: ARS 32-1122 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01122.htm).
Exam
ARS 32-1122 requires a written examination, taken not more than two years before application, covering the specific trade plus state building, safety, health, and lien laws, administrative contracting principles, and construction plans, specifications, standards, and techniques. Arizona contractor applicants sit for two exams: a trade exam (C-37, R-37, or CR-37 plumbing) and a Statutes and Rules training / business-management exam. The exam may be waived if the qualifying party previously held the same classification within the preceding five years. Exam administration for AZ ROC classifications is contracted to a third-party testing vendor (historically PSI Services); verify the current vendor, exam fee, and scheduling on the AZ ROC website before testing. Source: ARS 32-1122.
FEES
Application, licensing, and examination fees are set under ARS 32-1126 and are subject to periodic adjustment by the Registrar. Verify current fees directly on the AZ ROC fee schedule before applying; published third-party summaries of Arizona contractor fees are frequently out of date. Source: ARS 32-1126 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01126.htm).
BOND
ARS 32-1152 requires every original contractor license applicant to post a surety bond (or cash deposit) in a form acceptable to the Registrar before the license is issued, and to maintain it to renew. Specialty commercial classifications (C-37) carry bond amounts tied to estimated annual gross volume, with a floor for small-volume firms. Specialty residential classifications (R-37) require a lower bond, typically in the $1,000–$7,500 range per statute. Residential and dual-licensed contractors must additionally either post a $200,000 actual-damages bond or participate in the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund. Bond claim aggregate cannot exceed the face amount, and claims expire two years after the service date. Verify the specific dollar amount for the chosen classification and volume tier with the Registrar. Source: ARS 32-1152 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01152.htm).
Renewal and CE
AZ ROC contractor licenses renew on a biennial (two-year) staggered cycle under ARS 32-1123.01. Renewal requires the bond to remain active and the qualifying party to remain associated with the license. Arizona does not, as of this writing, require continuing education hours for C-37, R-37, or CR-37 plumbing contractor renewals; renewal is principally a fee, bond, and qualifying-party check. A lapsed license may be reinstated within statutory windows; prolonged lapse requires a new application and exam. Source: ARS 32-1123.01 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01123-01.htm); ARS 32-1125 (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01125.htm).
Reciprocity
Arizona does not maintain broad statewide reciprocity for plumbing contractors. Out-of-state applicants with a current comparable license may petition for experience credit and, in limited cases, exam waiver under the Registrar's out-of-state procedures, but the default posture is that the qualifying party must sit for the Arizona trade exam and business-management exam. Verify current reciprocity posture directly with AZ ROC before relying on an out-of-state license.